Step away from the canned sauce and give these homemade sloppy joes a try! They’re truly the best version of a childhood favorite!
As we head into the upcoming holiday season, I’ve been thinking about family-friendly meals. You know, those meals that your kids always want to eat. In our house, this Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is number one on our list… with these sloppy joes being number 2! With two little ones myself, I know ALL too well how frustrating it is to cook a meal and have them promptly turn up their noses and say it’s “gross”. *facepalm*
I’ve always been a fan of classic sloppy joes. There’s something so innately satisfying about the sweet and savory combination and messiness of it all! And I know you all love them too, since I’ve been getting a lot of requests for sloppy joe recipes.
I’ve made a LOT of sloppy joe recipes lately, trying to come up with the perfect one. Some were too sweet, others too spicy. Well guys, I finally got it. The perfect balance. This sloppy joe recipe is sweet, tangy, zesty and savory, with the perfect texture and consistency.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES
Homemade sloppy joes are incredibly easy to make, and come together in one skillet in about 20 minutes or so. Browned beef is mixed with onion and green pepper and simmered in a sweetened tomato/ketchup sauce. The secret is in finding the right seasoning for the sauce!
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANWICH AND SLOPPY JOES?
Technically Manwich is a pre-made sauce that’s used to make sloppy joes. I’m not sure exactly what’s in it, and have never tried it myself, so I can’t say that my recipe tastes similar or not. Manwich is marketed as a easy way to make sloppy joes… but in reality, homemade sloppy joes are JUST as easy to make!
HOW DID SLOPPY JOES GET THEIR NAME?
From what I can glean from the good ol’ internet, a cook named Joe in a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa added a tomato sauce to a loose meat sandwich. It must have been a favorite and took off!
WHAT CAN I DO WITH SLOPPY JOE MEAT?
Number one, slap some on a toasted bun!! After that, here are some of my favorite things to do:
- Spoon some over some crispy waffle fries. Bonus points if you also melt some cheese over the fries before adding the sloppy joe meat!
- Add some to a grilled cheese.
- Roll up in crescent roll dough and bake at 375 F degrees for about 12-15 minutes. Cheese makes a great addition to these as well!
- Add some on top of a burger.
CAN YOU MAKE SLOPPY JOES IN A CROCKPOT?
You can! Just brown the beef and add all the remaining ingredients (no buns though), and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours, or HIGH for 2-3 hours. This will have a softer texture than skillet sloppy joes though.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES:
- Before you get started, toast your buns. Toasting the bun makes ALL the difference, and only takes a few minutes. Crank up the heat under the skillet to high, and add a drizzle of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the buns, then place the buns cut side up on a cooling rack after they’re toasted.
- Watch the sauce so that it doesn’t reduce too much. When too much of the sauce reduces, it gives you a dry sloppy joe mixture. Everyone likes theirs a little differently, but for me, I cook it down so that I can see the bits of meat, and when I drag my spoon through the sauce, it leaves a trail where the sauce is parted. If the sauce immediately flows back into that trail, it’s too liquid-y. I want a few seconds before the sauce covers the trail, which gives me a saucy consistency that’s not too liquid.
- Choose your favorite type of bun. I usually go for either a pretzel bun (like I did in these Beer and Chorizo Sloppy Joes!), or a brioche bun.
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Skillet – I like to use either stainless steel or cast iron for this, as they both give a great sear!
- Wooden plate – I love these for sandwiches!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/3 green bell pepper, minced
- 1/2 large yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar (or less, if you prefer)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- dash of hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in large skillet over MED/MED-HIGH heat. Add beef and brown, breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Transfer to colander to drain.
- Add onion and bell pepper to same skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste. Stir well.
- Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Cook over MED heat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture has thickened to your liking. Remove from heat and serve over toasted buns.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Cool the mixture completely, then add to freezer containers and freeze for up to 4 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Dean says
How many does this feed
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve estimated it feeds about 6 people, but that will depend entirely on how hungry each person is. For future reference, the amount of servings in each recipe is always in a light green colored bar in the recipe card, right underneath the recipe name, cook time, etc 🙂
Steve says
I have been making this since I found this recipe. Never going back to the can. Has a slight sweet taste to it which makes it different, flavourful and fresh tasting.
Kristin Myers says
These sloppy joes are a real crowd pleaser & the only thing I do differently than called out in the recipe is only add half the amount of brown sugar.
I recently made them for a river trip & have made them several times for large groups of people when we go camping. I always get rave reviews & everyone always asks for the recipe. We serve them with toasted buns, Trader Joe’s sweet & spicy jarred jalepenos, French’s crispy onions & shredded sharp cheddar.
Freezes great & reheats nicely! This recipe is five *”s for sure!!
Dom says
absolutely amazing. forgot to add the butter at the start, but will add next time. Thanks so much for sharing this gem!
Gene says
Came out great! Everyone loved this easy recipe. Added a jalapeño for extra heat.
Thank you
Christy Canter says
Very tasty! I remember our middle school (1980’s) had the best sloppy joes but my mom use to make mamwich (gag 🤢) so I wanted to find a great tasting sloppy Joe recipe that not only I would like but my husband as well! Then I found this recipe 🙌🏼 It is very delicious! Will definitely make again and again!
Julie says
Deliciously bright, fresh flavor! Never buy the canned sauce when this recipe is so easy. I added a pinch of celery seed at my husband’s request.
Toni says
The BESTEST ever!! I found this recipe probably a year ago& hadn’t left a review. It’s our only Sloppy Joe now. Even my picky people rave about it, so I had to stop in& say thanks. By far, the best sloppy Joe ever
Pamela says
Hi Amanda,
I tried this last night and it was very good! I didn’t have any green pepper but no matter, it still tasted great! Having one for lunch today! Thanks for sharing.
Andrea says
Delicious recipe – but we added cheddar cheese and toasted the buns garlic bread style with butter garlic and seasonings !!
Chris Wing says
Sweet and sassy. It was a hit. I haven’t made sloppy joes in my 39 years and this is the recipe I made and will make every time. I tripled the Worcestershire sauce, garlic and mustard on accident. Tbsp instead of tsp. 10 out of 10.
Elizabeth says
So glad I tried this tonight. Great recipe! We had ours open faced on everything buns with colby jack & banana pepper rings. Looking forward to leftovers for dinner tomorrow 😊
Princess says
Easy recipe, pantry staples on hand, resulting in great flavor!
Mary geditz says
Very good!
Hugh says
A great recipe that allows for thoughtful modifications. Once you learn how to make it, try substituting different seasonings, condiments, and flavorings to make it your own. I tend to add the onion and bell pepper to the ground beef after it has cooked a bit to save a step, but otherwise I follow this recipe pretty closely and it always comes out great.
Lovey says
I have made this recipe several times now and making again tonight! Yum! I am a total convert from using a Sloppy Joe’s seasoning packet. I do not put the added sugar as hubby is fending off diabetes. If we happen to have our lactose-intolerant son-in-law over, then I just use olive oil and a little Mykonos butter substitute – works out fine. Using butter tonight, though!
Paula says
I made this recipe a few weeks ago only leaving out bell peppers and red pepper flakes because I didn’t have any and it was delicious!! Obviously, because I’m back to this recipe to make it again. Very tasty. Much better than canned sauce.
Steve says
Pretty good recipe and nice proportions. I used it and upped the ante a bit because I’m an umami fiend. Doubled the garlic, added a datil pepper and some chipotle powder for heat, tsp of porcini powder, tsp of soy sauce, tsp of powdered hickory smoke, and a tablespoon of beef base to replace the flavor lost with when draining the beef fat.
Patricia Jo York says
Absolute perfection! I love the chunky chef, ’cause I’m a chunky eater.
Samantha says
Made this tonight! Absolutely delicious! Will NEVER buy Manwich again! Thank you!