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.
Michael H Hay says
Fantastic memories brought to my kitchen with this recipe!
Thank you!
Sara says
Oh mg was sooo good loved it.. used organic Heinz ketchup and keto brown sugar.. so supper low carb with amazing taste family loved it ..
Tommy says
Amazing. The best sloppy Joe I have ever tasted.
Nancy says
Was great…. I made my own ketchup..
Paul says
I am not a sloppy joe fan, I will normally eat them, but don’t like them.
I tried this recipe on a whim and WOW, these are awesome. My wife loved them too.
I have shared this recipe with the family, thanks a million for the recipe.
June says
I love you chunky chef. Thank you!
Dom Jordan says
LOVE this recipe.. with minor alterations.. I use the green pepper and onion, also the garlic.. Instead of water, I use beef broth. I also add a small thin line of A-1 steak sauce and it comes out better than manwich EVERY time! Tonight is My third time making it, and its the best yet! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe, boss!
Julie GO says
Disappointing, considering the glowing reviews. The overall flavour is just super sweet ketchup. Even my son, who loooooves anything sweet, gave this recipe 4 out of 10. I will not be making this “sloppy” recipe again.
The Chunky Chef says
It’s unfortunate you didn’t have a good experience, but everyone does have different tastes and preferences. This one wasn’t for you, and that’s okay. Best of luck on your sloppy joe search 🙂
Dana says
I had to doctor this quite a bit to be something other than ketchup and bbq sauce flavor. It felt too simple and jackknife in acid for me. I added cider vinegar, a little liquid smoke, gochugaru, and paprika. Was just too one-note for me. 🤷♀️
Dana says
I meant to say too low in acid. Gotta love autocorrect. 😉
Rhonda says
This is the best Sloppy Joe recipe I’ve tried. I would make it again for sure.
Miranda Stark says
Awesomest!!!
Nikki says
I made this but used half sausage meat and half ground beef. It was wonderful.
Valerie Doup says
Childhood memories on a bun, this is excellent-thank you
Rubee says
Love the flavor of this and it’s quick and easy! Side salad, coleslaw or corn on the cob and dinners done.
Carmella says
Amanda,
My question is do you have recipes for people with sugar problems. Would love to make this sloppy Joe. But worry about sugar.
Thank You
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t have any recipes specifically developed to be low sugar or for people watching their sugar intake. However you can omit the brown sugar from this recipe, and use a ketchup that’s sweetened with honey (vs high fructose corn syrup).
Diabetic2 says
Just use any swerve 1:1. I like the swerve brown sugar replacement. Doesn’t spike my glucose levels
Katie says
If you have a sugar problem you can leave out the brown sugar, and use unsweetened ketchup, if you want the touch of sweetness try a pinch of monk fruit sweetener, or just simply omit.
Lee says
Look for sugar free ketchup hunts makes it..I add a sugar substitute for the brown sugar but not to much I don’t like a super sweet taste.
SCV says
This was so, so good!!! It was a hit on game (board) night. I had nothing left over, and I made three pounds of meat for 10 people. I was hoping for leftovers for us, but that didn’t happen.LOL Hubby said I won’t be making mine anymore and I agreed 🙂
L. Johnston says
I have made this Sloppy Joe recipe many times. I just came online to find it again for my shopping list to make these tonight! My son-in-law is lactose intolerant, so when he is here, I just replace the butter with another T of olive oil and everything still tastes great.
Marilyn says
These are the best tasting, easiest sloppy joes I’ve ever made. All ingredients were already on hand. I wore out my original copy of the recipe, and thankfully just was able to print a replacement. It’s a family favorite.
Pat says
Amazing recipe the kids went crazy over them
Amy says
I am in love with this recipe! Sometimes, I vary it slightly. Today, I added chopped jalapeños in place of the diced green peppers. A week ago, I added some diced carrot and celery. It’s always delicious! I found this recipe last October, and it has become my favorite meal each week. I never liked the cans of Manwich. Those are filled with High Fructose Corn Syrup, Guar Gum, and Xanthan Gum. For this, I use Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup or Hunt’s All Natural Ketchup. I chop fresh garlic. It’s just so good! Sometimes I top the sandwich with homemade cole slaw. I’ll add a little diced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes to the top. I enjoy this more than homemade spaghetti sauce or chili. I even love it more than hamburgers from the grill. Thank you for this recipe!