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.
Samantha says
Holy crap this was soooo good! Not as overpowering as the Manwich sauce can be but still fulfills that taste that we all expect when eating sloppy Joes. I’m proud of myself for pulling it off and getting it right the first time 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Ariane says
Awesome! Used Steak Sauce because I was out of Worcestershire, but it was great either way!
Kathy says
This recipe is the best sloppy joe recipe out there! My family loves this recipe! This is the only way I make my sloppy joes!
Neri says
My family loves this recipe. We use to put it on a bun but now we like to add it on top of a bowl of mac and cheese and mix it in. Delicious either way. Thanks for sharing.
Kim says
My husband and I love this Sloppy Joe recipe. I remember the 1st time I ever had one and I think that is why they have a place in my heart, YUM!
Lee says
What fat % ground beef please?
The Chunky Chef says
Whichever percentage you’d prefer. We typically use 80/20 or 85/15.
Michelle JARMAN says
I got so many compliments when I used this recipe!! Amazing flavor
Julie says
This was delicious and probably the best sloppy joe recipe I have ever made! My husband is not really a fan of sloppy joes but he loved it too. Thank you!
Amber says
Can I replace the chili powder with paprika? Its the only ingredient I don’t have on hand. I doubt you’ll see this in time though so maybe I’ll just try it and report back. Thank you for the recipe, it looks great!
Emily Sebastian says
Easy and way better than the canned stuff… in fact I normally don’t like Sloppy Joes (kids do) but I really liked these!
I missed adding butter and oil (my own fault) but didn’t even end up needing it with the fat in the meat. Just an idea for anyone looking to save ingredients—or in my car money 😉
ds says
Perfect!
Matthias says
Loved making it, loved eating it, loved that my kids loved it. Thanks!
Kecia Snyder says
I was making Sloppy Joes for a cabin clean up we were hosting, they just weren’t “right”. After reading your recipe, I added tomato paste, Worcestershire and the chili powder, BAM, there it was! My sloppy Joes were “right”!
Thank You for the recipe, I can now head to the cabin with peace of mind.
Keith Jaeger says
Great tasting and easy recipe! Thank you!
DeAnne says
I’ve tried multiple sloppy Joe recipes- this is my absolute favorite. Everyone I’ve made it for asks for more!
Cindy T. says
This has been my “go to” recipe for sloppy joes since I found it. We love it and I continue to make on a regular basis. I’ve left positive comments for this recipe as well as others on your site; would be great if you could find time to reply to the positive comments as well as the questions/negative comments as some of the sites do. We love your Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts! You are very talented and we love to use your site!
Melanie says
Just made these for lunch – fantastic! I was out of buns so I put it over 1/2 baked potato and tasted great, will definitely make again.
Jo Strevel says
I made the sloppy joes for supper tonight. They were delicious! Reminded me of the ones my mother use to make when I was growing up.
I couldn’t make a picture, I m not that tech savvy.
I have saved the recipe and will make them when the grands are here visiting.
I will definitely try some of your other recipes. Thanks!
Sandy says
The best sloppy joes I’ve ever made. It’s my go to recipe for them and everyone loves them. Thank you so much!
Kathy says
Came together with ease and was very tasty. I don’t care for sloppy Joe’s so that’s saying something in my book.
Waiting for my husband to try it but wanted to leave a comment before for I forget.