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My quick and easy Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe is an instant family favorite! Combining hearty ground beef, a flavorful sauce made from simple ingredients and coming together in 20 minutes or less, this meal is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe.
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Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe
When my kids were little, I learned the value of homemade sloppy joe sandwiches! They're like magic. You can load up the sloppy joe mix with bell peppers and onions to sneak in a veggie serving, and I promise you, they'll gobble it up and ask for seconds!
It's all in the delicious sloppy joe sauce. Don't fall for premade sauces like Manwich; with my homemade sloppy joes sauce, you can customize the flavors to your liking! It will never be too sweet or too spicy, with just the right amount of zest. Plus, it only uses pantry staple ingredients!
It's that simplicity that makes my sloppy joe recipe easy! Just brown some meat and veggies, toss together the sauce ingredients, heat it all up, and dinner is served. Looking for a make-ahead meal? I've included crock pot instructions, too!
Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef: Ground beef is the classic choice, but this dish can easily be made with ground chicken, pork, or turkey. You can even make it with shredded meat!
- Green bell pepper: I find the green variety has the best flavor for sloppy joes, but you can use any bell pepper you have.
- Yellow onion: Sweet yellow onion is best for sloppy joes. White onion is a fine substitute.
- Ketchup: This adds a sweet tang to the sloppy joe mix that is just irresistible.
- Water: For cooking and thinning out the sauce.
- Tomato paste: In a pinch, swap the tomato paste out for tomato puree or more ketchup.
- Garlic powder
- Yellow mustard
- Chili powder
- Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce contains trace amounts of gluten. To make gluten free sloppy joes, swap it out for an equal amount of Tamari or apple cider vinegar.
- Salt and pepper
- Red pepper flakes: You can leave these out if you want to omit the spice.
How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joe Recipe on the Stove
- Wash the onion and pepper, and dice them into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, then add in the ground beef, peppers, and onions. Don't break up the beef just yet; let it cook in one large piece for 5 minutes.
- Flip the ground beef once it's developed a nice browned crust on one side, then break it up into small pieces. Continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked and browned and the vegetables are softened, about 3-5 more minutes. Optional: Drain the fat.
- Add in all remaining ingredients, and stir well until fully mixed. Simmer another five minutes to let the flavors combine.
- Remove the heat, pile on to your favorite hamburger buns, and enjoy!
Sloppy Joe Recipe Crock Pot
- Wash the onion and pepper, and dice them into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, then add in the ground beef, peppers, and onions. Don't break up the beef; let it cook in one large piece for 5 minutes.
- Flip the ground beef once it's developed a nice browned crust on one side, then break it up into small pieces. Continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked and browned and the vegetables are softened, about 3-5 more minutes. Optional: Drain the fat.
- Transfer the sauteed vegetables and meat to the crock pot, then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix. Place on the lid, then set to LOW and let cook for 6 hours.
- Remove, and serve!
Love slow cooked meals? Then you've got to try my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork next! It's amazing in sandwiches, pizza, poutine, and more!
Sloppy Joe Recipe Tips
- You can adjust the amount of vegetables to fit the tastes of your family! I like adding extra or even mixing in kidney beans or cabbage. It's a perfect way to get kids to eat their veggies!
- You can adjust the sweetness by adding an extra tablespoon of brown sugar, or add more spice with more red pepper flakes.
- You can drain the fat from the pan or leave it in. If you're using lean meat like 90/10 ground beef or ground turkey, it won't be necessary to drain the fat at all.
- You can adjust the level of sauce as you wish! I especially recommend adding more water and ketchup if you plan to slow cook this recipe.
Sloppy Joes Recipe FAQ
Yes, they are! Manwich is simply a pre-made sauce for sloppy joes, designed to be added to ground meat. But don't be tricked into buying it from the store - you probably have all the ingredients for making your own sloppy joe sauce recipe!
Homemade sloppy joes sauce is made from a blend of ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, tomato paste, and a few extra seasonings like salt and pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire. It can be further simplified by leaving out the tomato paste for just more ketchup, but I love the deeper flavor of the tomato paste.
Sloppy joe meat is deliciously versatile! I like topping rice or french fries with it, or serving it with a hearty serving of fingerling potatoes and baked beans. You can even mix leftovers into chili or top hot dogs with it!
Sloppy joes are a great way to hide veggies! I like adding green bell pepper and onions. You can also add a few diced or grated carrots, or top the sandwiches with sharp cheddar, avocado slices, or pickled red onion!
Storing Leftover Sloppy Joes
- Refrigerator: Leftover sloppy joes can be placed in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just be sure to let the mixture cool completely before setting it in the fridge, or it can cause surrounding food to spoil.
- Freezer: Sloppy joes are a perfect recipe to freeze! Just store the cooled meat in freezer-safe airtight containers. They will last for up to 3 months.
- Thawing and Reheating: You can thaw the meat mixture in the fridge overnight, or in a covered pan over low heat until bubbly.
Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes
- Air Fryer Pork Chops - give them a try and see why this is one of my most popular recipes!
- Chicken Chili - a huge hit with everyone who tries it, this easy chili is done in under half an hour!
- Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos - Mouthwatering shrimp tacos, in less than 20 minutes!
- Chinese Prawns - These unforgettable prawns are cooked in sticky-sweet chili sauce for a dish you'll be making again and again!
- Try all of my Sunday Supper Ideas!
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Homemade Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- ⅓ cup Green bell pepper
- ⅓ cup Yellow onion
- ⅔ cup Ketchup
- ⅓ cup Water
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Yellow mustard
- ¾ teaspoon Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Instructions
Stove Top Instructions
- Wash the onion and pepper, and dice them into small, bite-sized pieces.⅓ cup Green bell pepper,⅓ cup Yellow onion
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, then add in the ground beef, peppers, and onions. Don't break up the beef; let it cook in one large piece for 5 minutes.1 lb Ground beef
- Flip the ground beef once it's developed a nice browned crust on one side, then break it up into small pieces. Continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked and browned and the vegetables are softened, about 3-5 more minutes. Optional: Drain the fat.
- Add in all remaining ingredients, and stir well until fully mixed. Cook another five minutes to let the flavors combine.⅔ cup Ketchup,⅓ cup Water,2 Tablespoons Tomato paste,1 teaspoon Garlic powder,1 teaspoon Yellow mustard,¾ teaspoon Chili powder,½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce,½ teaspoon Coarse salt,¼ teaspoon Pepper,¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- Remove the heat, pile on to your favorite buns, and enjoy! For slow cooker instructions, see the notes.
Notes
- Wash the onion and pepper, and dice them into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, then add in the ground beef, peppers, and onions. Don't break up the beef; let it cook in one large piece for 5 minutes.
- Flip the ground beef once it's developed a nice browned crust on one side, then break it up into small pieces. Continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked and browned and the vegetables are softened, about 3-5 more minutes. Optional: Drain the fat.
- Transfer the sauteed vegetables and meat to the crock pot, then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix. Place on the lid, then set to LOW and let cook for 6 hours.
- Remove, and serve!
-
- You can adjust the amount of vegetables to fit the tastes of your family! I like adding extra or even mixing in kidney beans or cabbage. It's a perfect way to get kids to eat their veggies!
-
- You can adjust the sweetness by adding an extra tablespoon of brown sugar, or add more spice with more red pepper flakes.
-
- You can drain the fat from the pan or leave it in. If you're using lean meat, it likely won't be necessary to drain the fat at all.
-
- Ground Beef: Ground beef is the classic choice, but this dish can easily be made with ground chicken, pork, or turkey. You can even make it with shredded meat!
-
- Tomato Paste: In a pinch, swap the tomato paste out for tomato puree or more ketchup.
-
- Gluten-Free: Worcestershire sauce contains trace amounts of gluten. To make gluten free sloppy joes, swap it out for an equal amount of Tamari or leave it out entirely.
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