The Perfect Homemade Sloppy Joes

Dive into the BEST sloppy joe you've ever had! I promise you, this will be the best homemade sloppy joe you've ever made. Serve this delicious recipe and watch in awe as everyone falls in love with your sloppy joes!

⭐ Why this recipe is the best

I realize that's saying a lot, but I have the experience to make such a bold statement. I had a food truck for a few years, and this Sloppy Joe recipe was on the menu from day one. It was by far our biggest seller, so I'm just saying – all those people (and me included) can't be wrong.

This spicy, full of flavor recipe matches everything I crave about sloppy joes; sweet, savory, tangy, and a bit of mess. Trust me, you won't buy that canned Manwich sauce anymore, and why would you, given how easy this is to make. Forget about the mess; you'll love this sloppy joe recipe.

This sloppy joe recipe pair fantastic with my frozen strawberry crunch cake as a dessert. Perfect to enjoy in warm weather with family! Kids love it.

🍽 Key ingredients

In my opinion, the key ingredients to a delicious and saucy sloppy joe recipe are the addition of dijon and crushed red peppers.

The Dijon mustard brings a deliciously rich flavor to the sauce, while the red peppers bring up the heat!

These two go a long way in providing the perfect sweet and spicy balance. It gives your meal an unexpected kick, in a delightful way, of course. So I definitely recommend using these two to avoid the candy-sweet taste.

Substitutes

Quick preference-based substitutes for homemade sloppy joes that work.

Sloppy Joes without Ketchup

Substitute Ketchup for BBQ Sauce for a nice bold flavor. Consider opting for a classic Smoky barbeque sauce.

Substitute Ketchup with a combination of tomato sauce and tomato paste. For this recipe use two 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce combined with 4 tablespoons of tomato paste. As this substitute is thinner than ketchup, simmer time may increase.

Sloppy joes without brown sugar

Substitute 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite. Or remove the brown sugar entirely if you prefer.

Sloppy joes without bread (bunless)

Substitute bread for cauliflower steaks or inside bell peppers. And as an appetizer, I highly recommend celery sticks.

Sloppy joes without ground beef

Substitute ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, ground sausage, or ground lamb. Or go meatless with a meat substitute or give lentils a try.

🔪 How to make

This homemade sloppy joes recipe is quick and easy! Learn how to make amazing sloppy joes with step-by-step instructions and a full recipe video documenting every step. This recipe takes 25 minutes to prep, 35 minutes to cook, and makes 6-8 servings.

Step 1
In a medium bowl, add ketchup, chili sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, mustard, red pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Stir well to combine and set aside.

Step 2
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add onion and bell pepper.

Step 3
You can as well use olive oil instead or a combination of the two. Cook until soft; this should roughly take 3 - 5 minutes.

Step 4
Add garlic and cook for another minute or two or until the smell flares up.

Step 5
Increase heat to high, add ground beef and cook until brown. Break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once it's done, drain off the excess fat.

Step 6
Stir in the liquid mixture, add salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the meat mixture thickens.

Serve on toasted hamburger buns with mustard, pickles, bell peppers, and cheese if you want. I also like to use pretzel buns or a brioche bun.

That's basically how to make sloppy joes recipe, easy, right?

💭 Cooking tips

1. Toast your buns on the grill or grill pan. It gives some texture to the buns so that they can hold your toppings without being soggy or floppy. Also, it adds another level of flavor to your sloppy joes. Simply melt butter on the pan. Cut the toasted bun into halves and place the cut sides on the pan. Toast until light golden brown.
2. Choose the right bun! Of course, you can use whatever you have on hand. But if you have a choice, or you're reading this in the grocery store. I recommend either pretzel buns or a brioche bun.
3. Your ground beef mixture shouldn't be too runny. It should have a thick sticky texture. If it's too thin, let it simmer with the lid off until it is as thick as you want it. Otherwise, you can use corn starch to thicken your recipe.
4. If you're using 70/30 or 80/20 ground beef, it's a good idea to drain the fat. But to ensure you don't drain all the flavorful juices, use a spoon to remove the fat drippings. First, brown the ground beef, then drain the grease.

🙋 Frequently ask questions

📖 Sloppy joe recipe variations

My homemade sloppy joe recipe is a guide. Feel free to come up with your own variations using sloppy joe meat to create delicious, easy, and budget-friendly meals for the entire family.

Sloppy joe stuffed baked potatoes

A nice russet baked potato split in half and topped with this sloppy joe meat, shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of cream cheese, and green onion is another perfect recipe. This is the perfect side dish to finish off any leftovers.

Sloppy joe tacos

Hard or soft tacos filled with this sloppy joe mixture, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, and a touch of hot sauce is fantastic yet different.

Sloppy joe grilled cheese

Prepare a standard grill cheese sandwich and top with the meat mixture. The combination of breaded grill cheese creates a delicious flavor my whole family absolutely loves.

🥗 What to serve with

There are plenty of amazing sides you can serve with your classic homemade sloppy joes. You can't go wrong with any of these delightful yet straightforward recipes;

• Coleslaw, Macaroni Salad, and Potato Salad pair perfectly with sloppy joes. These creamy sides are the ultimate side dish.
• French fries, potato chips, tater tots, sweet potato fries, and baked potatoes give this homemade sloppy joe recipe something starchy.
• Garden Salad, Corn on the cob, Grilled bell peppers give some contrast to the sloppy joe sauce and look fantastic next to the overflowing hamburger buns.

🍳 Related ground beef recipes

Check out these fantastic ground beef recipes for your next meal.

🥫 How to store

Homemade sloppy joes are surprisingly easy to store in the refrigerator and freezer. Make sure the sloppy joe meat mixture is completely cool.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Consider using leftovers to create endless variations.

Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or airtight container. I love using freezer bags, laying them flat on a cookie sheet until they are set, and then stacking them neatly in the freezer. To reheat, let thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave until hot.

👪 Serving size

This delicious yet easy homemade sloppy joe recipe makes 6-8 servings, which should allow for seconds or tasty leftovers. However, given how easy this recipe is to freeze and store, I highly recommend doubling this recipe if you have kids.

🎥 Watch how to make it

What's there not to love about sloppy joes? They're savory, zesty, and hearty. You can enjoy this recipe at a family dinner, summertime picnics, easy game night, and basically all year long! Just make sure to have napkins around; it's called sloppy for no reason!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.

Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!

📋 Recipe

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Dive into the BEST sloppy joe you've ever had! I promise you, this will be the best homemade sloppy joe you've ever made. Serve this delicious recipe and watch in awe as everyone falls in love with your sloppy joes!

4.89 from 17 votes

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Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Ben Rayl

Equipment

• 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
• 1 large pot
• 1 wooden spoon or spatula

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

US Customary - Metric

• ¾ cup ketchup
• ¾ cup chili sauce - thai chili sauce
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon dijon
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ large onion - diced
• 1 large green pepper - diced
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 pounds ground beef

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, stir together the  ketchup, chili sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin,  mustard, red pepper, worcestershire and tomato paste and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 3 - 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute or two.
• Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up well with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  Drain off the excess fat.
• Stir in the liquid mixture, generously salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until thickened.
• Serve on toasted hamburger buns with mustard, pickles and cheese if you want.

Video

Notes

1. Toast your buns on the grill or grill pan. It gives some texture to the buns so that they can hold your toppings without being soggy or floppy. Also, it adds another level of flavor to your sloppy joes. Simply melt butter on the pan. Cut the toasted bun into halves and place the cut sides on the pan. Toast until light golden brown.
2. Choose the right bun! Of course, you can use whatever you have on hand. But if you have a choice, or you're reading this in the grocery store. I recommend either pretzel buns or a brioche bun.
3. Your ground beef mixture shouldn't be too runny. It should have a thick sticky texture. If it's too thin, let it simmer with the lid off until it is as thick as you want it. Otherwise, you can use corn starch to thicken your recipe.
4. If you're using 70/30 or 80/20 ground beef, it's a good idea to drain the fat. But to ensure you don't drain all the flavorful juices, use a spoon to remove the fat drippings. First, brown the ground beef, then drain the grease.

Nutrition

Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 709mg | Potassium: 610mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 622IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg