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    Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

    Homemade Sloppy Joes

    January 12, 2022 Updated: April 8, 2022 By Katie Crenshaw 22 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Forget the canned mix and make homemade sloppy Joes for a delicious easy meal. This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes.
    Forget the canned mix and make homemade sloppy Joes for a delicious easy meal. This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes.
    Forget the canned mix and make homemade sloppy Joes for a delicious #easymeal. This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes. #aforkstale #sloppyjoes
    Forget the canned mix and make homemade sloppy Joes for a delicious #easymeal. This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes. #aforkstale #sloppyjoes
    Forget the canned mix and make homemade sloppy Joes for a delicious easy meal. This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes.

    Forget the canned mix and make homemade sloppy Joes for a delicious easy meal.

    This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes.

    homemade sloppy Joe on white plate with potato chips and pickles to the side

    This sloppy joe recipe is inexpensive and budget friendly.

    It is a quick, easy meal that does not skip on flavor or comfort.

    Try making them for busy nights or evenings you want to relax and not do too much at the end of the day!

    Sloppy Joe video tutorial

    ingredients for homemade sloppy joes-ground beef, bell pepper, onions, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar

    Ingredients

    This is the list of ingredients for homemade sloppy Joes.

    • ground beef- Traditionally you would use ground beef, but ground chicken or ground turkey work also really well as a substitute.
    • green bell pepper- This adds a nice flavor, but if you are not a pepper fan, you can omit this. For a milder pepper flavor, you can substitute with a yellow pepper.
    • onion- white or yellow
    • brown sugar
    • vinegar- The acidity from the vinegar balances the sweetness from the sugar and ketchup.
    • ketchup
    • yellow mustard
    Steps to make sloppy joes

    Steps

    Follow these simple steps to make homemade sloppy Joes.

    1. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain any extra fat.
    2. Add diced bell pepper and onion. Cook until completely softened.
    3. In a mixing bowl, mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard.
    4. Add sauce to the ground beef and cook on low heat an additional 10 minutes. Serve.

    Toppings

    I personally like my sloppy Joe's simple with mustard and pickles. However you can add other toppings. Here are some recommendations:

    • American or cheddar cheese slices
    • pickles
    • red onions
    • jalapeno
    • mustard
    Sloppy Joe on a white plate with chips and pickles to the side.

    What is the difference between Manwich and Sloppy Joes?

    Manwhich uses a store bought canned sauce to make sloppy joes rather than a homemade sauce.

    Homemade sauce tastes much better than the canned store bought version.

    Can you freeze sloppy joe meat mixture?

    Sloppy joe meat freezes very well. I suggest doubling a batch and freeze half for a later use.

    To freeze, add meat to an air tight freezer bag. Spread the meat evenly in the bag so that it can lay flat in the freezer easily. When ready to cook, thaw meat and heat.

    Sloppy joe sandwich on a plate.

    Ways to use sloppy joe meat

    There are several fun ways to use sloppy joe meat. Try some of these:

    • The traditional way- on a bun with your choice of toppings.
    • Layer over tater tots- Add meat mixture to cooked tater tops, add cheese, and toppings of your choice for loaded tater tots.
    • Top meat over spaghetti pasta or macaroni for a simple pasta meal.
    • Layer over tortilla chips-Add meat mixture to cooked tater tops, add cheese, and toppings of your choice for loaded nachos. You can make your chips from scratch using this tortilla chip recipe.
    • Top a baked potato-Add sloppy joe mixture to cooked tater tops, add cheese, and toppings of your choice for loaded nachos.

    About the recipe

    This recipe came from my sister-in-law, Melanie Crenshaw. She makes hers a little different from the typical recipe.

    I honestly was not a big fan of sloppy Joes before I tried hers. They were always kind of plain and boring in flavor.

    I was blown away on how delicious her sloppy Joes were and knew I had to share with my readers.

    Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pie and Triple Chocolate Nutella Stuffed Cookies are also recipes she has shared with me! You should definitely check them out.

    Like this recipe? Then you will also like these:

    • Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
    • Cheeseburger Poutine
    • Ground Beef Chow Mein Casserole
    • Instant Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
    • Baked Calico Beans

    Please leave me a comment below if you make these sloppy joes and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.

    Also post your picture of your sandwiches on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

    homemade sloppy Joe on white plate with potato chips and pickles to the side

    Homemade Sloppy Joes

    Forget the canned mix and make homemade sloppy Joes for a delicious easy meal. This recipe uses simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes.
    4.88 from 31 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe Saved! Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 299kcal
    Author: Katie Crenshaw

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds ground beef
    • 2 green bell peppers diced
    • 1 onion diced
    • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 1½ cups ketchup
    • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Brown 2 pounds ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain any extra fat.
    • Add 2 diced bell pepper and 1 onion. Cook until completely softened.
    • In a mixing bowl, mix 1 ½ cups ketchup, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and 2 teaspoons mustard.
    • Add sauce to the ground beef and cook on low heat an additional 10 minutes. Serve.

    Video

    Notes

    Note: Traditionally you would use ground beef, but ground chicken or ground turkey work also really well as a substitute.
    Note: To freeze, add meat to an air tight freezer bag. Spread the meat evenly in the bag so that it can lay flat in the freezer easily. When ready to cook, thaw meat and heat.

    Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.

    Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 274IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? I want to see it!Mention @aForksTale or tag #aForksTale!

    More Beef Recipes

    • Stuffed Jalapeños with Cheese and Ground Beef
    • Instant Pot Chili Mac-Made in 30 Minutes
    • How to Cook a Standing Rib Roast
    • Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Allyssa

      January 21, 2022 at 9:52 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

    2. Dennis K Littley

      January 21, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      There is something magical about sloppy joes! Thanks for sharing your recipe it brought back delicious memories.

    3. Amy

      January 22, 2022 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      I never knew how easy it was to make homemade sloppy joes! My whole family loved it and it's so much better than canned!

    4. Healing Tomato

      January 23, 2022 at 2:52 am

      5 stars
      There is something so heart warming about making sloppy Joe's at home. I love your recipe and your writing style. These sloppy Joe's look amazing.

    5. Linda

      January 23, 2022 at 9:02 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is definitely a keeper! So delicious and everyone it!

    6. Brianna

      January 23, 2022 at 10:54 pm

      5 stars
      These sloppy joes are so much better than the can! I plan on using leftovers for nachos.

    7. Naiby

      January 23, 2022 at 11:22 pm

      5 stars
      I made my first sloppy joe and it was so easy! You're about using inexpensive ingredients for this recipe. It makes it even better!

    8. Ramona

      January 23, 2022 at 11:25 pm

      5 stars
      I have never heard of this before and it looks like a really delicious recipe that I cant wait to make soon for me and my family! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to try this out!

    9. Jamie

      January 24, 2022 at 12:24 am

      5 stars
      This made a delicious family dinner! The brown sugar and ketchup add just the right amount of sweetness. So good!

    10. Nicole

      January 24, 2022 at 3:56 am

      5 stars
      I freaking love Sloppy Joes. You have a lot of good ingredients in your recipe. Thank you for sharing!

    11. Tristin

      January 24, 2022 at 4:02 am

      5 stars
      This is so much better than the stuff you get in the can! Love the addition of the bell peppers.

    12. Amy

      January 24, 2022 at 5:57 am

      5 stars
      These were so good! I liked your idea for doing loaded tater tots with the sloppy joe meat and it was a total hit!

    13. Mikayla

      July 07, 2022 at 7:14 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe reminded me of childhood meals, warm and comforting. However the flavors here of fresh ingredients and how well it freezes for later use makes this a top 10 recipe for me!

    14. Nancy

      July 08, 2022 at 1:39 am

      5 stars
      This is my childhood. I'm so happy to have found your recipe so I can make them from scratch, I can imagine how much more delicious they are than the mix.

    15. Erin

      July 08, 2022 at 12:49 pm

      5 stars
      I'd never make sloppy joes before but am so glad I made these! They're just amazing. Like my childhood, thanks!

    16. Claire

      July 08, 2022 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      This is my kids favourite meal! And this was just so easy! We loved it! And I love how simple it is to toss together, even on a busy weeknight.

    17. Lauren Michael Harris

      July 08, 2022 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      I haven't had a sloppy joe in forever, but my husband and I were just talking about them and how our kids have never tried one. Adding this to the menu for next week - I'm so excited! These look so much better than the old canned sauce my parents used!

    18. Megan

      July 09, 2022 at 9:39 am

      5 stars
      These are actually one of my favourite "burgers". So delicious and the perfect easy comfort food.

    19. Jenny

      July 10, 2022 at 9:16 am

      5 stars
      My American husband loves you! We are in Greece, and he is asking for sloppy Joe's, his favorite dish, and I have no idea how to make it. Your recipe came to the rescue. Thank you!

    20. Jessica

      July 10, 2022 at 6:11 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is a little different than what I remember from childhood but was so much better. The flavors were well balanced and I loved the addition of the green bell pepper. My family gobbled these up; I will definitely be making them again.

    21. Amy Liu Dong

      July 11, 2022 at 4:45 am

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness, it is so easy, and seeing this makes my mouthwatering!
      Def making this at home, thank you!

    22. Moop Brown

      July 11, 2022 at 7:43 am

      5 stars
      Sloppy joe is such a classic recipe and was always something I ate growing up. I like that this recipe allows me to make a homemade version of it.

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    Katie Crenshaw-A Fork's Tale

    Hi, I'm Katie!

    Thanks for stopping in!! I am a foodie and I LOVE to eat. I am so excited to share my recipes and adventures with you! My recipes are simple and easy for the modern cook.

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