Oh, Sloppy Joes! Saucy, meaty, sweet, and savory. This American classic sure does live up to its name! It’s a meal that everyone will approve of, while barely taking any effort to execute. So, grab a plate, a napkin (or ten), and get ready to put together this spectacular dinner!
Sloppy Joes
I have to admit something to you guys. As someone who spend most of my childhood in Romania, the idea of “Sloppy Joes” was bizarre to me. Ketchup… mixed into the sauce? Sugar? Mustard?? I didn’t give it the chance it so desperately deserved. I avoided this dish for far too long.
It truly was love at first bite. I remember the sauce squeezing out the sides of the bun as I bit down, the delicious tomatoey, meaty flavor. That was it. I was officially converted to the church of Joe. The etymology for this recipe doesn’t give a ton of information, but, they have a pretty good idea of the name of the creator. Can you guess what it is?
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef – If you’re using fattier ground beef, you might need to drain it, but mine was pretty lean so it wasn’t necessary.
- Butter – Or whatever type of fat or oil you like to sauté with.
- Onion – Any type you have handy.
- Bell pepper – I used a green pepper. Use any color you like.
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you want.
- Ketchup – BBQ sauce can be used too if you want to switch up the flavor.
- Tomato sauce – Or tomato passata.
- Brown sugar – You can add more or less depending how sweet you like your Joes.
- Yellow mustard – Or dijon.
- Worcestershire – Soy sauce is a great substitute here.
- Italian seasoning – You can use any combination of dried herbs that you like.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
How To Make Sloppy Joes
- Brown the beef: Add the butter to a large skillet and melt it over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the ground beef and cook, stirring often and breaking apart as you go, until the beef is fully cooked.
- Sauté veg: To the same skillet add the onion and bell pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Simmer: Add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet and stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy.
- Finish: Spoon over halved buns and serve.
FAQs
A classic sloppy joe will always be made with ground beef. That being said, you don’t have to stay within the box! I suggest sticking with ground meats if you choose to go with an alternative. The texture will be much better. You can use ground pork, sausage, chicken, turkey, lamb. You can even use a mixture of different types of meat. If you use a leaner protein such as chicken or turkey, you may need some extra oil to sauté the meat in step 1.
These are best served over buns. Hamburger, kaiser, brioche, ciabatta, even hotdog buns! You name it. I like to brush some melted butter over the cut sides of the buns and toast them under the oven broiler for a minute or two before serving.
Tips
- If you like your sloppy joes runnier, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of beef or chicken broth before simmering it.
- Try toasting your buns for a crunchier bun or if you don’t like your buns soaking up all the sloppy goodness.
- You can also make this in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low.
Leftovers
Let the sloppy joes cool down fully before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the fridge. Leftovers will last 3-4 days.
You can reheat either in the microwave, or using the stovetop. Add the sloppy joes to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until heated through. You can add a splash of water or broth if you find the sauce is getting too thick.
Freezing
Make sure your sloppy joes have fully cooled down to room temperature before storing in an airtight container and transferring to the freezer. Leftovers will last 3-6 months.
I find it’s easiest to let the sloppy joes thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating using one of the methods detailed in the section above. The microwave is the easiest reheating method to use if you are thawing straight from the freezer.
More Great Recipes To Try
- The Best Homemade Burgers
- Salmon Cream Cheese Bagels
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
- The Best Meat Sauce
- American Goulash (Chop Suey)
- Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
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Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- ½ onion chopped
- ½ green bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 cup tomato sauce or tomato passata
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Brown the beef: Add the butter to a large skillet and melt it over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the ground beef and cook, stirring often and breaking apart as you go, until the beef is fully cooked.
- Sauté veg: To the same skillet add the onion and bell pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Simmer: Add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet and stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy.
- Finish: Spoon over halved buns and serve.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Nutritional information does not include buns.
- If you like your sloppy joes runnier, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of beef or chicken broth before simmering it.
- Try toasting your buns for a crunchier bun or if you don’t like your buns soaking up all the sloppy goodness.
- You can also make this in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low.
- Let the sloppy joes cool down fully before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the fridge. Leftovers will last 3-4 days.
I just love, love sloppy joes but I haven’t made any since our three kids , now in their forties, grew up. Husband absolutely hates them no matter how I rev up or change the recipe. I can’t even say the word “sloppy joe” as he will cringe and start complaining! He does though, just love American style quick goulash and not the real Hungarian kind I used to make. So I’m going to make this soon and just serve it over elbow macaroni as I know he will eat that and he likes all the ingredients anyways!
Hope you guys enjoy it!
I made this and my fam were coming back for more they loved it. This has become a family favorite.
What a great recipe and no too sweet and flavorful. I cook my onion garlic and red bell pepper (since I didnt have green) and let unions become clear. Removed the vegetables and added the finely crushed tomatoes while the pan is hot, it brown it a bit and takes up the flavors at the bottom of the pan. I like to brown my tomato sauces whether Im making italian or spanish foods it bumps up the flavor. I remove the sauce and butter/olive oil and brown the ground beef then i add back in the vegetables and the sauce and all the other ingredients as you describe and simmer for 30mins following the recipe. And I always used cast iron for this type recipe. We grew up with sloppy Joe’s and your version will now become my family favorite! thank u!
My pleasure, so glad you like it! 🙂
I have made your Sloppy Joes recipe twice lately. So good!
So glad you like them!
I have made this recipe before. But now when I click on the recipe for the Skillet Sloppy Joe Casserole(with the biscuits on top), it only gives me the Sloppy Joe recipe. Where is the original recipe, with the biscuits on top?
I don’t have that recipe anymore, I’ve changed it to this. The recipe for the sloppy joe is the same the only difference is you top it with biscuits (like Pillsbury) and bake it at 350F for about 20 minutes.
Hi Jo. My first time commenting. We loved this recipe! I have tried several sloppy joe recipes and this is by far the best. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Its my new and only go to. I love all of your recipes I have tried. Thank you so much.
So glad you are enjoying the recipes, Becky!
This recipe sounds delicious. My mother used to add grated cheddar cheese to hers.
Oh I love that!!
Jo! I was so excited to see you had a sloppy joe recipe! A couple of years ago, me and my hubs went to our local pub, and they had sloppy joes, served over cornbread, topped with cheddar… LOVE! I have tried a few recipes for the jo mix, and your is my new fav! I just made it, and now have to wait until its dinner time!
Thanks buddy!!! 🙂 <3
So happy to hear this! Bon appetit!
Are you supposed to take the browned meat out of the pan after it is cooked? In step 3 it says to add the meat back to the skillet.
No, I just meant to add it to the cooked beef, but I fixed it so that it’s easier to understand.