Sloppy Joes
I’ve gone super “Americana” on us with this recipe. There’s hardly a more classic American meal then good ol’ sloppy joes! I don’t know a kid that would ever turn these down for dinner.
And just when you may want to roll your eyes at a dish as simple as sloppy joes, I’m here to tell ya, this recipe is GREAT! It can’t even be compared to the horrible stuff you buy in the can.
It has the perfect sauce/beef ratio and it’s packed with flavor. I love the extra boost of flavor that the BBQ sauce adds to it. Not to mention how incredibly EASY this recipe is.
How to make sloppy Joes:
Start by browning the ground beef in a large skilley. Then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender and translucent.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, and allow everything to simmer together for 30 minutes. (The simmering time is a crucial part of the recipe because it allows the flavors to meld together).
After letting the sloppy joe mixture simmer, serve it warm on a toasted hamburger bun!
To make sloppy Joes healthier:
Try making turkey sloppy joes by substituting ground turkey in place of ground beef. You can also sneak veggies into your sloppy joes! You could easily add some chopped bell peppers, zucchini, spinach, or shredded carrot, and your kids wouldn’t notice a difference :-).
To cut down on carbs, serve your sloppy joes open face, with a piece of cheese placed on top, and broiled in the oven for 2 minutes. YUM!
Sides for Sloppy Joes:
- Baked potato wedges
- Side salad
- Steamed Corn
- Potato chips
Consider trying these kid-friendly recipes:
- Gourmet Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
- Spaghetti Pie
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
This delicious sloppy joes recipe makes the perfect quick, easy, and inexpensive dinner your family will really enjoy. It's packed with flavor and ready, fridge to table, in 30 minutes!
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup yellow onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauces
- 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 hamburger buns
- Add beef to a large pan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook, crumbling and stirring, until browned. Drain grease.
- Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients to the pan.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve warm, inside a hamburger bun.
Recipe Video
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Cecile Roy - My Yellow Farmhouse says
Love the idea of adding barbecue sauce etc. to Sloppy Joes – I’ve already pinned this recipe!! ; o )
Sarah S. says
This is a fantastic (and easy) Sloppy Joe recipe! The bbq sauce really makes it!
Lauren Allen says
I agree, the bbq sauce gives the sauce an extra boost of flavor that I love! Thanks so much, I’m really happy you liked them!
CW says
I enjoyed this, I used spicier ketchup and BBQ sauce and tasted great!
Nikki says
What mind of bbq didu use
Doug Eller says
This was awesome I omitted the salt and pepper and added diced tomatoes with green chile peppers and added about 4 sweet peppers. Will be using this recipe again. I might follow the recipe as is but probably not as I enjoy using recipes as guides only but this is an awesome base. The sauce itself would work for BBQ beef or pork sandwiches or even chicken
Lauren Allen says
I agree, it would be yummy over bbq beef or pork sandwiches! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Ellyn Fenton says
Glad I doubled the recipe, everyone went back for seconds. Taste great over tater tots with melted cheese, yum.
Jenna says
We used to have these all of the time growing up. I love the new twist of adding BBQ sauce in the recipe, it adds a great flavor! Also good as leftovers! 🙂
S Miller says
I made this recipe exactly as written and would not change a thing. My family all loved it with one exception, one member requested that in future I make extra sauce so next time i’m doubling the recipe so they will be extra sloppy. This doesn’t take long to make and beats canned sauce all to pieces!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for sharing!
S Miller says
This was delicious as is. I wouldn’t change a thing; my family loved it!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
christie says
i added a little spoonful of brown sugar because my family likes sloppy joes a bit sweeter, but otherwise followed the recipe, and we all loved it! especially loved the addition of barbecue sauce. we ate the sloppy joes on kaiser rolls with slices of sharp cheddar on top. i will definitely make this again. thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Kathy says
THIS WAS SOO GOOD AND SO EASY TO MAKE. I found your website with a simple google and am so glad I did. I’ll be trying more of your recipes! xoxo
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Kathy–I’m so glad you found me!
Peggy says
My family liked this variation of an all-time favorite. I recently substitued a small can of tomato paste for the tomato sauce, because that is what I had in the pantry. I added enough beef broth to get the consistency I wanted. This recipe works well in a slow cooker – on low for 4 – 5 hours.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for sharing Peggy–love to hear that it worked well in the slow cooker for you 🙂
Alicia says
Loved the recipe didn’t have the exact ingredients but I had ones close enough! Everyone said this was the best Sloppy Joe recipe I have ever made!!
Anne says
Delicious! I made them for dinner the other night. Doubled the recipe so we would have leftovers. The next day the elderly lady across the street died so guess what food I took over???!!! They have grandchildren so I figured they would all like it. They were thrilled.
Any way, I’m making another batch today for our freezer!
Jetta says
I wasn’t a huge Sloppy Joe fan until I made this one for my husband. Excellent!
Lauren Allen says
I’m glad this recipe made you a believer! Thanks so much 🙂
Susie Gute Wall says
I’m really trying to make more foods as natural as possible and from scratch now. I believe natural foods will make me feel better. I used a great natural bourbon bbq sauce with no high fructose corn syrup. I also used organic ketchup which has twice the antioxidants than regular ketchup. My finace and 3 teenage boys all ate it and loved it. That right there says a lot for my picky eaters. I doubled the recipe and there was only one portion left for lunch today. Yum. I’m too am so happy I found this website.
Brooke says
Loved it wouldn’t change a thing! My 5 year olds favorite meal now 😉
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Brooke–it’s always a win when the kids like it!
Sophia Arias says
Excellent recipe! I liked how balanced the sauces were in this.
My family loved it and it now goes in the rotation. I love that your recipes are generally the ingredients I have on hand and lend themselves to being modified to specific tastes. Your custom meal plan option is genius! Thanks for taking the time to help those who want to cook from scratch do it more easily!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for your kind comment! I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed some of my recipes <3