This homemade Sloppy Joes recipe is easy, inexpensive, and ready in just 30 minutes. It's a kid-favorite, and packed with flavor.
Looking for more 30-Minute Meals? Try my Air Fryer Pizza, Taco Salad, Patty Melt, or Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas!
Why I love this recipe:
- Homemade Sauce: It has the perfect sauce/beef ratio that is packed with flavor.
- Adaptable: There are so many ways to vary this recipe (see below) by adding veggies, switching the meat, etc.
- Kid Friendly: My kids love this recipe (even when I add veggies) and it makes for a relaxing and fun family dinner. Check out all my kid friendly recipes!
How to make Sloppy Joes:
Brown the Beef: Start by browning the ground beef in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender and translucent.
Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir to combine.
Simmer for 30 minutes. The simmering time is a crucial part of the recipe because it allows the flavors to blend together.
Serve: After letting the sloppy joe mixture simmer, serve it warm on a toasted hamburger bun as a sloppy joe sandwich.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The sloppy joe meat filling can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, depending on the freshness of the beef. Store in the refrigerator and reheat and serve on toasted buns when ready to eat.
To Freeze: Allow the mixture to cool completely and store it in an air-tight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.
Recipe Variations:
- Add Veggies: Diced bell peppers, zucchini, spinach, or shredded carrot, can easily be added to this recipe and your kids won’t even notice a difference.
- Hawaiian Sloppy Joes: Substitute more BBQ sauce for the ketchup and add 8 oz., drained crushed pineapple.
- Asian Sloppy Joes: Add 1 tablespoon ground ginger and substitute 1 tablespoons hoisin sauce for the Worcestershire sauce. If desired mix in thinly sliced cucumber slices, chopped water chestnuts or shredded carrot.
- Turkey Sloppy Joes: Substitute ground turkey in place of ground beef and add chopped veggies.
- Low Carb Sloppy Joes: Serve in a lettuce leaf, or serve open-face on a low-carb bun, with a piece of cheese placed on top, and broiled in the oven for 2 minutes.
Serve Sloppy Joes with:
- Green Salad, Cucumber Onion Salad, or Fresh Corn Salad
- Cold Cut Veggies and dip, Roasted Vegetables or Corn on the Cob
- Baked Beans or Potato Salad
- Mac and Cheese or Macaroni Salad
- French Fries, Potato Wedges or Sweet Potato Fries
- Potato Chips
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Recipe
Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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 , or more, to taste
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Add beef to a large pan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, crumbling and stirring, until browned. Remove grease.
- Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve warm, inside a toasted hamburger bun.
Notes
- Add Veggies: Diced bell peppers, zucchini, spinach, or shredded carrot, can easily be added to this recipe and your kids won’t even notice a difference.
- Hawaiian Sloppy Joes: Substitute more BBQ sauce for the ketchup and add 8 oz., drained crushed pineapple.
- Asian Sloppy Joes: Add 1 tablespoon ground ginger and substitute 1 tablespoons hoisin sauce for the Worcestershire sauce. If desired mix in thinly sliced cucumber slices, chopped water chestnuts or shredded carrot.
- Turkey Sloppy Joes: Substitute ground turkey in place of ground beef and add chopped veggies.
- Low Carb Sloppy Joes: Serve in a lettuce leaf, or serve open-face on a low-carb bun, with a piece of cheese placed on top, and broiled in the oven for 2 minutes.
- Green Salad, Cucumber Onion Salad, or Fresh Corn Salad
- Cold Cut Veggies and dip, Roasted Vegetables or Corn on the Cob
- Baked Beans or Potato Salad
- Mac and Cheese or Macaroni Salad
- French Fries, Potato Wedges or Sweet Potato Fries
- Potato Chips
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe January 2018. Updated March 2022.
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I’ve made this several times and always thought it was good but a bit too saucy. Today we added extra diced veggies – 1 carrot, 1 celery, and half a dozen sweet peppers. Turned out great! 7 year old said it was better than usual!
This was so quick to make and was so tasty! This will definitely be a regular in our house. My husband and I added a slice of montery jack cheese to our burgers.
Very easy, very quick, very good!!!!
My husband said this was the best sloppy joe he’s had. The sauce is tasty and thick. Perfect for trying to keep inside the bun. Fast and easy to prepare. I did double it since I have hungry teenage and pre-teen boys.
I made these last night and everyone agreed it could go into “the roation”. They had refused to eat the ones made from a can. We loved how flavorful they were without being sweet. Thanks!
I give you ten stars and hooray for not adding cheese on this recipe
I fixed these for supper tonight and they are GOOD! My picky 14 year old grandson wasn’t thrilled about my choice for supper, until he took a bite! He ate his whole sandwich, and I used large size buns! They’re so good there’s no need to add anything once it’s on the bun. THAT’S A GREAT SLOPPY JOE!
Total home run! By the way this is at the end of her week 1 meal plan. An unexpected bonus to these meals is that my house smells awesome.
It was very good. Easy to make. Similar to a Manwich, but not as runny. Served on open hamburger bun, with coleslaw. Definitely worth trying.
Made this exactly as stated and it was DELICIOUS! We served as open face on burger buns!