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Our easy Sloppy Joes recipe delivers the best messy sandwich with savory ground beef in a sweet and tangy homemade sauce, ready in just 30 minutes.
When I Need Dinner Fast, I Make Sloppy Joes
They're easy enough for busy weeknights, loved by kids and adults, and I usually have what I need already sitting in my pantry. My family devours sloppy joes, and sometimes I sneak extra veggies into the sauce without anyone noticing (like shredded carrot, diced zucchini or spinach). If I make these in the cooler months we will serve sloppy joes with sides like corn on the cob, baked beans, french fries or roasted veggies. In the summertime we like to serve sloppy joes with cucumber salad, fresh fruit, coleslaw, or a crisp green salad.
Check out all of my 30-minute meals, like Hawaiian Haystacks, Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Avocado Wrap, Baked Tacos, and Mongolian Noodles!
How to make Sloppy Joes:
Cook Beef: Use a meat chopper or wooden spoon to cook the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Remove grease then add onion and garlic and cook until tender.
Add Ingredients: Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Bring the sloppy joe mixture to a simmer for 30 minutes so all of the flavors blend together.
Serve: Place a scoop of the beef mixture on a warm, toasted hamburger bun and enjoy!
Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe
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
- Brown ground beef: Add beef to a large pan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, crumbling and stirring, until browned. Remove grease.1 pound ground beef, salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Season: Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.½ cup yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 8 ounces tomato sauce, ⅓ cup ketchup, ¼ cup barbecue sauce, 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve warm, inside a toasted hamburger bun.5 hamburger buns
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe January 2018. Updated March 2022 and February 2026.
Best sloppy joes we’ve ever had. Used Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce (smoked hickory & honey). So glad I doubled the recipe. Thought that would give us enough to freeze, but this won’t last long enough to need to do that. Will have to quadruple next time!
Best I’ve ever had
Made over the weekend, 17 year old grandson said they were the best he’s ever eaten.