This easy and delicious homemade sloppy joe recipe is sure to become a family favorite. With simple ingredients and step-by-step instructions, you’ll be whipping up this classic comfort food in no time.
The Best Homemade Sloppy Joes
The Sloppy Joe is as all-American as hot dogs and french fries. This recipe is full of flavor from onions, bell pepper, garlic, and brown sugar in a tomato-based sauce. They are the perfect blend of ingredients without being overly spicy or ridiculously bland. If you like them a little spicier, add a pinch of crushed red pepper, a bit of cayenne, or even one teaspoon of sriracha. I love to serve these with air fryer potato wedges, baked macaroni and cheese, green beans and potatoes, and funeral potatoes.
Why are they called Sloppy Joes?
The Sloppy Joe has been around since the 1950s. It came about as a variation on what used to be referred to as loose meat sandwiches. Legend has it that Joe, a cook at Floyd Angell’s cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, added tomato sauce to a loose meat sandwich, and that was the start of what we now call the Sloppy Joe. Thanks, Joe! I appreciate your creativity, and so does my family!!
Homemade Sloppy Joe Ingredients
How to make Homemade Sloppy Joes
Start by browning your ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook until the veggies are soft and the ground beef is no longer pink. Next, carefully drain any excess fat. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Now stir in the apple cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, spicy barbecue sauce, ketchup, chili powder, and water. Simmer the meat mixture for about 20 minutes over low heat. Serve over any soft roll or, for a change of pace, serve over cooked rice, egg noodles, or homemade pizza dough for sloppy joe pizza.
How to make Sloppy Joes in a Crock Pot
Over medium heat, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain any excess grease. Add the onion and pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Drain any excess grease and add it and the other ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
Recipe Tips
- Use ground beef with a bit of fat in it. The fat is what flavors the meat and makes it juicy and tasty. Drain the excess fat after browning the ground beef and cooking the veggies.
- Ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Use a spicy barbecue sauce with limited sugar. I like Stubbs Barbecue Sauce.
- If the mixture seems to be a little drier than you like, add a little more water, barbecue sauce, or ketchup.
- Spoon over brioche bun, freshly baked hamburger buns, rice, or pasta.
- Add a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne, or a teaspoon of hot sauce to spice up the taste.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Freeze sloppy joe meat mixture in a freezer bag or freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
More Ground Beef Recipes
Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 small green pepper finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard the condiment kind
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup spicy barbecue sauce see notes
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅓ -½ cup water
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 8 brioche or hamburger buns
Instructions
- Over medium heat, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain any excess grease. Add the onion and pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Add the cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, ketchup, chili powder, and water.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes and spoon onto buns.
Notes
- Use ground beef with a little fat in it. The fat is what flavors the meat and makes it juicy and tasty. Just drain the excess fat after browning the ground beef and cooking the veggies.
- Ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Use a spicy barbecue sauce with limited sugar. I like Stubbs Barbecue Sauce.
- If the mixture seems to be a little drier than you like, simply add a little more water, barbecue sauce, or ketchup.
- Spoon over brioche bun, freshly baked hamburger buns, rice, or pasta.
- To spice up the taste, add a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne, or a teaspoon of hot sauce.
- Freeze sloppy joe meat mixture in a freezer bag or freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
Nutrition
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Teresa
Your Homemade Sloppy Joes recipe is absolutely mouthwatering! It comes together quickly and uses ingredients commonly found at home, making it my new go-to for busy weeknight dinners. The kids and hubby absolutely love them. I will make them again, soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Teresa! So glad that you like the homemade sloppy joe recipe.
Lori
We just had this last night for dinner and it was delicious! Even our picky eater enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Lori!
Ree Ann
I have had a lot of sloppy joes in my time but these were the best. These tasty guys will be on regular rotation at our house. Thanks for sharing!
Maria
These sloppy joes were the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and so easy to make. I served them over toasted brioche buns with your baked mac amd cheese recipe. Delicious!
Katie
So good! I had not actually made a sloppy joe before this. The whole family loved them and the flavours are awesome.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Katie!
Tracey Kifford
They are amazing! But every time I eat them I need to change my top as I’m such a messy eater it goes everywhere!!
Beth Pierce
I understand completely.
Steph
Most of us grew up with sloppy Joe’s so these brought back some great memories from my mother’s kitchen! Delish recipe I am sure I will serve often this winter.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Steph! I am so glad that you liked the sloppy joe recipe.
Ben
Booyah! Sloppy Joes are one of the best foods on the planet. I made your recipe last night, and it is perfect. You got all the flavors and ratios spot-on, which I’ve found is surprisingly hard to do with sloppy joes.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Ben! They are so darn delicious!
Sam
These are the best sloppy joes. The family really enjoys them. They are now on regular rotation at our house.
Erin
These were so delish! Adding on our weeknight dinner rotation!
Julia
Homemade sloppy joes are the best! We loved this recipe and followed the instructions and it is so good!
Thank you for sharing another great recipe
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Julia.
Angie
This is such a classic, comforting recipe! My whole family always gobbles this up every time I make it!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Angie! So glad that you like it.
Gianne
They are bursting with flavor and the combination of ground beef, onions, and tangy sauce is just perfect. It’s a comforting and satisfying meal that always leaves me wanting more!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Gianne! I am so glad that you liked the sloppy joes!
Holly
My husband loves sloppy joes, but I never make them because I think the canned stuff is gross! He’s sick this week so I decided to make them for him when I came across your recipe. I am a convert! This is so much better than the canned version. I appreciate the recipe. Win win all the way around 🙂
Beth Pierce
Yes indeed, Holly. I hope your husband feels better soon!
Sharon
Nothing beats this classic sloppy joe recipe. I love making it because I usually have everything to whip them up when the craving hits!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sharon! So glad that you like the sloppy joes.
kushigalu
Drooling over these. SO delicious. Thanks for sharing