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, 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 usually make up my own sloppy joe recipe according to ingredients I have on hand and the number of people I’m feeding. I decided to try this recipe because I had several pounds of ground chicken and beef that needed to be cooked before it spoiled, and needed some extra guidance on proportions. I mixed the meats together in this recipe and it worked very well. I adjusted a few things according to my family’s likes/needs. First, I used some spicy cajun seasoning (Cajun Two Step – Fire) instead of regular salt and pepper. The barbecue sauce I chose was sugar free (G. Hughes Original). I let it simmer about 30 minutes and added a little more yellow mustard at the end to brighten it up a bit. I like how easy this recipe is to adapt to your personal likes.
It was just okay, but quick to make and would serve as a backup if I didn’t have ingredients for another recipe I use. I think the biggest issue I had was the particular BBQ sauce I used, but this is a real problem with the recipe as is. BBQ sauces come in so many variations that they will all affect the flavor in very different ways. If the intention is to have people use the linked sauce, the recipe loses its ease.
Like I said, not bad, just okay.
What kind of tomato sauce do you buy for this recipe? The 8 oz of sauce (not ketchup). Is it crushed tomatoes canned? Thank you! Would like to try it. The seasonings make all the difference in this recipe.
Excellent. My family loved it. ***** Thank you Lauren for making my family enjoy your recipe.