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    Home » Recipes » Every Day Dinners

    Homemade Sloppy Joes

    Published: May 11, 2022 · Modified: Aug 2, 2022 by Amanda · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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    Jump to Recipe
    sloppy joe sandwich with a bite taken from it on a wooden tray
    hand holding a messy sloppy joe sandwich
    sloppy joe sandwiches on a wooden tray with meat spilling out

    These quick and easy homemade sloppy joes are made from scratch and done in just 15 minutes. Ground beef is cooked with onions and garlic and finished off with a homemade sloppy joe sauce for a delicious, comforting meal.

    sloppy joe sandwiches on hamburger buns on a round wooden tray with meat spilling out.

    This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated for content.

    Sloppy joes are a classic weeknight comfort food that our family loves to have regularly. These homemade sloppy joes are made with a ketchup based sauce that is slightly sweetened with brown sugar and has the perfect balance of flavors.

    Serve these easy homemade sloppy joes with crispy potato wedges, pizza bread or homemade italian sodas!

    Jump to:
    • 🍔 Ingredient notes
    • 📋 Substitutions and variations
    • 🔪 Step by step instructions
    • ⭐ Expert tips
    • ⏲️ Make ahead instructions
    • 🥡 Storage suggestions
    • 🥘 More easy dinner recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    🍔 Ingredient notes

    ground beef, brown sugar, salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, onion, garlic, olive oil and buns.
    • Ground Beef - Ground beef is the typical meat of choice for sloppy joes, however, for a different, lightened up version, try ground turkey or chicken.
    • Buns - These homemade sloppy joes can be served on whatever buns you like. Hamburger buns, kaiser rolls, slider buns or hawaiian rolls are all great options!

    📋 Substitutions and variations

    • Toppings - Try adding sliced cheese, crispy fried onions, bread and butter pickles, crispy bacon slices, sliced red onions or pickled jalapeños.
    • Lettuce Wrap - Serve these homemade sloppy joes on pieces of butter or romaine lettuce to make a delicious lettuce wrap sandwich.
    • Patty Melt - Serve the sloppy joe mix on garlic toast or texas toast topped with cheese for a patty melt style sandwich.

    🔪 Step by step instructions

    First, mix together the ingredients for the sloppy joe sauce in a bowl. Then, cook the onions in the oil in a skillet for a couple of minutes, add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add in the ground beef and cook until the beef is no longer pink.

    sloppy joe sauce in bowl with whisk and cooked ground beef in a skillet with spoon.

    Add in the sloppy joe sauce and cook with the beef for a couple more minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened and cooked through. Serve the sloppy joe mix warm on the buns and enjoy!

    cooked ground beef mixed with sloppy joe sauce and spoon putting sloppy joe mix on buns.

    If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in the Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.


    ⭐ Expert tips

    • Make sure to stir the sauce thoroughly so no clumps of sugar or spices remain.
    • Cook the beef all the way through so it's no longer pink and registers 160˚ on a kitchen thermometer.
    sloppy joe sandwich on wooden tray with a bite taken from it and meat spilling out.

    ⏲️ Make ahead instructions

    The homemade sloppy joe mix can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Make sure to cook it completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The mix can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen meat mixture completely in the refrigerator and reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium low heat or in the microwave.

    🥡 Storage suggestions

    Leftover sloppy joe mixture will keep for 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They don't keep very well when the meat is already on the buns, so it's best to store them separately. Leftovers can be reheated in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave.

    🥘 More easy dinner recipes

    If you love this homemade sloppy joes recipe, check out these other easy dinner recipes that I know you will love too!

    • Pizza Grilled Cheese
    • Baked Sausage and Peppers
    • Slow Cooker Hot Beef Sandwiches
    • Baked Mostaccioli

    Don't Forget! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Tag me on Facebook and Instagram as well! It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.


    📖 Recipe

    homemade sloppy joe sandwiches on a round wooden tray

    Homemade Sloppy Joes

    Amanda
    These quick and easy homemade sloppy joes are made from scratch and done in just 15 minutes. Ground beef is cooked with onions and garlic and finished off with a homemade sloppy joe sauce for a delicious, comforting meal.
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Dinner, Main Dishes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 527 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup ketchup
    • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
    • ⅓ cup brown sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce
    • 1 Tablespoon pickle juice
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ medium yellow onion diced
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 1 ½ pounds ground beef
    • 6 hamburger buns

    Instructions
     

    • In a small mixing bowl, combine ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, pickle juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
    • Preheat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat on the stove top with the olive oil.
    • Once the oil and pan are heated, add in the diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften. Add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
    • Add ground beef to the onions and garlic and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
    • Add the sloppy joe sauce to the ground beef mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and heated through.
    • Serve sloppy joe mix warm on hamburger buns.

    Notes

    • Make sure to stir the sauce thoroughly so no clumps of sugar or spices remain.
    • Cook the beef all the way through so it's no longer pink and registers 160˚ on a kitchen thermometer.
     

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Ground turkey or chicken can be used a substitute for the ground beef.
    • Use kaiser rolls, slider buns, hawaiian rolls or lettuce leafs are other alternatives to using hamburger buns.
    • Try adding sliced cheese, crispy fried onions, bread and butter pickles, crispy bacon slices, sliced red onions or pickled jalapeños.
    • Serve the sloppy joe mix patty melt style on garlic toast or texas toast topped with cheese.
     

    Make Ahead Instructions

    Sloppy joe mix can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, cooled completely and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    The mix can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months and thawed in the refrigerator.
    Sloppy joe mix can be reheated in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium low heat or in the microwave.
     

    Storage Suggestions

    Leftover meat mixture will keep for 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator when kept separate from the buns. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 527kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 24gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 969mgPotassium: 555mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 211IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 4mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @SaporitoKitchen or tag #SaporitoKitchen!

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