These classic family-friendly Homemade Sloppy Joes come together quickly using many ingredients that you may already have on hand. This is one of our favorite family recipes and easy weeknight dinners. It is full of flavor from onions, bell pepper, garlic, and brown sugar in a tomato-based sauce. I love to serve them with potato chips, macaroni and cheese, or corn on the cob.
The Sloppy Joe is as all-American as hot dogs and french fries. My family loves these simple yet tasty Super Easy Family Friendly Sloppy Joes! They are the perfect blend of ingredients without being overly spicy or ridiculously bland. If you like the heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper, a bit of cayenne, or even one teaspoon of sriracha.
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!!
How do you 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.
Can you make them in a crock pot?
Yes, you most certainly can! First, simply brown your ground beef, draining any excess fat. Then, add it and the other ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- 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.
Put the ingredients on your shopping list today. Your family will be singing your praises!
More ground recipes to try!
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Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe
Delectable family-friendly, easy weeknight Homemade Sloppy Joes made with many common pantry ingredients. This recipe requires limited hands-on time and is ready in under 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: main meal beef
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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.
Keywords: how to make homemade sloppy joes, homemade sloppy joe recipe, easy homemade sloppy joes
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Kris
These sloppy joes are the best. We LOVE them! This is my new go to recipe. The whole family agrees! Thanks for the recipe.
Melissa
Oh my goodness….. homemade is always better than the store bought. So tasty and easy to make. Leftovers warm up so well. Just toss in a little bit of beef broth or water and simmer over the stove.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Melissa! So glad that you liked the sloppy joes!
Michelle Williams
The blend of flavors from onions, bell pepper, garlic, and that touch of brown sugar in the tomato-based sauce creates a mouthwatering experience. I served them over toasted english muffins for a change of pace. So incredibly delicious! This will be on repeat here.
Melanie E
Ha, would you believe I have never had a sloppy joe. I see where it gets its name. I’d love to try it!
★★★★★
Jane
Delicious! You hit the nail on the head with this tasty recipe. Even my picky kids loved these. We will make them again.
Tammy
I haven’t had sloppy joes in ages but always a delicious and comforting meal for the whole family especially during the winter months. I’ll have to make these for game day!
Sandy
This is such a satisfying meal! Everyone at my house enjoyed it! It was a hit! Thanks!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sandy! I am so glad that you enjoyed the sloppy joes.
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
★★★★★
pooja Malkani
Now this is what I call a great afternoon snack. Love the recipe and every bit of it. Delicious pictures
Angela
These were so delicious! My entire family loves this recipe and I can not wait to make it again.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Angela! So glad that they liked it!
Ntensibe Edgar
Aaaawwwww…these sloppy joes turned out so well! It’s my first time hearing of them and I like them already.
Stephanie
I love the idea of making these at home from scratch to avoid all the processed stuff in the storebought versions. I can’t wait to try these.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
Beth L
Sloppy Joes were a staple in my house growing up. They make such a great cold night meal and they come together pretty quickly. This recipe is divine.
★★★★★
Brianne
Holy moly! These were so good! I love the zesty flavor! My family wants me to make them again soon!
★★★★★
Leanne Wong
These homemade sloppy joes were so much better than the canned mix. I will make them homemade from now on!
★★★★★
Kay
This was delicious! I had Hickory Brown Sugar Sweet Baby Ray’s. It works great with the smoky and brown sugar taste. Served it on buns with a fresh pasta salad and baked beans and potato salad. Everyone loved it!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
That meal sound perfect. So glad that everyone liked it! Thanks Kay!
Spring.fertig
I use pickle relish instead of green pepper and vinegar. I always have it on hand..
Hubert K
Have made this recipe several times now and all were very good… Except that I haven’t been able to find a good KC style BBQ sauce. The sauces sold in this neck of the woods are all very sweet – too sweet for me. Do you have a sauce recipe for us expats?
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
No not yet Hubert! I use Gates barbecue sauce but I am always on the lookout for different brands as well. Perhaps I will add that idea to my recipe list which is growing and growing!
Ghulam Mohyudin
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
★★★★★
Heidy M
I made these the other night and there were so easy and delish! My kids and I had a blast making ts recipe.
★★★★★
SHANIKA
This looks so amazing! I love using a Crockpot and this is right up my alley! YUM!
★★★★★
Chris
I love sloppy joes so much and your version looks beyond delicious!!
★★★★★
Jordin
YUMM! My family and I love sloppy joes, and I cant wait to try out this recipe! The best kind of comfort food.
★★★★★
Sandy W
I love Taco Salad made with ground beef.