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.

Course main meal beef

Cuisine American

Keyword easy homemade sloppy joes, homemade sloppy joe recipe, homemade sloppy joe sauce, how to make homemade sloppy joes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 407kcal

Author Beth Pierce

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