Homemade Sloppy Joes

If you've never had homemade sloppy joes before, then you are in for a real treat. This classic comfort food is always a family favorite and with this recipe you can this up anything your family needs a quick dinner or lunch.

If you are looking for more easy sandwich ideas, then make sure to check out my Ohio Shredded Chicken Sandwich and my Hot Italian Subs. These sandwiches are quick, hearty, and always a hit.

Did you know that Sloppy Joes have been around since the 1930s? There are many different theories, but one that sounds plausible is that they really became popular during the Great Depression as you could feed a family cheaply with this meal and you could stretch it to feed a larger family.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Storage
• Equipment
• What to Do with Leftovers
• What Sides to Serve
• Top Tips
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

• 80/20 ground beef
• Onion - either sweet or yellow
• Green pepper - can be optional
• Garlic
• Yellow prepared mustard
• Ketchup
• Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Worcestershire sauce
• Light brown sugar
• Water

Instructions

Complete instructions at in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Substitutions

• Ground beef - If you'd rather not use hamburger, feel free to sub ground chicken, ground pork, or ground turkey.
• Brown sugar - try using honey or agave nectar to sweeten the sauce.
• Ketchup - you can also use canned tomato sauce in lieu of the ketchup.
• Green peppers - you can omit if your family doesn't like them.
• Onions - use onion powder if you don't have any onions.
• Garlic - garlic granules work just as well or you can use minced garlic.

Variations

• Spicy - if you want your sloppy joes to have a little more kick, try adding warm spices such as chili powder and paprika. These types of spices really add a nice depth of flavor too.
• Vegetarian - try using tofu, lentils, or crumbled tempeh in lieu of the hamburger.
• BBQ sauce - try adding in some bbq sauce to change up the flavor.
• Slow cooker - this recipe works great in the slow cooker too! Just brown your ground beef as normal then add all of the ingredients and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours.
• If you have someone who doesn't want to eat a bun, just spoon up the sloppy joes into a bowl and let them dip their chips into the sauce.

Storage

Refrigerator: Place the leftovers in an airtight container and place in fridge. The sauce will be good up for to 3 or 4 days.

Freezer: After the mixture has cooled down, place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months.

Reheat: To unthaw, remove from the freezer and let the sloppy joes comes thaw overnight in the fridge. To reheat, just place the container in the microwave and cover with a plastic lid. Reheat using your microwave's instructions.

Equipment

• wooden spoon
• cutting board
• knife

What to Do with Leftovers

The great thing about sloppy joe sauce is that it tastes absolutely delicious the next day. To change things up a bit for dinner serve them up as:

• Nachos - just add the sauce on top of the tortilla chips, add some shredded cheese, and heat in the oven until everything is warm and cheesy. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.
• Spaghetti - this will also work as a great base for your pasta sauce. You can also use elbow mac to serve up a different spin on Chili Mac.
• Tator tots - bake the Tator tots as directed, top with the sloppy joe sauce and heat thoroughly in the oven.
• Baked potatoes - bake the baked potatoes as your normally do. Heat the sauce up and then top the baked potatoes with your sloppy joe mixture and then add some sour cream and cheese.

What Sides to Serve

Sometimes the sides really can make or break a dish. While several go perfectly with sloppy joes, some don't. Here are the ones I normally serve up when I make this dish:

• French fries
• Macaroni salad
• Potato salad
• Tator tots
• Onion rings
• Chips
• Pickles
• Fresh fruit
• Corn on the cob

Top Tips

• One of the best ways to really let your flavors combine together is to let the mixture simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. That way not only do the flavors marry together but it also allows the sauce to reduce and thicken more.
• If you are adding the peppers and the onions, sauté them in a separate pan while the ground beef is cooking. That way they are ready to go once the beef is finished cooking.
• To really add a special kick to the sauce, add a bit of that leftover bacon grease you keep on the stove to the pan.
• Make sure that you use ground beef that is at least 80/20 or 85/15. Lean ground doesn't work well when making these.
• Since sloppy joes have a lot of sauce, make sure to toast the buns just a bit to give them a bit of flavor. However, make sure that you use soft buns that hold up well. The last thing you want is for your sandwich to fall apart while you are eating it. Pretzel buns are always a good option.

📖 Recipe