Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe

Homemade Sloppy Joes are a great weeknight dinner for a family of two or ten!

This hot, meaty sandwich recipe has all natural ingredients, as opposed to canned Sloppy Joe sauce...no additives, preservatives or high-fructose-corn-syrup.

Before you open a can of "Manwich™" Sloppy Joe sauce, try this Homemade Sloppy Joe recipe! It's a life-saver and you can feel good about serving your family a "healthy" Sloppy Joe!

You'll love this recipe!

I like to serve this with a side of Maple Baked Beans and tater tots! Not the healthiest combination, but it works, especially on a weeknight!

• Quick and easy - ready in 35-minutes!
• Simple ingredients - you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry
• No additives, preservatives and no high-fructose-corn-syrup
• Affordable - A little ground beef goes a long way when you make this messy sandwich! 

This recipe is my Grandmother Lucille's...an old-fashioned recipe I found in a Piggly Wiggly bread bag.

It is believed the original Sloppy Joe recipe was invented in the 30's by a cook named...(you got it!) Joe, who worked in a cafe in Sioux City Iowa. 

I don't know if this is "Joe's" recipe or not, but my Grandmother made these for us all the time and they really hit the spot!

Here's what you'll need:

Ground beef, onion, bell pepper, tomato sauce, brown sugar, dried mustard, Worcestershire sauce, paprika.

How to make it:

This seasoned ground beef mess-of-a-sandwich is pretty easy to make; the secret's in the sauce!

1. Cook ground beef in a skillet with a little oil until the meat is no longer pink
2. Drain the ground beef and add it back to the skillet
3. Add onions and bell peppers to beef; cook for 3 minutes
4. Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer uncovered until the mixture thickens
5. Taste for salt and pepper
6. Put it on a toasted bun and call it dinner!

How much meat per bun?

About 4-ounces, or ½ a cup of meat sauce is plenty... remember, they're called "Sloppy Joes" for a reason... so the sauce will run out a bit, but that's what makes it so yummy.

Can I substitute ground turkey for ground beef?

Ground turkey is an excellent and leaner substitute for ground beef; however, if you use ground turkey, you may need to increase the broth in order to ensure a truly "sloppy" experience!

Make it in advance:

Make the sloppy joe meat sauce in advance; freeze it in a safe container, then reheat on the stove top or microwave.

If you reheat using a microwave, be sure to use a microwave-safe container.

Sometimes, busy weeknights call for a hot, messy, homemade Sloppy Joe! Serve with french fries, tater tots or eggplant fries and "call it dinner!"

Related recipes:

• Philadelphia Cheese Steak Sandwich
• Hot Pastrami Sammy
• Corned Beef and Cabbage 

Homemade Sloppy Joe

My grandmother's recipe from 100 years ago still holds strong. Simple ingredients from your pantry and some ground meat can create a meal!

5 from 6 votes

Print Rate

Course: Entree, Sandwich

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Total Yield: 8 sandwiches

Author: Anecia Hero

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 2 lbs. ground beef cooked and drained
• ½ medium onion chopped
• ½ green bell pepper chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons paprika smokey, not sweet
• ½ cup brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 burger buns
• 4 oz. cheese optional

Instructions 

Meat Sauce

• In a large skillet on medium heat, add oil; add ground beef and cook until its no longer pink; drain and add back to skillet; add onions and bell peppers; cook till tender (about 10 minutes)
  2 lbs. ground beef, ½ medium onion, ½ green bell pepper, 2 tablespoons oil
• Add remaining ingredients: tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, paprika and brown sugar; combine well
  3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 16 ounces tomato sauce , 2 teaspoons ground mustard, 2 teaspoons paprika, ½ cup brown sugar
• Turn heat to medium-low allow to cook for 15 minutes, until sauce thickens
• Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings accordingly
  salt and pepper to taste
• Once buns are browned, place beef mixture on buns and top with cheese (optional)
  8 burger buns, 4 oz. cheese

Bread Instructions

• Turn on oven to 500ºF, or broil setting
• Lightly butter buns and place on baking sheet cut side-up; place under broiler for 3-5 minutes
• Once buns are lightly toasted, remove from oven and set aside

Notes

• Drain ground beef in colander after cooking; don't rinse

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 546kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 29gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 770mgPotassium: 705mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 740IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 221mgIron: 5mg

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