Best Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe | Quick, Easy and Delicious

Sloppy Joes had never been one of my go-to favorites until this scrumptious recipe. It’s easy, tastes amazing and is done in under 30 minutes!

I have made easy sloppy joes quite a few times over the years, but I didn’t enjoy the meal as much as I knew I should.

I always took the simple “pre-made sauce from a can over browned ground beef” route. The store-bought pre-made sauce is definitely quick and easy, but it’s short on complex flavors.

I’m hooked now that I’ve created a homemade Sloppy Joe recipe packed with irresistible knock-your-socks-off flavor.

It’s still quick and easy, but it also tastes amazing! These easy sloppy joes have a subtle sweetness from caramelly dark brown sugar and savory goodness from the beef, onion and all-purpose seasoning.

Then, just as you’re thinking how delicious it is, you get that little kick of heat on the back of your tongue. Boom! Seriously guys, these are THE best homemade sloppy joes!

The Ingredients

The cast of characters for this easy homemade Sloppy Joes recipe is straight out of your everyday pantry.

• Ground Beef – I use an 85/15 blend. It seems to be just enough fat to give the meat excellent flavor with out being over-the-top greasy after it’s drained. I have found organic, grass-fed ground beef at Walmart for only $5.78 a pound, comparable, or even less than, the non-organic beef. Choose the beef you can best afford. This recipe will be scrumptious, regardless.
• Red Onion – I just love them. That’s the only reason. It’s what I always have on hand, because I love the savory flavor they bring to so many dishes. Use the onions you have on hand. Yellow, white or red will all be delicious in your sloppy joes.
• Fresh Garlic – Again, I just love it. I feel like the flavor is so much more herbaceous than dried. But if you have garlic powder on hand, substitute in 1 teaspoon of that in place of the fresh garlic.
• All-Purpose Seasoning – There are a couple things to remember about this seasoning. I use my own homemade version when I make these easy sloppy joes. Keep in mind that mine has salt in it. I created the recipe to be low iner in salt than most commercial brands. However, if you have an all-purpose seasoning that doesn’t contain salt, you may want to add some. So, taste as you go and season it to suit your own family’s tastes.

• Ketchup
• Dark Brown Sugar – One more time, this is personal preference. If you have light brown sugar on hand, use it. The dark has more molasses and so will enhance the bitter caramel notes in the recipe. But, the light will make a tasty sauce, too.
• Barbecue Sauce – Use your favorite. We had Sweet Baby Ray’s in the fridge.
• Stone Ground Mustard – Yes, yellow mustard could work. I love the spicier bite of stone ground. Use what you have. Make this recipe about you and your family.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Acid always helps to balance sweet, spicy and bitter in a dish while cutting through fat and richness. The little zing of vinegar really pops the flavor of these sloppy joes in the best possible way.
• Chipotle Pepper Powder – Cayenne pepper can be used instead, however it packs a lot more heat than the chipotle, so be sure you only use half as much. I made the hot pepper optional in the recipe, realizing that some of you may not enjoy spicy food. But, if you do I encourage you to try it. It’s medium spicy and you could even cut it back to be less of a kick. We absolutely love what it adds to the overall flavor of the sloppy joes.

What Is a Sloppy Joe?

Back in the 1930’s loose meat sandwiches were very popular. Loose meat sandwiches were simply browned ground beef crumbles piled high in a bun. No sauce was involved unless you added it to the bun after you were served.

As often happens with claims to fame, there is not clear agreement on where the sloppy joe originated.

Many believe credit goes to Joe, a humble cook in a Sioux City, Iowa cafe. Joe added tomato sauce to his loose meat sandwich mixture, and the rest was history.

Still, others are convinced that a restaurant in Key West Florida named “Sloppy Joe’s” invented the iconic sandwich.

Regardless of where it truly originated, homemade sloppy joe recipes have become a beloved part of the American food tradition. Recipes are as widely varied as the people who enjoy them.

What to Serve With Sloppy Joes

How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes

1. Brown the ground beef in a cast iron skillet with all-purpose seasoning, garlic and onions.
2. Drain the ground beef and set it aside while you make the sloppy joe sauce. The meat isn’t going to spend more than 5 minutes or so in the sauce, so be sure it’s cooked through before taking it off the heat.
3. Use the same skillet for the sauce and pour in the ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and chipotle powder. Stir to combine everything and heat over medium heat until the sugar is melted and the sauce is hot.
4. Add the ground beef back into the skillet with the sloppy joe sauce. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes to meld all the flavors and let the sauce thicken slightly.
5. Assemble your delicious sloppy joe sandwiches.

We like our homemade sloppy joes with a little melted cheese. But you do you and enjoy them the way you like best. How easy is that!!!?? The Best Sloppy Joes need to become a go-to recipe in your weeknight dinner rotations. Go make some supper, my friend. You’ve got this!

Now that I’ve become a Sloppy Joe convert, I may give other versions a try, too. I’m intrigued by the Meatless Sloppy Joe over at Little Spice Jar. They use minced mushrooms and walnuts to replace ground beef. I also think these Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes look really good.

Whatever version you land on, just get out in the kitchen and give it a try. Making delicious, homemade easy food is so much simpler than you imagined. I hope you’ll love my Best Homemade Sloppy Joe recipe, and let me know if you give it a try! You can definitely do this!

The Recipe