Sloppy Joes are a delicious meat loaded sandwich that comes together quickly. These are perfect for feeding the family or a large crowd and are great for lunch OR dinner.
Homemade Sloppy Joes
“Sloppy Joes. Sloppy, Sloppy Joes…” I can’t hear or see Sloppy Joes without singing Adam Sandler’s song from his SNL skit. The good thing is that these ain’t no lunch lady’s sandwich. These are amazingly good and so easy to throw together. The name of them is quite fitting though. Very messy. Be sure to have a napkin close by.
We know that you can buy the meat for Sloppy Joes at the store but know that the homemade recipe (which is what we are sharing with you today) is so much better. We think you’ll agree, even if it takes a little bit more time. 😉
How to make Sloppy Joes:
First, chop up all your veggies and then toss them in a large pot along with the ground round and cook until the meat is browned. Be sure you drain off the fat. I find the easiest way is to dump everything in a mesh strainer. Yes you have to wash another thing but its so much faster than ladling out all the grease.
The next step is the add in everything else to create the sauce. It’s made up of tomato sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, and chili sauce. Typically, Joes have a sauce made up of mostly ketchup but it was a little too much for my taste. You can use whatever barbecue sauce you want but I think the spicier, the better.
Once everything is mixed together, bring it to a boil, cover, turn to low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the meat is nice and tender. Now you’re ready to eat! Slice up your buns and spoon on the savory tender meat sauce.
how to store sloppy joe meat
Place leftover meat in an air-tight container and place in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this mixture and place in the freezer in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months .
Now, let’s talk buns. You want a soft bun because it helps make things a little less sloppy. Regular hamburger buns work great but I wouldn’t recommend pretzel buns. The buns pictured in this post are Challah buns. So light and soft and have that beautiful shiny golden crust. Your local grocery store bakery is the place to look.
We hope you love these Sloppy Joes as much as we do. They really are so messy and SO good!
what to serve with sloppy joes:
For more ground beef dishes, check out:
- Easy Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
- Easy Beef, Cheese, & Spinach Manicotti
- Cheesy Beef Goulash
- Best Lasagna Skillet
Sloppy Joes Recipe
Sloppy Joes are a delicious meat loaded sandwich that comes together quickly. These are perfect for feeding the family or a large crowd and are great for lunch OR dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground round
- 3/4 cup onion, diced
- 3/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth or water
- 8 Buns
Instructions
- Place ground beef, onions, pepper, garlic, and seasoned salt in a large pot over medium high heat. Cook and break up meat until it is browned. Drain off fat and add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a simmer, turn to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until meat is tender and sauce has thickened. Serve on a buns.
What brand BBQ sauce do you use? There are so many to choose between. Thank you.
I do not have a specific one I use. I use whatever is on sale 🙂 They all are great!
hey girl- these sloppy joe’s look amazing! Have a great Easter weekend!
They are! Thank you & I hope your weekend is wonderful!
barecue?
I usually make these once every two months. It is my kids favorite comfort food.
Love the recipe.
There’s nothing like a good old Sloppy Joe! Thank you!
This is a really GOOD recipe. In past years with limited funds, I used 1 lb ground beef or less and added 1 c. onions, 1 c. chopped celery, and also chopped green pepper if I had it (but I usually didn’t have it), and similar spices. It turned out pretty well, too.
Thanks so much!! That also works, too 🙂
One more comment. My favorite Independence Day has sloppy joes, potato salad, baked beans and orange fluff salad (cottage cheese, jello, cool whip, pineapple and mandarine oranges). Just about everything can be made the day before, so we can just play and celebrate.
I totally agree!! Thanks!
Loved this recipe! Just the right amount of sweet with a smidge of spice! We loved it!
Awe, thank you so much! I am glad you liked it!
We love sloppy joes..especially during summer! They remind me of BBQ’s! These are super tasty!!
Sloppy joes were a favorite at school. Now mY grand daughter request sloppy joes. So happy to oblidge her.
Sloppy Joes is another family favorite! The flavors in this recipe are so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
My kids looooove this!
I left oUt the green peppers and really liked how the Rest of the recipe came TOGETHER. Thanks for sharing.
i forget to make Sloppy JOes but when i was searching your blog i ran across them. They are on the menu for this week. Can’t wait to try them!! They look great.