This Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe with tomato sauce is the best sloppy joe recipe! They are the Old-School Sloppy Joes you love!
Sloppy Joes were said to be invented in the early 20th century in Sioux City, Iowa by a cook named Joe. I wonder if Joe knew what an American Family Favorite his creation would become!
This Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joe recipe is an easy dinner with simple ingredients that will blow the canned stuff out of the water! Most ingredients you'll likely have at home, but anything you're missing should be quick to find at the grocery store. This easy meal is sure to become a favorite recipe!
Taking your sloppy joes to the next level doesn't involve a special secret ingredients. Instead, it has to do with the bun. Get yourself some decent rolls in the deli section. Slice the buns in half, smear a little butter on each cut side and lay them in a pan butter side down and let them toast a little (like a grilled cheese.) Once you do this, you will never go back to a plain bun.
Ditch the canned sauce today and try out this simple recipe for homemade sloppy joes!
For another feel-good classic with a twist, try my Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup.
You can also try this Oven Baked Mac and Cheese for the perfect comfort food combo.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This is an easy recipe perfect for busy weeknights.
- You can double the recipe with two pounds of ground beef and freeze extra for a quick meal later.
- This is a delicious comfort food perfect for the whole family.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes.
Ground Beef forms the base for this delicious recipe!
Onion adds a subtle flavor.
Bell Peppers, regardless of color, add a fresh taste to a dish.
Salt enhances the other flavors.
Black Pepper adds additional flavor to the recipe.
Garlic Powder adds to the umami flavor.
Dry Mustard Powder adds another layer of flavor.
Chili Powder adds a little bit of a kick to this meat mixture.
Brown Sugar gives a touch of sweetness to these classic sloppy joes.
Ketchup gives a nice tomato flavor to this great recipe.
Tomato Sauce adds more of that tomato flavor without the added vinegar found in ketchup.
Hamburger Buns are the needed base for this homemade sloppy joe recipe.
Butter is used to help toast the hamburger buns. You have to try them toasted!
How to Make It
Here is the overview of the instructions. The full recipe with ingredient measurements and printable recipe card is below!
Begin browning the pound of ground beef in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. While the ground meat is browning, mince the onion and bell pepper into little pieces. Once the beef is browned, drain off the fat. Add the onions, peppers, and spices to the meat. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the brown sugar, ketchup, and tomato sauce to the ground beef mixture. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the sauce has reached the desired consistency.
Butter the cut side of the rolls/buns and toast them in a heated sauté pan. I highly recommend you don't skip this step! Spoon the sloppy joe meat onto the toasted buns and serve!
Look at that meat in the tangy sloppy joe sauce!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Definitely add butter and toast the buns on a pan before adding the sloppy joe meat. It changes EVERYTHING!
- You can use a mini Kitchenaid food chopper to quickly mince the onion and bell pepper.
- You can use a yellow, orange, red bell pepper for a sweeter taste. A green pepper is the classic sloppy joe choice.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat sloppy joe filling in a slow cooker or on the stovetop on medium heat until heated through.
- Freezing: After cooling, pour the sloppy joe mixture into a freezer bag. Flatten the bag and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then follow reheating instructions.
Substitutions
- Use 1 pound of ground turkey to replace the ground beef. Old-fashioned sloppy joes with ground turkey make these low-fat sloppy joes.
- Make Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes without ketchup by replacing it with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, ½ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of white sugar.
Variations
Get creative with these different sloppy joe flavors!
- Spicy - For spicy sloppy joes, you can try adding hot sauce, jalapeños, or cayenne pepper.
- BBQ - For barbecue flavor, add ¾ cup of your favorite bbq sauce. This Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce is excellent in it!
- Open-Faced Sloppy Joes - These are just as delicious with half of a bun!
- Baked Potato - Ditch the buns and put this easy sloppy joe recipe right on top of a baked potato or sweet potato!
What to Serve with Sloppy Joes
Need a good side dish for sloppy joes? Check out these awesome sides for sloppy joes!
- Sautéed Zucchini and Yellow Squash is an easy and delicious side dish.
- Potato chips can be delicious on the side or crumbled on top!
- French fries or tater tots are always a family favorite.
- Some creamy coleslaw could be delicious on the side or right on top if you want fancy sloppy joes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipes for sloppy joe sauce can vary. However, many sloppy joe sauces are made of meat, onion, peppers, some spices such as garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, ketchup, and tomato sauce.
For spicy sloppy joes, you can try adding hot sauce, jalapeños, or cayenne pepper.
If your sloppy joes are too watery, you can cook on low uncovered to allow the extra moisture to evaporate. You can also add flour or cornstarch to thicken it.
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
Sloppy Joes
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ medium onion
- ¼ bell pepper (green, red, yellow or orange)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 cup tomato sauce (8 ounces)
To Assemble the Sloppy Joes
- 4 rolls/hamburger buns
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Begin browning the ground beef in a medium saucepan on medium high heat.
- While the beef is browning, mince the onion and bell pepper into little pieces (I use my mini food processor).
- Once the ground beef is browned drain off the fat. Add the onions, peppers, garlic powder, salt, pepper and chili powder. Stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, ketchup and tomato sauce to the pot. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Butter the cut side of the rolls/buns and toast them on heated sauté pan (I highly recommend you don't skip toasting the buns!). Spoon some of the Sloppy Joes onto the toasted buns and serve!
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat sloppy joe filling in a slow cooker or on the stovetop on medium heat until heated through.
- Freezing: After cooling, pour the sloppy joe mixture into a freezer bag. Flatten the bag and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then follow reheating instructions.
More From Thyme for the Table
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Food Safety
- Cook ground beef to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
Bryn Lewis says
Our family loved these sloppy joes. This was the first time we toasted the bun and you were right they are sooo good!
Jen Talley says
YES! The toasted bun makes a huge difference! I'm glad you tried it Bryn!
Sonal Gupta says
Toasted buns make all the difference. I love your recipe.
Jen Talley says
Thanks Sonal!
Ryan says
Made these last night and the family loved them. They had so much flavor.
Jen Talley says
I'm glad your family enjoyed them Ryan!
Jacqueline says
Sloppy Joe's are just such a fun meal, especially for kids. Bring them on!
Jill says
I hadn't had a sloppy joe sandwich in such a long time. Your homemade version really hit the spot. Thanks!
Jen Talley says
It brings you back to your childhood!
Elaine says
There is just nothing better than a good old sloppy joe, huh? Definitely a keeper for me as I've been looking for a recipe like this for quite a few hours.
Jen Talley says
I'm glad you found the right recipe!