Name: 30 Minute Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb Ground beef; 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil; 1/2 cup onions, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1/2 cup ketchup; 1 tablespoon mustard; 2 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 tablespoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup water

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If you want a fast and kid-friendly meal, then look no further than this homemade sloppy joes recipe! Growing up, my mom made this with the canned sauce. It was good for a fast meal, but there was always something I thought could be just a bit better. I never even thought about it being made from scratch until I was an adult. Since I discovered just how easy it is to whip up this sauce on your own, I have never looked back!

Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe

In many homes, there is nothing more quintessentially kid-friendly than a good old fashioned Sloppy Joe sandwich. Kids love any sandwich, and the sweet sauce is a perfect accompaniment to ground beef. It often goes well alongside their favorite side, French fries. So, of course, it's a natural choice for a weeknight meal.

If you are used to reaching for the canned sauce but want to up your game, this is the ideal recipe. Seriously, it's so fast and the ingredients are already in your pantry. You'll have no problem making this even at the last minute!

Is Sloppy Joe and Manwich the Same Thing?

While the flavor is very similar, it's slightly different. Different in a good way! If you like the canned variety, you will love this easy homemade sauce. The flavors are brighter and better, plus it's easy to make in minutes.

One of the main differences in the sauce is the chunks of onion and garlic rather than a smooth sauce. Sometimes you'll find this recipe with bell pepper, and if you prefer, that can be easily added to the mix. This sauce is also healthier as it has a lot less sodium and even though it has sugar, the brown sugar is easier to control the amounts.

Do You Drain Hamburger for Sloppy Joes?

It is my preference when making anything with crumbled ground beef to drain it well. This is especially smart when using a higher fat percentage of ground beef. Sometimes, I even rinse the ground beef before adding back into the pan with the rest of the spices and sauce.

If you tend to grab leaner ground beef cuts like 90/10% or 93/7%, you may not have a need to rinse the meat. This really is a personal preference situation, so do what you feel is best. I do, however, really recommend at least draining the beef if you are using the higher-fat versions.

How to Freeze Homemade Sloppy Joes

This tip is one that I have fallen in love with for fast and easy meals for my sons. When I get a good deal on ground meat in large packages, I often will make a large batch of this recipe. Since it is so easy to cook, I know that I can make multiple batches in no time at all.

You can choose to make the meat and portion into meal portions, or you can create the sandwiches, and freeze them individually. I've done both with great success.

For freezing the meat and sauce together, I recommend cooking as directed, then letting it cool completely before portioning into freezer storage bags. Label and date the bags, then place flatten on the freezer shelf. Once they are frozen, you can then stack them together or slide next to each other on the shelf.

If you prefer to make the sandwiches first, I follow a similar easy process. I allow the meat and sauce to cool completely and then build individual sandwiches. Once the meat mixture is on the buns, you can then wrap them in plastic wrap and then place the sandwiches into a larger labeled and dated freezer storage bag.

When ready to reheat the sauce mixture, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or stovetop. For heating, the sandwiches, defrost on medium power setting in your microwave while still in the plastic wrap. Remove the wrap, and continue heating in 30-second increments until the desired temperature.

How Can I Thicken The Sauce?

For this recipe, I have never had a need to thicken the sauce. It is naturally a thicker mixture and isn't runny. However, if for some reason yours turned out thinner than desired, I recommend just letting the mixture cook for 3-4 more minutes. This usually is long enough to reduce the sauce mixture to a thickness you prefer.

Variations of Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are, in themselves, pretty basic. The sauce and ground meat mixture is typically almost the same no matter what version you choose. This recipe is the best I've ever made, but you will notice the same ingredients are common in most recipes. Below, however, are some great choices to spice up your sandwiches.

Add in diced bell pepper or mushrooms to the sauce
Replace the paprika with chili powder
Top the sandwiches with sliced American cheese
Serve the sandwiches on onion buns
Top your hot dog with Sloppy Joes mix instead of chili
Serve over macaroni and cheese

Ingredients

Ground beef
Vegetable oil
Onions
Garlic
Tomato paste
Ketchup
Mustard
Brown sugar
Worcestershire sauce
Paprika
Salt
Black pepper
Water

How to Make Sloppy Joes Sauce

This recipe has the sauce mixed right in with the beef so, there is really no specific process for making it separate. However, if you want to make the sauce and store separately, you can.

Simply saute down the onions and garlic, then mix in all ingredients except the ground meat. Stir over medium heat for 3-4 minutes and then set aside to cool and pour into a jar to store. This recipe for the sauce is good for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

How to Make Sloppy Joes from Scratch

Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the ground beef until no longer pink, then remove, drain, and set aside.

Into the same skillet, add in the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they are softened.

Stir in the garlic and continue cooking for another minute.

Pour in the ground beef and stir then add in the tomato paste. Mix this together well.

Now, add in the ketchup.

Add the brown sugar, mustard, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper.

Stir this together until mixed well.

Add in the water, and cook down for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve the mixture over a toasted bun with your favorite sides.

Want More Comfort Food Ideas?

If you are like me and sometimes just need a good old-fashioned comfort food meal, look no further. We have some great easy recipes for the best classic comfort foods to add to your menu. Serve up this Southern-style baked macaroni and cheese alongside Sloppy Joes or go for a Sloppy Joe casserole. You might also love the easy and always delicious old fashioned goulash recipe.

More ideas are cheesy scalloped potatoes, homemade egg noodles, skillet pork chops with pan gravy, or my personal favorite, this roasted chicken with garlic butter.

Chef's Tip

Heat the skillet with oil before adding the ground beef. This will help prevent it from sticking to the skillet. Another great tips, is to invest in one of these plastic meat choppers to help break up the ground beef as it is cooking.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 4