Sloppy Joes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Effortlessly delicious and universally loved, Sloppy Joes are the tasty (and yes, slightly messy) champion of quick dinners and game day feasts.
A Sloppy Joe is a beloved American sandwich made from ground beef cooked in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato-based sauce and served on a hamburger bun. The name “sloppy” aptly describes the sandwich’s messy nature, as the filling tends to spill out of the bun. My homemade Sloppy Joes, which my kids have playfully nicknamed “Sloppy Jenns” (although I’m not a fan of that name!), is an upgrade on the classic recipe. Instead of using ketchup or seasoning packets, I create a smoky sauce entirely from scratch. The recipe is quick and always a crowd-pleaser, and it can easily be scaled up to feed a crowd or frozen for another meal.
To serve, I suggest toasting buttery brioche buns and pairing the sandwiches with either my sweet and tangy citrus slaw or classic coleslaw, crispy potato chips, and some refrigerator pickles on the side.
Table of Contents
“The last time I had a Sloppy Joe was as a teenager–Manwich, of course! Definitely elevated with this version! Perfect weeknight meal!”
What You’ll Need To Make Sloppy Joes
- Ground Beef: 90% lean ground beef is ideal due to its lower fat content, which not only ensures the dish is not too greasy but also eliminates the need to drain fat after browning.
- Baking Soda: Tenderizes the beef.
- Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic: A flavorful trio that forms the aromatic foundation of the filling.
- Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Oregano, Dry Mustard: These spices add a spectrum of flavors from smoky to earthy to tangy.
- Canned Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste: Used to make the sauce; the tomato sauce offers a tangy, liquid base, while the paste thickens and intensifies the tomato flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce and Hot Pepper Sauce: These condiments add umami and a heat, deepening the flavor of the dish.
- Hamburger or Brioche Buns: The vehicle for the Sloppy Joe mixture, offering a soft and slightly sweet contrast to the flavorful beef filling.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Ingredients
To begin, combine the beef and baking soda in a medium bowl. The baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and keep the beef tender. (I use this technique for many ground beef recipes, including beef enchiladas, stuffed peppers, stacked beef enchiladas and chili.)
Mash with your hands until well combined, and then let sit on the counter for 20 to 25 minutes to tenderize.
While the beef rests, chop the veggies. I use a food processor to speed this process along, but it’s fine to chop by hand.
If using a food processor, be sure to pulse only until the vegetables are finely chopped, not puréed.
When the meat is just about ready, melt the butter in a large skillet.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard.
Cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until mostly brown, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, butter the inside of the buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up.
Toast in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
Taste the sloppy Joe mixture and adjust seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joes sweet, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.) Spoon the mixture onto the toasted hamburger buns and serve. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the meat mixture can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
Yes, you can use various types of ground meat for Sloppy Joes, including turkey, chicken, or pork. If going this route, skip the tenderizing step with the baking soda.
Baking soda raises the pH level of the meat’s surface, making it more alkaline. This change in pH disrupts the protein structure in the meat, making it more tender. Baking soda also accelerates browning, which boosts the flavor of the dish.
You May Also Like
Sloppy Joes
Effortlessly delicious and universally loved, Sloppy Joes are the tasty (and yes, slightly messy) champion of quick dinners and game day feasts.
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buns
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco or Frank's, or to taste
- Hamburger buns
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using your hands, mash the beef with the baking soda. Let it sit on the counter for 20 to 25 minutes to tenderize.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until mostly brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, butter the inside of the buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up. Toast in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Taste the sloppy Joe mixture and adjust seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joes sweet, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.) Spoon the mixture onto the toasted hamburger buns and serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in the microwave om on the stovetop until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (5 servings)
- Serving size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 406
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 887 mg
- Cholesterol: 86 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I was wondering if you have a good pulled pork recipe? I have searched through your recipes and can’t find anything.
I don’t Karen – sorry! I will work on it…stay tuned!
Yummy! Another great recipe!
And Jenn, I made your beef stew on Sunday night-it was divine! 🙂
Just got your cookbook too!
❤️
This sloppy joes recipes is the best I’ve ever made………..or tasted! I did not change a thing and followed the recipe exactly. I love the addition of red pepper which gives it such a good flavor. I love the tip about using baking soda to “tenderize” the beef. I particularly love that there s no ketchup! Every time I make it I’m asked for the recipe. Okay, I’ve thrown out all my old sloppy joes recipes and this is the only one I make! Definitely a favorite and we make it often!
Enjoyed the Sloppy Joe recipe! Thank you Jenn!
Excellent as long as you do not use the cumin and oregano, which just ruined it 🙁 Had to add BBQ sauce and more mustard and ketchup to save it.
This is really really good! I added celery and carrot but otherwise followed the recipe. Took about 2 hours including the prep and I simmered about a half hour to let it thicken. Will make again and again.
I love this recipe with all the spices!
After making the recipe exactly as written we found the flavor on the bland side. I made it yesterday and the seasonings were prominent and it tasted great. Today it was too much of a tomato flavor and the seasonings were practically nonexistent. If I make it again I’ll use less tomato sauce and/or reduce the amount of tomato paste. Sorry this one didn’t work for us because we always enjoy your recipes.
This recipe was disappointing. I found it to be very bland & uninteresting. Added a 1/2 t of the optional brown sugar, which did not improve things. I have really enjoyed most other recipes on this site and in the cookbook. This is not a Manwich copycat recipe. I think that’s what I was expecting even though nowhere did it state that.
I have never made sloppy joe’s from scratch until tonight with this recipe. Part of my New Years resolution was to reduce the amount of packaging our family consumed. Which is what led me to this recipe. I am so thankful that it did. The flavors in this recipe were so much better than those little store packets. I especially loved the smoked paprika. I used 99% lean ground turkey, skipped the baking soda, worschester and hot sauce. All of us loved it including two picky kids.
This recipe tastes so much better than the ones with ketchup, etc. It’s a great blend of spices that really add such flavor. And, I never knew that baking soda will tenderize ground beef. Thank you for the wonderful recipes as well as cooking tips.
This is my go-to sloppy joe recipe and has become a family favorite. I don’t always add the baking powder to the meat, but that doesn’t seem to affect the tenderness greatly, in my opinion.
Question: Kate Camargo on Dec. 21, 2018 wrote ” I don’t always add the baking powder to the meat….” The recipe reads “baking soda” not, baking powder….correct?
That’s correct, Cynthia – you’ll want to use baking soda here – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jen how can I adapt this recipe to use as hearty appetizers. Thank you
Hi Barbara, I think these would be great on slider rolls — no other changes necessary.
Made these the other day and they were quicker than I expected and more delicious too. Used nice potato rolls and although we had a late dinner we all had seconds! Added a little extra sharp cheddar grated on top. Yum!
Have been looking for the ultimate sloppy joe recipe for what seems like forever. Made this the other night and it is simply the best we’ve ever tasted! And so easy to make too. Definitely will be our “go to” sloppy joe recipe!
This is my go-to sloppy joe recipe. There is a bit of prep but it is worth it. Delicious, easy, comfort food at its finest. Love what the Worsterchire and hot sauce adds to it.
This is the BEST sloppy joe recipe I’ve ever eaten. Thank you so much for solid recipes–I literally love every one I’ve tried. (And I’ve tried a lot!)
I just made this and it’s wonderful! I I used bison, ground pork and a poblano pepper because that’s what I had. This is definitely a keeper! YUM!
Growing up the only time i had sloppy joes was at church camp. I hated them. I lived off chips and pickles that night. It scarred me 😉
I always thought I hated them. Then I read your ingredients. It sounded delicious. So I made some. And they were Good!
My mom couldn’t believe it when I told her what I was eating.
This is a recipe I’ll be saving.
These Sloppy Joes are a favorite with all the family!
Is there a way to make this in a crock pot?
Hi Amy, I don’t have any experience using a slow cooker, so I’m not confident in saying whether or not it would work – sorry! These tips may help though.
This was the first recipe from this site that I didn’t absolutely love. Unfortunately, I found it bland and lacking complexity. Perhaps it’s because I grew up eating Manwich-style sloppy joes and expected something along those lines. I ended up adding brown sugar, ketchup, more Worcestershire sauce, Braggs liquid aminos and a little beef stock to get the dish to a place I was happy with.
This is a perfect sloppy joe recipe!!
I made this recipe with 1 lb. of ground turkey, as that’s what I had on hand. It came out great! I also cut the hot sauce in half, which seemed hardly noticeable. The flavor of the smoked paprika is quite strong, so next time I might do half regular paprika. Very quick and easy solution to a sloppy joe craving!
Hi Jenn,
Quick question – do the calories listed include the bun? Thanks!
Rachael
Yes, Rachael, the nutritional information includes the buns. Hope you enjoy!
This was an absolute hit! My husband and son loved it. The only thing I did different was add like a half teaspoon of brown sugar. We like anything with tomato sauce in it, to add a little sugar. Can not wait for the cookbook to come out!!
We’ve made this a few times now! It’s so good (I add the brown sugar for the sweeter sauce). I had been on the hunt for a while, looking for a homemade sloppy joe recipe worth the time to make. This is definitely the one!
I made these and they were the best sloppy joe’s I have ever had. I love every recipe I’ve made from you!!
This is the best made from scratch Sloppy Joe recipe that I have made. My entire family loves it! It is great just the way it is, but sometimes I substitute ground bison for the ground beef. Also, I add a little Sriracha to kick it up a bit.
This sloppy Joe recipe brought me way back to my childhood. You nailed the flavors that I remember so fondly! This is a keeper and our boys loved it as much as I do. Thanks! Sue
Family Favorite. I was looking for something quick and easy and my go to when I have ground beef is usually tacos, but I was looking for something different and came across this recipe for Sloppy Joes. I had all of the ingredients, it was simple to follow and easy to throw together. I didn’t even think I would have time to butter the buns and throw them in the oven, but I actually did. The family loved it.
Made this the other day for my guys at work. Once cooked , I put it the fridge , just to rest and blend. Got hungry the next day, so I made a sloppy Jenn! WONDERFUL! Not sweet, great spice blend, put on a Brioche bun with melted mozzarella, and a sandwich sliced pickle.
This recipe is a great way to treat my husband to one of his favorites while controlling the sodium he needs to keep to a minimum. Easy, fast and delicious. It’s in my short list of favorites.
My daughter and I made this together. We switched out the red bell pepper for the green.We used brioche buns and they came out to be gourmet sloppy joes! Keeping this recipe.
Excellent, the best homemade sloppy joe recipe I’ve tried!! Thank you for sharing!
We loved this recipe, especially not using ketchup or store bought Sloppy Joe mix. We substituted ground buffalo for the ground beef. While we thoroughly enjoyed the Sloppy Joe, we elected to add a tablespoon of bourbon maple syrup for a touch of sweetness. Would highly recommend this recipe!
My son, who is a SUPER picky eater, just gave this recipe two thumbs up! I’m so happy…It’s really hard to find meals he’ll eat. Thank you!!
I just tried this recipe for dinner….I’ve been craving sloppy Joe’s. I did add a tiny bit of ketchup and a little brown sugar syrup..was baking and sitting in front of me. I also used poblano peppers since my bush had several. My house smells incredible! This is by far the best sloppy joe I’ve ever eaten or made! Can’t wait to try the slaw next time. Thanks!!!
Already left a review on my first UAaC recipe because it was a hit with the kids. Second recipe, second review. The kids mom left us a few years ago and I’ve spent God knows how many hours collecting recipes and learning how to cook better. Jenn, where have you been? Right, taking care of your family. Yes I’ve found some winner recipes to keep on rotation but I love the way you write/teach explain. The flavors. Thank you. Best of luck on your book!
Hip hip hooray! Another meal my whole family loved eating. Thank you! I’m going to double the recipe next time so half can go in the freezer. The brioche buns are a nice way to fancy them up a bit, too.
Totally delicious. My kids and I loved it. My husband is a bit more of a traditionalist and felt the taste resembled too closely to chili, but that just left more for the rest of us!
I am so very Happy I found Jen and her recipes, We just enjoyed really good sloppy Joes that were easy to do with fresh ingredients. Thank you once again! Evelyn
So much better than canned and in my opinion better the next day
My family LOVED this recipe! So much better than the sloppy joes I grew up with. I reduced the hot sauce to 1/4 teaspoon so my little one could enjoy it. We all loved the toasted buns and smoky flavor.
As a mom of a picky eater who has recently discovered sloppy Joe’s this recipe is a savior! I have made the package ones just because of convenience but this recipe is SO MUCH BETTER!!! Even my picky eater have it a thumbs up! Now that is saying something! Easy to make and I know exactly what is in it (unlike the package ones which I’m afraid of even looking in the ingredients list!)
Wow! I made this vegetarian by using Beyond Meat beef crumbles and vegetarian worcestershire sauce. It was beyond good!
Made these as a last minute entree for my weekly Sunday Family Dinner, and they were a hit! I used a yellow pepper and since I didn’t have Coleman’s handy, subbed a squirt of French’s. They were great for lunch the next day, too!!
Someone must have gotten me a food processor for my wedding (12 years ago) because I don’t know where else it could have come from. I finally took it out of the cabinet for this. I’m glad I did. I try to stay away from processed food and recipes like this make it easy. I’ve never had the canned version but it couldn’t possibly be this good. Thanks Jen.
Delicious! I added the sugar. So glad I don’t need to rely on the packets anymore. Thank you for another tasty family dinner!!
Nice, added sugar. Formidable!!