There’s nothing more nostalgic than a Sloppy Joe! These messy but oh-so-delicious sandwiches are filled with ground meat that’s sauteed with onions and peppers in a tangy sauce and are just as much fun to eat as they are to make!
While a Sloppy Joe sandwich is often associated with school cafeterias and can therefore get a bad rap at times, I’m here to tell you that these are not your lunch lady’s Sloppy Joes! (Am I the only one who wants to belt out Adam Sandler’s “Lunch Lady Land”?)
These are the tangy, delicious, perfectly seasoned and easy homemade Sloppy Joes everyone loves!
Sloppy Joe sandwiches come together quickly and are great for weeknights! Serve with sauteed broccoli and stovetop mac and cheese or smashed potatoes and roasted broccoli for a complete meal.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Ground beef. Though you can use a 80/20 beef you don’t really need to since there are a lot of flavor enhancers being added. A lean ground beef (85% or 90%) works best for Sloppy Joes.
- Vinegar. This adds the tanginess Sloppy Joes are known for. I’ve found cider vinegar works best with the flavors in this dish.
- Sugar. Use brown sugar for a bit of sweetness.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Dice one medium yellow onion and one large green bell pepper. Mince 5 cloves of garlic and set aside. Heat a large pan to medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onion, and bell pepper, and saute for about 5 minutes, or until soft. (Photo #1)
- Add 1 1/2 pounds of 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. (Photo #2)
- Saute for about 5-7 minutes or until the beef is cooked through, then add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. (Photo #3)
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until the garlic is very fragrant. (Photo #4)
- Add 1 cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 cup of water and mix until combined and keep at a low simmer. Taste test the Sloppy Joe mixture and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Once satisfied with the taste, turn the heat to low and continue to cook while you prepare the buns. (Photo #5)
- Heat a pan or griddle top to medium heat and add a touch of olive oil. Open 4 hamburger buns and place them cut-side-down in the pan and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Divide the beef mixture on to the 4 buns, serve, and enjoy!
Top tips
- Make ahead. The Sloppy Joe mixture will taste even better the next day making this a great make-ahead meal!
- The sauce. If you find the sauce is too dry, simply add an ounce or two of water at a time and mix to loosen it back up.
- Buns. While a Sloppy Joe is traditionally served on a hamburger bun (which makes these “sloppy”), you can also serve in a hot dog bun for a slightly less sloppy experience.
More retro recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for simple foods that are a little retro and a lot nostalgic, give these recipes a try!
If you’ve enjoyed this Sloppy Joe Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
For more never-before-seen FULL MEAL RECIPE VIDEOS, become a Patreon member today!
Easy Homemade Sloppy Joe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 85 or 90% works well
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water plus more if needed
- 4 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with the olive oil and add the onion and bell pepper. Saute until soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the ground beef to the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. Saute the beef until cooked through (about 5-7 minutes) then mix in the salt, chili powder, and hot red pepper flakes.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes or until very fragrant.
- Add the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Mix well and keep at a low simmer.
- Taste test the sloppy Joes and adjust salt and pepper if required. Once satisfied, turn the heat to low and move on to browning the buns
- Heat a pan or griddle top to medium heat and add a touch of olive oil. Place the buns, cut side down, in the pan and cook until browned (about 1-2 minutes). Divide the beef on to the 4 buns and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 4 large or 6 moderate-sized sandwiches.
- If the sauce is too dry, simply add 1-2 ounces of water and mix again to loosen it up.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made it for my wife,she loved it!
We’re so happy you both enjoyed!
I make this at least once a month in different variations. One is to add mixed vegetables and cover with mashed potatoes then bake like Sheppard’s pie.
Hi Jim and Tara. Fellow LI-er here, on the east end. This is a winner recipe. You solved my “what do I make for dinner tonight” dilemma. I have it simmering right now. I used half turkey and half beef to healthify it a little. Can’t tell.
Hi Maria, so happy to hear you enjoyed and great to hear from a fellow Long Islander!
We added maybe 5-6 ounces of stewed diced tomatoes and about 6 ounces of plain tomato sauce. Also a heaping spoonful of Grey Pupon. Chef’s kiss!
So happy you enjoyed, Suzy!
Too spicy and too much garlic for us. I’ll stick to my old recipe. Still love this cook .
Made this recipe last night and it was delicious! My fiancée said it was little too sweet, so next time I might do 1 tablespoon of brown sugar instead of two. Can’t wait to add it to the routine!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed!
I haven’t made this recipe, yet. It is very similar to the one my Mom used to make. The only difference I can see is that Her’s used a can of tomato soup (Campbells is best) and ketchup. I’ll have to give your recipe a try. Many family members request our recipe for their birthday dinner.
WOW another home run recipe from Jim! Most people thinking of sloppy joes go the “quick and dirty ” some regular ground beef and a can of Manwich—this is NEXT LEVEL and its obvious due to that carefully calibrated addition of things like brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, oodles of ketchup, Chile powder, Worcestershire sauce….all combining to make possibly the best sandwich I have ever eaten..Second time I have made it this month, and this time I couldn’t find anything but 80% lean (first time was 90%lean as Jim strongly suggested—still great but lots of fat from the fatter mixture would up in the pan during cooking and had to be drained off TWICE–this is a clumsy process to have to do DURING cooking ,, holding a lid tightly against the edge of the bottom of the skillet, etc.. STILL great though as I said,…10 stars
We’re so happy you enjoyed this recipe, William!
Try using paper towels to soak up the fat. I push the meat to the sides and, using tongs, put a balled up paper towel in the middle. Repeat until you’re satisfied. Works like a charm.
I used a Turkey baster, worked great. We really liked this recipe. I hadn’t had this in years. But I’ll be making it more often now, Great Job James, Delicious
So happy you enjoyed, Shirley!
Had about 1/2 pound leftover hamburger patties. So I sautéed the onions (no peppers), added the sauce and then the leftover meat. Delicious!
So happy you enjoyed, Mary!