Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe (2024)

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Sloppy Joes are an iconic type of comfort food you’ve probably been enjoying since your childhood. This timeless combo of beef, ketchup and seasonings makes the perfect filling for the buns, and they’re perfect for all kinds of occasions from backyard cookouts to tailgate parties or even weeknight dinner with the whole family around the table tucking into these juicy sandwiches.

They’re sure to please everyone from the youngest member of the family to the most senior, and their sweet, meaty flavor appeals to all palates.

They’re nice with anything from coleslaw to potato salad, pasta salad, corn on the cob, or as part of a buffet with a couple of salad options and maybe some chips too. The sauce for Sloppy Joes is know for combining sweet, savory and tangy, and is made with sugar, hot sauce, tomatoes and other flavors. You can of course adjust the Sloppy Joes to your liking, making them sweeter or less sweet, spicier or milder, and so on.

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Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe

We continue onto Week 9 of College Football, which means another delicious Football bite! Here is a kid-friendly football bite if you happen to have a few kiddos at your tailgate. Or at least a few kids at heart! 😉 Sloppy Joes are a quick and easy one-pan meal all of your tailgating guests will love.

They are easy to make, serve, and eat while cheering on your favorite team. Since I serve a variety of different foods when we are tailgating, I like to serve these sloppy joes on slider buns. That way, everyone can enjoy a little bit of everything, and besides, everything is cuter on slider buns! Serve with a few tater tots for a meal that will have everyone cheering for more!

If you are busy in your community and need to make sloppy joes for a fundraiser, consider this recipe. They are so easy, and I haven’t ever had anyone, not like them. It’s time to say goodbye to that canned unappealing sloppy joes.

There is so much to love about these, and they are easy to make additional batches of for large parties.

I have always been a person who could eat a lot of sloppy joes. When I make these, I have to contain myself, so I don’t eat too many and end up with a stomachache. Don’t judge…when you taste them you will realize that you could eat them with a spoon because they are that good.

You don’t have to be a kid to crave this comforting meal idea.

Why You’ll Love the Recipe

This classic recipe is so good. Sloppy Joes are the perfect combination of meaty, spicy, sweet, and satisfying. You can adapt the flavor of this wonderful recipe however you wish, and they’re a feel-good comfort food option which the whole family will love.

How to Serve Them

You can’t go wrong when you opt for Sloppy Joes and there are plenty of side dish options. Serve your Sloppy Joes nice and hot, as soon as they’re ready, alongside any sides you are in the mood for. Examples include potato salad, baked potatoes, jumbo pickles, corn on the cob, or even a crisp green salad.

What do You Serve with Sloppy Joes?

There are no wrong answers when it comes to what to serve with sloppy joes. I make tons of different things depending on my mood, and I think you will enjoy many of these ideas too. Here are a few ideas that are so delicious with homemade sloppy joes.

• Potato Salad – A classic dish that I can’t get enough of is potato salad. It pairs nicely with the flavors of these sandwiches.
• Pasta – You can never go wrong with serving pasta, especially with these drool-worthy sandwiches. A cold pasta salad or comforting mac and cheese would be great options.
• Chips – Either make your own homemade potato chips or buy a bag or two of pre-packaged chips.
• Fruit – We love to eat giant pieces of watermelon, cherries, strawberries, cantaloupe, or just about any other fruit when we eat sloppy joes. They are just delicious together.
• Cheesy Potatoes – I feel like there is nothing more perfect to go with sloppy joes than homemade cheesy scalloped potatoes.
• Corn on the cob – We are pretty much infatuated with corn on the cob and serve it with so many meals. It’s a great side dish to these sloppy joes.
• Roasted Veggies – Sometimes, when we want to get some added nutrients in our meals, we will serve some roasted vegetables with the sandwiches. It’s a nice compliment and is really good for you too.

What is in Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce?

The homemade sloppy joe sauce in this recipe is made with tomato puree, brown sugar, seasonings, hot pepper sauce, and seasonings. It’s both sweet and has a little bit of spicy heat. They are tangy and delicious too.

Ingredients

After the first time, these sloppy joes hit your tongue; you are bound to crave them for life. Plus, as you will see, you barely need any ingredients, either. Take a look at what you need:

• Vegetable oil
• Medium onion, chopped fine
• Table salt
• Garlic, minced
• Chili powder
• Lean ground beef
• Black pepper
• Brown sugar
• Tomato puree
• Ketchup
• Water
• Hot pepper sauce
• 8slider hamburger bunsor 4 regular hamburger buns

How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes

As these yummy sloppy joes are cooking and that aroma hits your nose, your stomach is going to start rumbling. Thankfully there are only three steps standing in your way, and they are super easy. Have a look at how quickly they come together:

First Step: Begin by heating the oil over medium-high heat until it begins to start shimmering. Place the onions and salt in the pan and mix until coated with oil. Turn the heat down to medium, cover, and cook, until onion is soft, about 10 minutes (if onion begins to burn after 5 minutes, reduce heat to low).

Second Step: Mix in the minced garlic and chili powder and cook, uncovered. Be sure to stir constantly, until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Place the beef in the pan and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes.

Third Step: Sprinkle in the pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, water, and hot sauce. Simmer the sloppy joes until the sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings if needed, and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Can You Make Them Ahead?

Prepare the Sloppy Joes mixture ahead if you wish, but don’t ladle it over the buns until you’re ready to serve them, or else they’ll be more mushy than sloppy!

Storage Instructions:

Got leftovers? Don’t assemble the Sloppy Joe mixture and the buns unless you’re sure everything will be eaten. Keep the beef mixture separate from the buns and you can keep both for future meals. The spicy, sweet beef mixture will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Variations and Substitutions:

Feel free to tweak the Sloppy Joes mixture however you want. You can make it spicier or less spicy, you can sub ground pork for the beef, or add less or more sugar.

Now, if you’re making Sloppy Joes for a variety of ages, you might like to make them mild and then serve hot sauce on the side for anyone who wants to spice things up. After all, Dad might be more into spicy flavors than the 5-year old kid at the dinner table who just wants something sweet and filling!

Oh, and you can serve the Sloppy Joes mixture over rice, egg noodles or even mashed potatoes if you want a change from hamburger buns.

There is no doubt you are going to love these sloppy joes. I wanted to share a few of our popular dinner ideas. Take a look:

• Crockpot Chicken Tacos – We crave tacos on a regular basis, and these crockpot chicken tacos are at the top of the list every time.

• Beer Brats – These are a fun and playful food that is great in the summer, for tailgating and easy dinner.

• Easy Firecracker Chicken in Instant Pot – If you’ve been looking for some easy chicken recipes, try this firecracker chicken. It’s incredible and will fill up your stomach and keep your taste buds love it.

• Homemade Easy Chicken Enchiladas – These enchiladas are sure to make you smack your lips and go back for more. They are also some of our favorites when we are meal planning too. Great for lunch or dinner.