The VERY BEST Sloppy Joe Recipe

The VERY BEST Sloppy Joe recipe is delicious, quick, and easy to make. A scrumptious, from-scratch sloppy joe sauce made with real ingredients puts it over the top. Hundreds of rave reviews agree that these Homemade Sloppy Joes are fantastic!

Sloppy Joe on plate with text overlay stating The Best Homemade Sloppy Joe recipe.


 

There aren't many dinners that you can get on the table faster than whipping up Sloppy Joes. And while the store-bought sauce that rhymes with San-wich might make this meal even quicker, it's got some less-than-ideal ingredients. After all, I tend to avoid high fructose corn syrup in my sweets, much less my dinner.

So what's a Sloppy Joe lovin' family to do? Why, put together your own quick and easy, all-natural sauce, of course! Once you make these amazing homemade Sloppy Joes, y'all, you won't go back.

Aerial view of Sloppy Joe recipe piled on bun on plate with beans and salad.

Ingredients

This sloppy joe sauce only takes a couple of minutes to stir together, it tastes soooo much better (in fact, you get to control how sweet and/or salty you want it), and you don't have to worry about any unnecessary additives!

Aerial view of labeled ingredients to make homemade Sloppy Joes with sloppy joe sauce.
  • Ground beef. I usually use 85/15 ground beef, but it's okay to use a leaner or fattier ratio, depending on what you have on hand. The grease gets drained either way. Alternatively, these homemade Sloppy Joes also turn out delicious using ground turkey.
  • Garlic. Fresh garlic is great, but to save time, I often use minced garlic in water, which I always keep in my refrigerator.
  • Tomato sauce. An 8-ounce can of tomato sauce is the perfect amount for this recipe. I sometimes use tomato puree (passata) instead if I already have a jar open in the fridge.
  • Ketchup. I prefer using an all-natural brand of ketchup without too much added sugar. As you'll see below, I like to control the sugar. 🙂 Keep this in mind as the sweetness of your ketchup will likely dictate how much additional sugar you want to (or don't want to) add.
  • Brown sugar. An important recipe note...use as much or as little brown sugar as you like! Some people prefer totally savory Sloppy Joes while others like their sandwiches on the sweeter side. You may also substitute a squeeze of honey in place of using brown sugar, which I often do.
  • Worcestershire sauce. For an extra savory undertone. Again, you may tweak the amount to your liking.
  • Prepared mustard. Believe it or not, a little squirt of plain ol' yellow mustard adds depth of flavor.
  • Garlic powder + onion powder + fresh black pepper. For further seasoning.
Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe close-up on bun, with sloppy joe sauce dripping onto plate.

How to Make Sloppy Joes

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

I shared my Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joes awhile back, which feature this same homemade sloppy joe sauce. But sometimes you don't have the forethought (or the time) to toss something into the crockpot first thing in the morning.

So if you still want an effortless, family-pleasing meal come 5 o'clock, make this tried-and-true Sloppy Joe recipe!

I like to start out by mixing up my sauce and setting it aside so that it's ready to go once my meat is browned.

  1. Measure the Sloppy Joe sauce ingredients directly into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and stir together until well combined.
Homemade Sloppy Joe sauce ingredients in measuring cup.
Sloppy Joe sauce recipe stirred together in measuring cup.
  1. Brown your ground beef (or turkey) and drain the fat.
Cooking ground beef in pot.
Browned ground beef on stove.
Pot of browned ground beef.
  1. Stir the sloppy joe sauce into the drained ground beef.
How to make Sloppy Joes.
Sloppy Joe sauce and beef ready to be stirred together for the best sloppy joe.
Sloppy joes recipe simmering on stove.
  1. Allow the mixture to simmer on the stove, stirring occasionally.

Easy-peasy!

Pot of simmering Sloppy Joes.

Sloppy Joe Recipe Additions

My family likes our Sloppy Joes on the plain and simple side. However, if your family likes yours with onions and/or peppers, they're easy to add!

  1. Before browning the ground beef, dice up half an onion and half a bell pepper and cook them in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened (about 5 to 10 minutes).
  2. Remove the onions and peppers from the pot and proceed with the recipe, cooking the meat and then stirring the onions/peppers back in at the same time you add the sauce.

How Long to Simmer Sloppy Joe Sauce

This Sloppy Joe recipe is flexible and turns out tasty whether you need to make it in a flash or you have extra time to allow it to simmer.

At a minimum, you should let the mixture simmer long enough to heat through once you've stirred the sauce into the meat. I'd recommend 10 minutes of simmering, if possible.

However, if you have the time, the flavors will really meld and develop if you allow your mixture to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes (or even longer). Just keep the heat low and stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. And if the sauce starts to get too thick, stir in a little bit of water to buy you more simmering time.

Close-up of Sloppy Joe recipe that's easy and the best, made with a homemade sloppy joe sauce, piled on a bun on a plate with sides.

Crock Pot Option

One trick I sometimes use is to make this recipe on the stove and then transfer it to a slow cooker (set to WARM) just before I go pick up my kids from school. When it's time to eat that evening, dinner is already ready and the flavor is extra yummy...double win!

Alternatively, if you need to whip up this Sloppy Joe recipe more than an hour or two ahead of time, you can actually let the sloppy joe sauce do its cooking in the crock pot (as opposed to simply keeping it warm, as described above):

  1. Brown and drain the ground beef and transfer to a slow cooker.
  2. Add all of the sauce ingredients and stir well to combine.
  3. Scrape down the sides of the slow cooker with a spatula (so that the sauce around the edges doesn't burn), cover, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
  4. Stir well and serve!

If you choose to make homemade Sloppy Joes this way, just keep in mind that if your particular model of slow cooker runs hot, the sauce may darken a bit around the edges. But if you're home, you can stir a couple of times during the cooking time to help prevent this.

Also, make sure your slow cooker is suitable to the size of the recipe. In other words, if you have a crock pot that's on the larger size, you may want to double or triple the recipe!

Homemade Sloppy Joe recipe in pot with spoon.

Other Ideas for Serving Sloppy Joes

Everybody knows that meaty Sloppy Joe sauce is scrumptious piled high on hamburger buns! But there are lots of other fantastic ways to enjoy it, whether you're wanting to put a new twist on a fresh batch or you're simply using up leftovers:

  • Turn it into a "casserole." For example, you could arrange tater tots on top, like this Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole, or bake a crust on top, similar to Cheeseburger Pie or a even a cornbread casserole.
  • Stir into mac & cheese or other pasta.
  • Sprinkle over nachos.
  • Fold into quesadillas.
  • Top baked potatoes (and then melt cheese over the top).
  • Spoon it over hot dogs in place of chili (like Chili Dogs).
  • Or similarly, spoon it over French fries and add cheese (like Chili Cheese Fries).
  • Stir it into queso for a hearty dip with tortilla chips.
  • Stuff it into bell peppers and then bake.
  • Layer it into grilled cheese sandwiches.

Have you tried any other creative ideas?

Close-up of Sloppy Joe Recipe on overflowing bun.

There's a reason this Sloppy Joe recipe is one of the all-time most popular recipes on the site, folks.

Kids adore it, but adults love it, too.

It's so simple but oh-so-good.

A side salad, some baked beans, and -- of course -- some thickly-sliced pickles on top of your Sloppy Joes, and...dinner is served!

Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment

  • If you're making your own homemade Sloppy Joes in order to avoid processed ingredients, be sure to use all-natural ketchup.
  • The sauce in this Sloppy Joe recipe is intended to be slightly sweet, but it's really a matter of taste. If you prefer a more savory sauce, feel free to use less brown sugar. Additionally, you may use unrefined sugar or a squeeze of honey in place of the brown sugar, if you wish.
  • Along those same lines, if you'd like to make this meal even healthier by packing in some extra veggies unbeknownst to your kids (or your spouse), be sure to check out my How to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies post, which specifically addresses Sloppy Joes. 😉
  • My family loves homemade Sloppy Joes so much that I've also come up with a zesty Tex-Mex version...olè!
  • If, like me, you make a lot of ground beef (or ground turkey) recipes, this tool is pretty darn handy for breaking up your meat.
Sloppy Joes sandwich on a plate with beans and salad.
Closeup of Sloppy Joe recipe that's easy and the best, made with a homemade sloppy joe sauce, piled on a bun on a plate with sides.

The VERY BEST Sloppy Joe Recipe

The VERY BEST Sloppy Joe recipe is delicious, quick, and easy to make. A scrumptious homemade sloppy joe sauce made with real ingredients puts it over the top. Hundreds of rave reviews agree that these Homemade Sloppy Joes are fantastic!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 258kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef (OR turkey)
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Hamburger buns
  • Sliced pickles

Instructions

  • Make the sauce in a 2-cup glass measuring cup (or a medium bowl). Stir together the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined; set aside.
  • Set a large pot over medium-low heat. Add a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil, and saute the garlic for a minute or two until just fragrant and very light golden brown. Add ground beef, increase heat to medium/medium high, and cook until nicely browned with no pink remaining, breaking apart and stirring as the meat cooks. Drain the grease.
  • Pour the sauce over the browned meat, stir to combine, and simmer for at least 10 minutes until heated through, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve warm on hamburger buns or rolls with sliced pickles on top.

Equipment Needed

Video

Notes

  • This Sloppy Joe sauce is intended to be slightly sweet, but it's really a matter of taste. If you prefer a more savory sauce, feel free to use less brown sugar. Additionally, you may use unrefined sugar or even a squeeze of honey in place of the brown sugar, if you wish.
  • If you like your Sloppy Joe recipe with onions and peppers, you may dice up half an onion and half a bell pepper and cook them in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened (about 5 to 10 minutes) before browning the beef. Remove the onions and peppers from the pot and proceed with the recipe as directed, cooking the meat and then stirring the onions/peppers back in at the same time you add the sauce.
  • The simmering time is up to you. If you're in a hurry, 10 minutes is all you need. However, if you have more time, simmering for 30 to 45 minutes (or longer) will really allow the flavors of the sauce to develop and meld. Just remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking/burning and add a splash of water if the sauce starts to get overly thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 742mg | Potassium: 714mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3.7mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!
Toddler trying to touch a sloppy joes sandwich on a plate.

Post originally published on January 13, 2015 (back when a certain two-year-old couldn't keep her little marker-stained mitts away long enough for me to snap a few pictures) and updated on November 2, 2017, January 5, 2021, January 31, 2022, and May 10, 2023.

You May Also Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




364 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This Sloppy Joe recipe has amazing flavor that everyone I have made it for really likes. It is my go to food when needing something in a hurry for family or a large group.
    Thank you

  2. 5 stars
    Made this again tonight. Very delicious! I found 1 tbs of packed light brown sugar was just right. I also added sautéed onions. Everything else I followed as written. This recipe is a keeper. Not sure what's going on with some of the comments. The recipe is straightforward, pictures are helpful, and additional information/ notes are very helpful when trying a new recipe or wanting additional instructions. Thank you.

    1. I really appreciate your thorough, thoughtful, and supportive message, Al. 🙂 I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy this recipe so much and have figured out your favorite way to tweak it!

  3. 5 stars
    My first time making this and it came out pretty good! My husband said it's 10/10. My only change was: 1) sauté onion and garlic, 2) add meat, 3) while beef is cooking, make your sauce. Seems more logical and time efficient. Thanks for the simple and flavorful recipe. I served it with mac and cheese, pickles and chips.

  4. 5 stars
    The family loves the recipe. It is so much better than any packaged or canned sauce/seasoning. Awesome recipe!

  5. I guess if you leave a one star you can’t get your rating posted. How can you make something if you don’t find how much of each ingredient to use? You can only seem to find how to cook it. I guess that they must think that you are psychic and automatically can tell how much of each ingredient to use by looking at pictures.

    1. Hi John! Sorry for any confusion...I'm happy to address your concerns. 🙂 All comments are moderated before approval to block hateful or inappropriate language, so there is a delay and comments don't show up immediately. Ratings related to someone's experience with or opinion of a recipe they made are approved, but giving a recipe one star because you couldn't find the recipe within the post defeats the purpose of star ratings.

      The recipe card at the bottom of the post -- just above where you left this comment -- provides a full ingredient list and recipe instructions. There is a "Jump to Recipe" button at the top of the post, and this info is also mentioned in the body of the post ("The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS"). Hope this helps! 🙂

      1. I was going to leave a 4* but your response to this guy is atrocious.

        maybe put it the recipe card at the top and bottom to save people time because you know nobody cares about your life story or experience, we just want the recipe.

        1-4 tbsp is pretty vague and could use clarifying more than your tidbit notes.

        sauce is too thin and definitely is not ready in 10 min simmer unless you want soup.

        all comments being 'monitored' before being actually posted seems a good way to remove legitimate bad reviews for a blog Karen. distasteful.

        recipe is definitely not near as good as manwhich canned sloppy Joe sauce, and being homemade, that's not a great thing.

        also note that 1 clove of garlic is more than enough for this recipe and you should have at least 3/4-1 tsp of mustard otherwise don't bother since there is no way you could ever detect a hint of it at 1/4 tsp when added to over 1 1/2 cups of sauce, especially tomatoes based sauce.

        I feel like a lot of these recipes are lazily done just to get a blog post up and hopefully swindle yourself some viewer money.
        most spend more time on the story/overcomplicating the recipe instead of the actual recipe.
        3/5 on the recipe card
        1/5 on the blog article
        1/5 on the authors attitude to the guy above.

          1. 5 stars
            Excellent! Some people who thrive on being a male/female Karen within our society are a leech on any common sense that remains within the general population. You answered in a very tactical and gracious manner. Thank you!

  6. 5 stars
    It’s absolutely delicious! I don’t like sweet sloppy joes so I went with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. It had a subtle sweetness that was just right. Hubby ate 3 of them! I ate 2. I did finely dice half an onion and I cooked it with the ground beef, as well as the garlic. I didn’t have any bell pepper this time but next time, will add smoked paprika if I don’t have bell peppers.

  7. 5 stars
    This is my favorite Sloppy Joe's recipe ever and I have tried many! I always get compliments when we serve it. We add onion and green pepper and a pinch of pepper flakes! If you like your Joe's a little meatier just add a little more ground beef. Thank you Samantha!

    1. 5 stars
      I have been using this recipe for about 3 years and absolutely love it, the taste is identical to the original sloppy joes in a can but surely much healthier cuz I can pronounce the ingredients, lol. I will NEVER use canned sloppy joes again.

  8. 5 stars
    Dinner tonight! Added onions, but wish I had bell pepper too. I also decreased the brown sugar. Served on toasted onion rolls with Cole Slaw. What a fabulous recipe!

  9. 5 stars
    I have tried making sloppy joes for a number of years for my kids and have never found one they liked until now. This is the best sloppy joe recipe.

    1. 5 stars
      seriously the best sloppy joe ive ever had!.. I always have to double the recipe ♡.. its good when frozen and thawed too :)... good over nachos or fries too 🤭🤭

  10. 5 stars
    I made this a few times and tweaked the recipe. I added only one tablespoon of brown sugar, sautéed sweet peppers and half an onion in a separate skillet then added to browned ground beef. We topped our favorite cheese and put on Hawaiian rolls. Great with waffle fries and steamed veggies. Easy and yummy dinner!

    1. 5 stars
      I just finished making this and love how easy it was to make, especially with ingredients I always have on hand! Came out perfect. Thank you.