This homemade sloppy joe recipe is made with tomatoes, onions, sweet bell peppers, garlic, brown sugar, and jalapeno pepper. My sloppy joe sauce is slightly sweet, tangy, and is packed with delicious flavor. Sloppy Joes are a classic American comfort food, typically enjoyed on a toasted bun with potato chips. This recipe is made in under 30 minutes and is perfect for family dinners, cookouts, and is very kid-friendly!
Sloppy joes are a filling, simple, and budget-friendly meal to make. I came from a relatively large family, and we ate sloppy joes at least once per week. Sloppy joes were one of those cheat meals my mom prepared when she wasn’t in the mood to make a large dinner that week. We, the kids, always looked forward to Sloppy Joe Day! Just like me, my children also look forward to Sloppy Joe Day. What’s not to love about sauteed ground beef cooked in a hearty, tangy-sweet sauce?
If you ask me, you can’t beat a recipe like sloppy joes. It’s easy to make and can be served for lunch, dinner, weeknights and lazy weekends. I love a good stress-free meal and ground beef recipes like Meatloaf, Taco Casserole, and Chili Mac are some of my favorite go-to recipes. If you have ground beef in the freezer and need quick meal ideas you can’t go wrong with with any of these.
SLOPPY JOES INGREDIENTS
Jump to the bottom of the recipe card below this post for full ingredient measurements and instructions.
Ground beef – Any ground beef will work including ground sirloin, 80/20 and 90/10 beef mixes. Just be sure to drain the fat after cooking!
Onion, garlic, and bell pepper: These aromatics are a necessity for delicious sloppy joes. I use one green pepper along with a sweet pepper like red, orange, or yellow. These all add the perfect amount of sweetness.
Chilis – Jalapeno, serrano, ancho any if these will add a touch of heat and warmth to the sloppy joes. Removes the seeds for a less-spicy version.
Beef broth – Beef broth or stock enhances the beef flavor, but can be substituted with water or low sodium varieties.
Tomato sauce – The main base for the tangy homemade sauce.
Tomato paste – Helps to intensify the flavor of the sloppy joes, but can be substituted with ketchup.
Brown sugar – Adds deep, warm, sweet flavor to the sauce. I like using dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar, coconut sugar, or even maple syrup will work here.
Apple cider vinegar – Adds the perfect amount of balanced acidity to the sloppy joes.
HOW TO MAKE SLOPPY JOES
Follow these steps to make this recipe:
In a Dutch oven or a large pot add olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
Add the diced onions, minced chili pepper, and diced bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
Add the tomatoe paste, brown sugar, and garlic, and continue to cook for 30 seconds, or until you can smell the garlic.
Stir in the tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Use lean ground beef. If you want to make a lean version of this recipe, use an 90/10 beef mixture or sirolin.
- Use water or low-sodium broth. Beef broth provides the best flavor, but if you are sodium sensitive, or you are worried about sodium levels, dial it back and use water or a low sodium broth.
- Swap the beef. If you don’t have ground beef or don’t eat beef, you can swap the beef with ground chicken or turkey.
- Don’t rush the simmering. The longer this simmers the better, low and slow. This makes this recipe very slow cooker friendly. Please note that the longer this simmers the thicker the sauce will be. If you prefer a thinner sauce, simmer only as directed.
Sloppy Joes
4
servings10
minutes25
minutes35
minutesClassic American sandwich made with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, sweet bell peppers, garlic, brown sugar, and jalapeno pepper.
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Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
1 chili pepper (jalapeno, serrano, ancho), minced
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup beef broth or water
salt and pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns
Directions
- Add olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or a large pot. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
- Add the diced onions, minced chili pepper, and diced bell peppers, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Add the tomatoe paste, brown sugar, and garlic, and continue to cook for 30 seconds, or until you can smell the garlic.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until thickened to your liking. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve the sloppy joe on hamburger buns.
Notes
- If you want to make a lean version of this recipe, use an 90/10 beef mixture or sirolin.
- The longer this simmers the better, low and slow. This makes this recipe very slow cooker friendly. Please note that the longer this simmers the thicker the sauce will be. If you prefer a thinner sauce, simmer only as directed.
Did you make this recipe?
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While I have you here… may I suggest a few for you to try next:
Until next time. Keep following and commenting. Join me on Youtube next week where I will be cooking up another recipe and maybe telling a few of my terrible jokes! Ha!
