Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes

I grew up in a household that always had ground beef on hand for everything from tacos to chili. If the meal didn’t come out of a box or a can, it came out of the freezer! When I started remaking some of those classic childhood dinners from scratch, like my mom’s ground beef and potatoes, and her creamy chicken rice casserole without the cream of mushroom soup, Sloppy Joes were a must.

This Sloppy Joes recipe replaces a can of Manwich with an easy homemade tomato sauce made from ketchup, molasses, and simple seasonings. Sauté ground beef with onions and garlic, and combine it all together in minutes on the stovetop. It’s all the sweet-savory Sloppy Joe flavors you love, only better! If you love this traditional recipe, try my Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes next.

Ingredients for Sloppy Joes

• Ground beef: Use your preference, but I tend to buy 90% lean. You can also replace beef with ground chicken or ground turkey, though it won’t have the same depth of flavor.
• Onion: You’ll only need half, so save the rest for another recipe. I like to use sweet onions, but any red, white, or yellow onion will be fine.
• Red bell pepper: Like the onion, you’ll only need half of a large bell pepper. I use red, but another color pepper can be used.
• Garlic: Freshly minced.
• Ketchup: Use your favorite brand. Look for organic or low-sugar options to cut down on refined sugar, or make your own homemade ketchup.
• Molasses: Adds rich, smoky sweetness, but it can be omitted if needed. Brown sugar can also be substituted in a pinch.
• Mustard: Spicy brown mustard adds a nice kick, but use whatever you have including Dijon, yellow, or another mustard. You can also substitute every 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard with 1 teaspoon of mustard powder.
• Worcestershire sauce: Please read the labels on your Worcestershire sauce. At the time of writing this, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free in the United States, but may not be in other countries. If you don’t have Worcestershire, soy sauce is a good substitute. Use gluten-free or tamari as needed.
• Spices: Chili powder, paprika. Regular, smoked, or hot paprika can be used depending on the flavors you prefer. I also like to add mustard powder in addition to the prepared mustard above (if needed, just add more prepared mustard or leave it out).

How to Make Sloppy Joes From Scratch

It’s really almost as easy as opening a can of Sloppy Joe sauce!

• Cook the meat and veggies. First, add the ground beef, onion, red pepper, and garlic to a skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and break up the meat while it cooks, until the beef is browned and the veggies are tender. Drain any excess grease.

• Add the sauce ingredients. Next, stir the ketchup, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, paprika, dry mustard, and water into the beef mixture.
• Simmer and serve. Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through and thickened. Then serve on rolls or try one of the other serving suggestions below.

Make It a Meal

Serve your Sloppy Joes spooned over gluten-free hamburger buns or soft bread rolls for an old-fashioned Sloppy Joes sandwich. I often make a side of frozen veggies, brown butter peas and carrots, or mac and cheese. These are some more easy, kid-favorite meal ideas:

• Veggies. Try a cauliflower hash browns casserole or crispy zucchini tater tots.
• Fries. Serve with a side of air fryer French fries or sweet potato fries.
• Salad. Add some green with crunchy broccoli apple slaw or an Italian chopped salad.

More Ways to Eat Sloppy Joes

• Loaded potatoes. Stuff the Sloppy Joes meat inside a baked potato. It’s especially good when you pop them in the oven to melt the cheese. Or, make loaded fries like these shepherd’s pie loaded fries.
• Meal bowls. Serve it over quinoa or rice (try one of these 5 ways to make brown rice) or cauliflower rice to make rice bowls.
• Mashed potatoes. Scoop it onto cheesy mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
• Casseroles. Use the tomato beef mixture as a filling in a Sloppy Joes tater tot casserole or shepherd’s pie.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Leftover sloppy joes can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 or 4 days.
• Reheat. You can reheat the meat mixture in the microwave until it is steaming hot (I recommend covering it with a paper towel to prevent spattering. Or warm it up in a skillet on the stove, adding more water if needed to achieve the desired consistency.
• Freeze. The Sloppy Joes meat mixture freezes well in a plastic zipper-top freezer storage bag or an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Just remove it from the freezer the night before you plan to eat it and thaw it in the refrigerator.

More Favorite Ground Beef Recipes

• Homemade Beefaroni
• Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Air Fryer Hamburgers
• Taco Skillet with Rice