The best sloppy joes recipe | 7 ingredients

Homemade sloppy joes are a quick and easy recipe for a delicious meal for your family (even those picky eaters), or an easy option for a potluck.

Sloppy Joe sandwich

What is a “sloppy joe”?

Classic sloppy joes are a ground beef recipe for a sandwich that combines lean ground beef with a homemade sloppy joe sauce made by combining equal amounts of apple cider vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar. The sauce is seasoned with onion, yellow mustard and a small amount of flour. Serve the meat mixture on hamburger buns with a side of french fries, potato chips, side salad or potato salad.

Why is it called a “sloppy joe”?

Seems like this is a bit of a mystery – but the most common story is that a restaurant cook named Joe developed the recipe at a diner in Sioux City, Iowa. I can vouch for these loose meat sandwiches being a common mid-western family favorite, at least where I grew up in the western part of Illinois.

Are there recipe variations?

There are several variations on the recipe for classic sloppy joes:

  • Store-bought sauce can be swapped for the homemade
  • Swap BBQ sauce or hot sauce for the ketchup
  • Add in green pepper, onion, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, chili powder, diced jalapeños, fresh ground pepper or seasoning salt
  • Swap Dijon mustard in place of yellow mustard
  • Use maple syrup in place of brown sugar
  • Add a splash of worcestershire sauce
  • Top the sandwich with a slice of cheese

Can sloppy joes be prepared in bulk and frozen?

I’m always on the lookout for recipes that can be prepped ahead. And I really love recipes that I can double or triple, and freeze the extra for the easiest meal on a busy night in the next month or two. This sloppy joe recipe is perfect because:

  1. It reheats well after refrigeration. Whether you reheat in the microwave, the oven, the stovetop, or in a slow cooker, the taste gets better after a day or two in my opinion.
  2. It freezes and thaws well. I like to freeze in the amount my family will eat in a meal. The night before I want to serve, I move the freezer bag of sloppy joe mixture to the refrigerator. The next morning, I place the meat in a slow cooker on low. Then it is ready by supper time.

What you need to prep this easy sloppy joe recipe

You don’t need much! Just a skillet and measuring cups, as well as a mixing spoon and a fork (or other utensil) to use when cooking the meat. Make sure you have plenty of napkins available when you are ready to eat though!

Sloppy joe ingredients

My family recipe uses just 7 ingredients:

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 of an onion, chopped
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 tsp prepared mustard
  • 1 tbsp flour

Step-by-step instructions

Prepare the beef

Brown the ground beef with the onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the grease. Tip: if you want your meat very finely ground, run it through a food processor after draining the grease.

Browned ground beef

Prepare the sauce

Mix all the remaining ingredients (vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, flour, mustard) in a medium bowl to make a sauce.

sloppy joe sauce

Mix and simmer

Pour the sauce over the ground meat in the skillet. Stir well to coat and simmer for 30 minutes on low. Alternately, place the sauce and beef in a slow cooker on low for up to 4 hours.

ground beef and sloppy joe sauce ready to mix

Serve!

Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto a bun and serve. That’s it – your sloppy joes are ready to eat – enjoy!

Sloppy Joe sandwich

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Yield: 8 sandwiches

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joe sandwich

Make these easy Sloppy Joe sandwiches for an easy and delicious dinner.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp prepared mustard

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef over medium heat in a skillet with the onion.
  2. Drain the grease and place the meat back in the skillet.
  3. Mix all the remaining ingredients (vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, flour, mustard) to make a sauce.
  4. Pour the sauce over the ground beef in the skillet. Stir well to coat and simmer for 30 minutes on low.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 sandwich

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 9gCarbohydrates: 15.4gProtein: 8.3g

Sandwich bread not included in nutrition estimates. Nutrition information isn't always accurate.

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