Easy Scratch-Made Sloppy Joes
These Easy Scratch-Made Sloppy Joes are a staple in American kitchens. There’s just something about the sweet and savory, slightly tangy filling piled high on a soft hamburger bun. Whether you’re cooking for a busy weeknight dinner or a casual family gathering, this homemade sloppy joes recipe is sure to hit the spot. The best part? This scratch-made version is just as quick and delicious as any pre-packaged or canned mix – without the processed ingredients, added sugars, or artificial flavors.
If you’re like me you want to know exactly what’s going into your meals. That’s why I created this recipe to be simple and packed with flavor. While pre-packaged mixes might seem convenient, making sloppy joes from scratch is just as quick. Plus, the homemade version is budget-friendly and uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: Use 90/10 ground beef. This ground beef contains only 10% fat which makes it a better choice for dishes like sloppy joes, spaghetti sauce, and casseroles. Save the 80/20 for meatloaf, meatballs, and grilling burgers where you need the extra fat to keep it from drying out. Or substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for a great leaner option.
- Onion: Use yellow or white onion. Yellow onion has a milder flavor compared to white onion. Green bell pepper is another option to add along with the onion.
- Fresh garlic: Fresh minced garlic is always my first choice. You can swap with 1/4 tsp of garlic powder if you prefer.
- Tomato paste: This will help to thicken our sauce and give it a rich tomato punch.
- Ketchup: I strongly suggest using a “No Sugar Added” ketchup. Regular ketchup has a crazy amount of added sugars, over 50 grams in just one cup.
- Brown Sugar: Use less, or more, depending on your preference to find the perfect balance between sweet and tangy.
- Worcestershire sauce: Brings a savory, Unami-rich flavor that ties everything together.
- Yellow mustard: Adds a tangy sharpness to balance the sweetness.
- Chili Powder, Salt, and Pepper
How to Make Easy Scratch-Made Sloppy Joes
Cook the Ground Beef: Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, cooking until the beef is browned and cooked through. Drain the fat from the browned beef and discard.
Aromatics: Add the diced onions and minced garlic to the browned beef and continue to cook another few minutes until the onion and garlic becomes fragrant.
Create the Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, chili powder, and water. Mix everything until well combined.
Simmer: Let the mixture simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Assemble and Serve: Spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture onto the bottom halves of your soft hamburger buns. Top with the remaining halves and serve warm alongside crispy potato chips and a few tangy pickle chips!
Serving Tip: If you are cooking for a crowd, Sloppy Joes are the perfect make-ahead dish. Just whip up a big batch the day before and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The hearty bold flavors will continue to build. The day of the event simply reheat on the stove or better yet, add to a Crockpot to keep warm.
Storage Tips:
Refridgerate: Sloppy Joe filling can be stored in the refridgerator in an airtight container for 4-5 day.
Freeze: Cool in the refrigerator before freezing. Freeze in freezer bags and lay flat in the freezer for space-saving storage. You can freeze for 3 – 6 months.
Reheat: If frozen, place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Warm over medium heat on the stove.
Easy Scratch-Made Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until browned and cooked through. Drain the excess fat and discard.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic. Stir to combine and cook another few minutes until the onions and garlic become fragrant.
- Add tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, chili powder, and water. Stir to combine.
- Let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the beef. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Spoon the sloppy Joe mixture onto the bottom halves of the buns. Top with the other half of the bun and server warm.
