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These homemade sloppy joes are the perfect nostalgic Midwest sandwich recipe! Serve plain on a soft bun or top with a slice of cheese and pickles.
One of my favorite meals as a kid was always, hands down, sloppy joes. They’re tangy and sweet, with a rich, creamy meat sauce. Every time. 10/10. No notes.
Okay, I’m unsure if creamy is the right way to describe the sauce. May it be rich and hearty? Or glaze-like? Ultimately, the texture depends on your favorite texture for sloppy joes. If you want a loose, more runny mixture, cook it less. If you want a rich and hearty sauce, cook it down longer.
In classic Brandy fashion, I served this alongside tater tots. It’s the perfect combination and the only one I ever do. Oh, and I also added a side of ketchup to dip those tots.
I also like to serve mine on a soft brioche bun. You can add it to whatever your favorites are. You can also opt to serve it over Air-Fried Baked Potatoes, alongside Sweet Potato Fries, or on top of toasted bread.
Ingredients needed
- Ground beef
- Green onion
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Beef stock
- Ketchup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Yellow mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Spices
How to make homemade sloppy joes
Making homemade sloppy joes is no more work than browning your meat and tossing in the canned version. It’s so easy to make you’re going to wish you made it sooner.
- Brown the ground beef and add the bell pepper and onion. Cook until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant. This step usually only takes a minute.
- Mix in the ketchup, beef stock, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.
- Gently simmer until you reach your desired consistency.
My Pro Tips
Sloppy Joe Sandwich Recipe Tips
Lighten up your sandwich using ground chicken, turkey, or lower-fat ground beef, like 90/10 or 97/3.
I like the flavor of green bell peppers for this homemade sloppy joes, but any bell pepper color will work.
My family strongly believes that sloppy joe sandwiches taste best when served with tater tots and ketchup. However, any fry you enjoy will taste great here. Try my Sweet Potato Fries!
For leftovers, I like to spoon them over fries like in my Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Cheese Fries.
I like to cook it until the meat mixture is thick and the mixture is the consistency of a thick glaze.
More hot sandwich recipes
Homemade Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 whole green bell pepper, cored and diced small
- 1 cup diced yellow onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add your olive oil.
- When the oil is hot add ground beef. Break up the meat as it browns.
- After 5 minutes, add in the diced green onion and yellow onions. Continue sauteeing until the green peppers soften and the onions turn translucent.
- Add garlic and saute for a minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Mix in the ketchup, beef stock, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red peppers.
- Gently saute over medium heat until the sloppy joe mix is thickened.
- Serve on a soft bun plain or with a slice of cheese and pickles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
