Classic Sloppy Joes are a traditional (easy) family favorite that is made and on the table in about 20 minutes. Kids of all ages love them!
When I was growing up, my mom would occasionally make our family Sloppy Joes for a quick (and convenient) dinner or lunch. I sure loved them, even if they were a bit “messy” to eat!
Classic Sloppy Joes rose in popularity here in the United States when Hunts Food corporation introduced a canned sauce product called “Manwich” way back in 1969. All a busy home cook needed to do was add cooked ground beef to the “magical can of sauce” and pile it on a hamburger bun to serve this yummy comfort food!
That’s how my mom used to make them, and it sure made her life easier, because it was a simple, quick meal she could conveniently make for our family of 5! We all enjoyed it, too!
Today I want to share a recipe for a simple way to make classic sloppy joes from scratch (including the meat). It doesn’t take much time at all (really!), and tastes very similar to the manufactured, shelf-stable canned product! Here’s how to make Classic Sloppy Joes, a much-loved comfort food for many kids and adults.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page
Cook And Brown The Ground Beef
Heat a large skillet on Medium-High heat. Add one pound of ground beef to the hot skillet, along with chopped green bell peppers and onions.
Break up the beef in small pieces and add two cloves of minced garlic to the meat mixture. Brown the meat, onions, garlic and peppers, stirring often as it cooks.
Continue to cook the meat, breaking it up into even smaller pieces as it cooks. When done, the meat should be browned, cooked through, and in very small pieces. Drain off any grease that has accumulated in the skillet (and discard appropriately).
Add The Seasonings
Ater draining off the grease, it’s time to add the final ingredients that give the sloppy joes their distinctive flavor. Add ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and chili powder and just enough salt and pepper to suit your taste.
Stir very well, until all these added ingredients are fully blended in with the meat, onions and green peppers. Add about ¼ cup of water and stir again until it has been fully incorporated.
Cook on Medium-High heat for about 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Some of the water will be absorbed and/or cook away as you heat the mixture and the flavors come together.
Serve And Enjoy Classic Sloppy Joes
Once the sloppy joe mixture has finished cooking, it is ready to be served while hot. Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto hamburger buns, then serve immediately!
As most people know, eating a Sloppy Joe can be really messy. Give its name, is that any surprise? Ha Ha. Serve these classic sloppy joes with plenty of napkins to clean yourself up with and then enjoy these delicious sandwiches!
I hope you have the opportunity to make these really EASY sloppy joes for yourself and/or your family or friends. They’re so good and are truly a blast from the past!
I like to make a batch of sloppy joe mix up and then freeze it in an airtight container. That way, when I need something quick to feed use, I can pull it out of the freezer, thaw and reheat it, then we can have a convenient yummy lunch or dinner!
Looking For More SANDWICH Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of sandwich recipes to choose from, including:
- Spicy Fish Sandwich With Chili Mayo
- Italian Meatball Sandwiches
- Grilled “Thai” PB&J Sandwich
- Easy Chicken Salad For Sandwiches
- Egg Salad For Sandwiches
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Original recipe source: unknown
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Classic Sloppy Joes are a traditional (easy) family favorite that is made and on the table in about 20 minutes. Kids of all ages love them!
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ medium brown onion finely chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2½ Tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- salt and black pepper, enough to season to taste
- ¼ cup water
Heat a large skillet on Medium-High. Add ground beef, chopped green peppers and onions. Break up the beef in small pieces; add minced garlic. Brown the meat, onions, garlic and peppers, stirring often. Continue to cook, breaking meat up into even smaller pieces as it cooks. When done, meat should be browned, cooked through, and in very small pieces. Drain off grease in the skillet (discard appropriately).
Add ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and chili powder. Season with enough salt and pepper to suit your taste. Stir well, until fully blended with the meat mixture. Add water; stir again until it has been fully incorporated.
Cook on Medium-High heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Some of the water will be absorbed or cook away as you heat the mixture and the flavors come together.
Once the sloppy joe mixture has finished cooking, it is ready to be served hot. Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto hamburger buns, then serve immediately! Enjoy!
NOTE: Caloric calculation is calculated for 5 servings of the sloppy joe mix only, because different types of hamburger buns may be used by each cook (which would change the calorie amount).
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!