Sloppy Joes
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Effortlessly delicious and universally loved, Sloppy Joes are the tasty (and yes, slightly messy) champion of quick dinners and game day feasts.
A Sloppy Joe is a beloved American sandwich made from ground beef cooked in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato-based sauce and served on a hamburger bun. The name “sloppy” aptly describes the sandwich’s messy nature, as the filling tends to spill out of the bun. My homemade Sloppy Joes, which my kids have playfully nicknamed “Sloppy Jenns” (although I’m not a fan of that name!), is an upgrade on the classic recipe. Instead of using ketchup or seasoning packets, I create a smoky sauce entirely from scratch. The recipe is quick and always a crowd-pleaser, and it can easily be scaled up to feed a crowd or frozen for another meal.
To serve, I suggest toasting buttery brioche buns and pairing the sandwiches with either my sweet and tangy citrus slaw or classic coleslaw, crispy potato chips, and some refrigerator pickles on the side.
Table of Contents
“The last time I had a Sloppy Joe was as a teenager–Manwich, of course! Definitely elevated with this version! Perfect weeknight meal!”
What You’ll Need To Make Sloppy Joes
- Ground Beef: 90% lean ground beef is ideal due to its lower fat content, which not only ensures the dish is not too greasy but also eliminates the need to drain fat after browning.
- Baking Soda: Tenderizes the beef.
- Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic: A flavorful trio that forms the aromatic foundation of the filling.
- Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Oregano, Dry Mustard: These spices add a spectrum of flavors from smoky to earthy to tangy.
- Canned Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste: Used to make the sauce; the tomato sauce offers a tangy, liquid base, while the paste thickens and intensifies the tomato flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce and Hot Pepper Sauce: These condiments add umami and a heat, deepening the flavor of the dish.
- Hamburger or Brioche Buns: The vehicle for the Sloppy Joe mixture, offering a soft and slightly sweet contrast to the flavorful beef filling.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Ingredients
To begin, combine the beef and baking soda in a medium bowl. The baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and keep the beef tender. (I use this technique for many ground beef recipes, including beef enchiladas, stuffed peppers, stacked beef enchiladas and chili.)
Mash with your hands until well combined, and then let sit on the counter for 20 to 25 minutes to tenderize.
While the beef rests, chop the veggies. I use a food processor to speed this process along, but it’s fine to chop by hand.
If using a food processor, be sure to pulse only until the vegetables are finely chopped, not puréed.
When the meat is just about ready, melt the butter in a large skillet.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard.
Cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until mostly brown, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, butter the inside of the buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up.
Toast in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
Taste the sloppy Joe mixture and adjust seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joes sweet, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.) Spoon the mixture onto the toasted hamburger buns and serve. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the meat mixture can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
Yes, you can use various types of ground meat for Sloppy Joes, including turkey, chicken, or pork. If going this route, skip the tenderizing step with the baking soda.
Baking soda raises the pH level of the meat’s surface, making it more alkaline. This change in pH disrupts the protein structure in the meat, making it more tender. Baking soda also accelerates browning, which boosts the flavor of the dish.
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Sloppy Joes
Effortlessly delicious and universally loved, Sloppy Joes are the tasty (and yes, slightly messy) champion of quick dinners and game day feasts.
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buns
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco or Frank's, or to taste
- Hamburger buns
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using your hands, mash the beef with the baking soda. Let it sit on the counter for 20 to 25 minutes to tenderize.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until mostly brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, butter the inside of the buns and place on a baking sheet, butter side up. Toast in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Taste the sloppy Joe mixture and adjust seasonings. (If you like your Sloppy Joes sweet, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.) Spoon the mixture onto the toasted hamburger buns and serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in the microwave om on the stovetop until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (5 servings)
- Serving size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 406
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 887 mg
- Cholesterol: 86 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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So yummy! The picky husband liked them!!
This recipe was delicious and quickly prepared. The baking soda to the meat was new to me but was perfect for sloppy joes. Will definitely continue doing that in the future.
It has been 7 years since I have had sloppy joes because my husband said he did not like them at all. I finally took a chance, wanting something beside a hamburger, and am so happy I did. He actually commented how good it was and he takes back saying he did not like them. His momma only made them from the can…Thank you so much Jenn for the excellent recipes.
Oops, forgot one thing. I followed the recipe only adding an extra bit of Franks Hot Sauce and a tablespoon of brown sugar. 😊
Great recipe! My family loved it. Thanks so much!
Delicious! The baking powder added to the ground beef really gave it an interesting texture. Not sure how to even describe it – it held together. Spices were spot on. I like several Sloppy Joe recipes, and this will be added to my collection. I’m giving it a four only because of the tomato was a bit strong for me. However, my measuring was off. That might be why.
Why 1 1/4 lbs of ground beef vs. 1 lb?
Hi Mary, based on the other ingredients in this recipe, 1 1/4 pounds of ground beef really works best here. Also, my grocery store sells ground beef in 1 1/4 pound packages. Crazy right?? Hope you enjoy the sloppy Joe’s if you make them!
Great recipe! Not one peep from the picky kids and my fiancé said he normally doesn’t like sloppy joes, but he likes mine.
These came out really great, so much better than that funny stuff in the can. They also came together very quickly – which is a plus. I thought I’d be simmering it forever.
I did reduce the amount of cumin and black pepper though. I think that was the right spice mix for my family. We aren’t big cumin enthusiasts in particular. Thanks Jenn for a great, family-friendly recipe.
I currently live in South Korea and, consequently, have no access to canned Sloppy Joe mixes. Finding this recipe was so nice – AND it is even better than the premade mixes. What I really love about it is these ingredients are always on hand in my kitchen, so it’s very easy. We’ve grown tired of hamburgers and lasagne, so this was a nice switch for ground beef. Thanks so much.
Hi Jenn,
Want to try another one of your delicious recipes for company, and am looking at Sloppy Joes. I would like to assemble everything in the morning, as my guests and I will be out all day. When we get home, I would like to make the Sloppy Joes. So…….
-Can I put the baking soda in the meat and leave it for most of the day?
-Can I use brioche buns or would regular hamburger buns be better?
-Can I just make the entire recipe the day before and reheat? Or would they taste better if they were made and eaten on the same day?
Thank you your fabulous recipes!!!
Hi Hannah, you can definitely make the Sloppy Joes the day before and reheat before serving. And brioche buns would be delicious if you’d prefer those over hamburger buns. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks, Jenn! Would it be okay to add the baking soda to the meat in the morning, and then make the SJ later in the day?
Thanks again for all your support and, of course, your fabulous recipes!
Sure, Hannah, that should be fine (and so glad you like the recipes)! ❤️
These came out soooo yummy! Usually, when I try a recipe, I have to make adjustments for my taste. I followed this recipe EXACTLY (except I used turkey meat because that’s what I had on hand) and tasted it … perfectly seasoned! My husband and I aren’t huge fans of sweet sauce, so this recipe was perfect for sloppy joes!! I will be using this blog as a go to for future recipes. Thanks for the great (and EASY) recipe!