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You are here: Home / Recipes / Dinner

Classic Midwest Homemade Sloppy Joes

By Susie Weinrich · Date Jul 28, 2022· 13 Comments · May contain affiliate links.

pinterest image for Sloppy Joe sandwiches
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There’s no need to buy that can of sloppy joe sauce at the store to have Sloppy Joe Sandwiches for dinner. You can make your own Homemade Sauce with a few condiments from your fridge door and pantry. Then mix it up with 1 ½ lbs. ground beef, onion and garlic for an amazing weeknight dinner. This is a fast 20 minute recipe and you will have delicious sloppy sandwiches that are the perfect balance of saucy (but not too saucy), tangy, sweet and savory! 

Ground Beef Sloppy Joe's being spooned onto a bun

I grew up in Iowa where Sloppy Joes are not only a common weeknight dinner, I believe they were also invented there, somewhere in Sioux City (where I was born!). 

You may have also heard of a Sloppy Joe referred to as a Maid Rite, Tavern or Loose Meat Sandwich. They are all basically the same thing.

Table of Contents hide
1 How Much Sloppy Joe Filling Per Person
2 Ingredients
3 Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce
4 Step by Step Instructions
5 How Long to Simmer Sloppy Joes
6 Flavor Troubleshooting
7 Side Dishes
8 Storing & Reheating
9 Freezing Sloppy Joe Meat/Sauce
10 Variations
11 Other Ways to Eat Sloppy Joes
12 More Ground Beef Recipes
13 Did you make this recipe?
14 Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe

How Much Sloppy Joe Filling Per Person

If you are feeding your family or you are trying to feed a whole picnic then you may need to calculate how much Sloppy Joe Filling to make.

Since this is a sandwich that gets HEAPED with the ground beef filling you want to make sure you have enough for everyone.

If you plan about ½ cup of filling for each sandwich you will have more than enough.

Calculation

Plan on ½ cup (approx. 4 oz) of Sloppy Joe filling per person. That is equal to about ¼ lb. of ground beef. So 1 lb. of ground beef will serve around 4 people (I would plan on 5 people if you are feeding kids).

10 people = 2.5 lbs. of ground beef

25 people = 6.25 lbs. of ground beef

50 people = 12.5 lbs. of ground beef

Obviously the sauce ingredients will also need to be adjusted.

Recipe card tip: The nice thing about the Mom’s Dinner recipe card is that you can hover over the “serving” portion and then move the slider that appears to increase the amount of people you plan on serving!

Ingredients

You only need really simple ingredients to make Sloppy Joe Sauce and Sandwiches for dinner. You probably have most of the ingredients in the door of your fridge and your pantry!

Pictured below are the ingredients to grab, plus some tips on a few items:

Ingredients for sloppy joes
Clockwise: Ground beef, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, oil, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic, onion

Ground Beef: I recommend using an 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. It will have enough fat to be flavorful, but not so much that it is greasy. Save the 80/20 ground beef for Amazing Grilled Burgers. You can also use ground turkey but make sure you buy 93/7.

Mustard: This is not the time for fancy Dijon or stone ground mustard. Just a straight yellow mustard is exactly what you want to use.

Brown Sugar: don’t be nervous about the amount of brown sugar. It is just enough to balance the tart/savory flavors in the ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire. I always use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar should work too.

Onion: We recommend using either yellow or white onion.

Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce

You absolutely DO NOT need a can of Manwich or store bought sloppy joe sauce for these sandwiches. In fact they will be SO much better if you make your own sauce. 

You just need:

  • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ heaping cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • pepper to taste

Stir or whisk all that together in a bowl or liquid measuring cup. 

Then when you are ready to use, mix it in with cooked/crumbled ground beef or ground turkey, onion and garlic. Let it all simmer for a few minutes and it’s time to eat.

Step by Step Instructions

Super simple dinner to make. Follow these easy steps:

  1. In a large skillet over med heat add oil. Sauté onion for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and ground beef, crumble and brown until it is cooked through.
  3. Drain any excess oil/grease.
  4. Add in the Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper. 
  5. Simmer for a few minutes. 
  6. Taste for seasoning.
a skillet full of ground beef and onions with sloppy joe's sauce
Perfect Sloppy Joe mixture… not too saucy!!!

Serve heaped onto buns, we love to use a brioche bun or sesame seed bun. Sliced pickles also make an excellent addition.

How Long to Simmer Sloppy Joes

The answer to “how long to simmer sloppy joe’s?”, is it depends….

The time you let the ground beef and sauce simmer together will vary from recipe to recipe.

If you find that your ground beef is overly saucy and will make your buns soggy you will want to simmer for longer to reduce the sauce, maybe around 15-20 minutes. 

However, with this Sloppy Joe recipe below you do not need a long simmer time because these are not OVERLY sauced. Once the whole dish comes together you will just simmer for about 4-5 minutes to warm everything together and then it’s time to eat. 

Flavor Troubleshooting 

Maybe you remember eating Sloppy Joe’s when you were little and you want it to be exactly the same. Here are some ideas for troubleshooting the flavor… if you find that your Sloppy joes are:

  • Too Saucy – simmer for a bit longer and it should thicken up.
  • Too Dry – add a little water, a small squirt of ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire. Taste for seasoning.
  • Too Salty – add a little more brown sugar and maybe a tablespoon of water.
  • Too Sweet – pour in a dash or two of Worcestershire, but note that will add a little saltiness too.
  • Too tangy – add a little more brown sugar and ketchup.

Side Dishes

Sloppy Joe’s are a super casual weeknight dinner that does not need to be paired with anything fancy. We like to just think about side dishes as adding a starch and veggie. 

Tater Tots, Crispy Skillet Potatoes, or French Fries are a great addition with some raw veggies and ranch dip! These Parmesan Truffle Fries are also a favorite!

a pickle slice being placed on a sloppy joe sandwich
Pickles go great on Sloppy Joes!

In the summer Sloppy Joes go great with chips, a cold pasta salad and corn on the cob,

Whatever you serve on the side just make sure to have A LOT of napkins!

Storing & Reheating

Your Sloppy Joe mixture will be good in the fridge in an airtight for up to 4-5 days. 

To reheat add a little water to a skillet over medium/low heat. Add the beef mixture and stir to combine with the water. It will help reconstitute the sauce.

Freezing Sloppy Joe Meat/Sauce

This Sloppy Joe recipe is PERFECT for keeping in the freezer. Make the recipe completely and then let it cool. 

Place in a freezer safe baggie or container, label it with the date, and keep it frozen for up to 4 months. 

To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and then add a little water to a skillet and sauté/stir over medium-low heat.

Variations

  • Lighten things up by using ground turkey instead of ground beef.
  • Want just a hint of BBQ flavor? Reduce the ketchup to ¼ cup and add a ¼ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce.
  • If you like spice you could add a few pinches of red pepper flakes with the onion.
  • Melt a slice of provolone or American cheese over the top.

Other Ways to Eat Sloppy Joes

Eating your Sloppy Joe’s as a sandwich is not the only option! You can think of it as a sweet/tangy/savory meat filling. Here are some other options:

  • Heap into a Baked Potato then top with cheese or sour cream.
  • Stuff into bell peppers and bake.
  • Instead of using a Hot Dog Chili you can use this Sloppy Joe recipe over hot dogs!
  • Serve over nachos with cheese melted on top.
  • Make some killer chili cheese fries.

More Ground Beef Recipes

If you landed on this recipe because you have some ground beef to use up, here are some more traditional dinner recipes to check out:

  • a big bowl of chili topped with green onions
    The BEST Classic Chili
  • juicy burger on a bun with mustard, ketchup, lettuce and tomato
    Perfect Grilled Burger Recipe
  • four ground beef tacos in a row with pico de gallo and sour cream
    Easy Ground Beef Tacos
  • Homestyle Muffin Pan Meatloaf

Susie leaning on the kitchen counter

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Did you make this recipe?

I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me

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homemade sloppy joe's being heaped on a bun

Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe

This is a classic Midwestern recipe for Sloppy Joe's sandwiches that is made with a simple homemade sloppy joe sauce, mixed with ground beef, onion and garlic. Makes a super quick and casual dinner.
AKA: maid rite, tavern, manwich, or loose meat sandwich
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO RECIPE WITH THE PLAYER BELOW.
4.88 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 370kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

  • Large skillet

Ingredients

Sloppy Joes

  • 1½ lb ground beef - 85/15 or 90/10 works great
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup yellow or white onion - finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves - minced

Sloppy Joe's Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (heaping) ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Ground Beef

  • Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.
    1 tablespoon oil, 1 cup yellow or white onion
  • Add the ground beef and garlic. Brown and crumble until the beef is cooked through and no longer pink.
    1½ lb ground beef, 3 garlic cloves
  • Drain any excess fat before moving forward.

Sauce

  • In a bowl or large glass measuring cup add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients and whisk together.
    2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoon packed brown sugar, ½ cup (heaping) ketchup, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper to taste
  • Pour over the ground beef mixture and stir to coat.
  • Simmer everything together over low heat for a few minutes to warm through.
  • Taste for seasoning, if you want it:
    saucier: add a little water, a small squirt of ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire.
    saltier: add a dash or two of Worcestershire and some more kosher salt.
    sweeter: add a little more brown sugar and maybe a tablespoon of water.
    tangier: add a little more mustard and or ketchup.

Serving

  • Pile about a ½ cup of Sloppy Joe mixture onto buns and serve. It is also great with dill pickle slices on top!
    (we like brioche buns or sesame seed buns the best)

Storing

  • Make ahead or store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • To reheat add a couple tablespoon of water and the sloppy joe mixture to a skillet over medium heat. Simmer and stir for about 4-5 minutes.

Freezing

  • Place in freezer safe container for up to 4 months.
  • To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight.
  • Then to reheat add a couple tablespoon of water and the sloppy joe mixture to a skillet over medium heat. Simmer and stir for about 4-5 minutes.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Ground Turkey: you can absolutely use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Just make sure you purchase 1.5 lbs. of 93/7 ground turkey.
Side Dish Ideas: this is a super casual dinner, so tater tots, fries or chips and a side of raw veggies with ranch dip is great! 
In the summer Sloppy Joe’s are great with chips, a veggie pasta salad and corn on the cob.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg

About Susie Weinrich

Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

Comments

    4.88 from 8 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Patricia Sokolowski says

    March 25, 2024 at 10:03 am

    5 stars
    This is absolutely awesome. My son is autistic and very picky about his food. I really thought he wouldn’t eat it because it’s all mixed together. He loves it and would eat it all the time. Thank you so much for this recipe, I’ve tried others but it never pleased him (or me). This is perfect.

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      March 25, 2024 at 3:21 pm

      This is the best comment I have ever gotten on Mom’s Dinner! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. Any time we
      can make picky kids happy it is a HUGE win for us. He might like the Kid’s Chicken Noodle Soup too (no onions, no green stuff)!?

      Reply
  2. Lauren says

    January 17, 2023 at 2:23 pm

    5 stars
    Best sloppy joe sandwich recipe out there. The sloppy joe sauce is amazingggg!!!

    Reply
  3. Deborah Gulker says

    December 13, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    Best sloppy Joe recipe I have ever made. We loved it!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      December 14, 2020 at 7:57 am

      High praise!! Thats great!

      Reply
      • Jason says

        March 19, 2023 at 2:46 pm

        4 stars
        Way too sweet. I’ll try it again with only 1 Tbsp of brown sugar.

  4. Mia says

    October 20, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    5 stars
    This one is a repeat in our rotation! Love it !

    Reply
    • Susie says

      October 21, 2019 at 7:20 am

      I’m so glad you love it! Thank you for commenting and rating!

      Reply
      • Deb says

        November 07, 2023 at 5:35 pm

        5 stars
        Sooo easy. I use a little more garlic and Worcester sauce. Hard to screw up this recipe.enjoy!!!

  5. Emily Bruno says

    December 06, 2018 at 9:41 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is a keeper for sure!

    Reply
  6. Tawnie Kroll says

    December 03, 2018 at 10:56 am

    5 stars
    I loved how tasty and easy these were to make, such a great weeknight dinner! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. John says

    August 12, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    So good….reminds me of growing up!

    Reply
    • Susie says

      August 12, 2018 at 11:25 pm

      It is a nostalgic recipe for sure

      Reply
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Meet The Author:

Susie Weinrich is a professional food photographer and recipe developer. Her thoroughly tested recipes and step-by-step guides give readers confidence in the kitchen.

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