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–+ servings
close up shot of a sloppy Joe sandwich on a plate
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4.99 from 87 votes

Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe

These hearty, messy, delicious classic homemade sloppy joes are the perfect weeknight dinner recipe your whole family will love, all ready in less than 30 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Sloppy Joes, Sloppy Joes Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 417kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons softened butter, to toast the hamburger buns
  • 4 to 6 hamburger buns

Instructions

  • Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, drain the extra grease, remove the ground beef, and set it aside.
  • In that same skillet, add the 2 tablespoons of butter and melt over medium-high heat, and add the onions and saute until transparent, about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 to 7 minutes. Watch for bubbling and splattering tomato sauce!
  • Add the ground beef to the sauce in the skillet and stir together and cook until all is reheated.
  • Butter the inside of the buns and toast them on a griddle pan.
  • Spoon the meat mixture on to the prepared buns and enjoy.

Video

Notes

  • This sloppy Joe recipe is for 4 to 6 people, but it can be doubled or tripled. Simply make your filling and toast your buns and assemble the sloppy Joes when it’s time to eat.
  • Don't wait to serve them. Sloppy Joes are best served as soon as they’re made. Adding filling to the buns and letting it sit for more than a few minutes can make your buns soggy. Instead, if you need to make this recipe ahead of time, keep your filling and buns separate until you’re ready to serve.
  • For perfectly toasted buns, you'll need about 2 tablespoons of softened butter for six hamburger buns to make it happen.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 1114mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 4mg