Ask Chef Dennis

  • Recipe Index
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
×
Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

Best Sloppy Joes Recipe

Published: May 29, 2023 · Modified: May 23, 2025 by Chef Dennis Littley

665
SHARES
Facebook665PinterestFlipboard
Jump to Recipe Listen to the Post
Pinterest Hidden ImagePinterest Hidden Image

Homemade Sloppy Joes are one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. Tender, lean ground beef simmered in a tangy sweet, hearty tomato sauce with just a hint of spice, served on soft pillowy hamburger buns, makes a quick and delicious lunch or dinner.

sloppy joes on bun on a white plate.
Table of Contents:
  • Audio Player
  • Ingredients
  • How to make Sloppy Joes
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Sloppy Joes

Audio Player



 

One of my favorite childhood memories from elementary school was the sloppy joe sandwiches we were served. The lunch crew knew how popular they were and always made extra, so chubby little boys like me could have seconds.

I know after one bite, you’ll agree this is the best sloppy joes recipe you’ve ever tasted! And if you love messy, delicious sandwiches, make sure to check out my Easy Oven Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe.

sloppy joes on bun on a white plate.

My easy sloppy joe recipe is not only delicious but also a budget-friendly family dinner. Your whole family will love it, and I promise you’ll get rave reviews with my simple homemade sloppy joes recipe.

You won’t believe how easy it is to make the sauce for the sloppy joes, and it’s so much better than store-bought sauce.

Ingredients

ingredients to make recipe.

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Sloppy Joes. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Made with simple ingredients

  • lean ground beef
  • onion
  • ketchup
  • tomato paste
  • brown sugar
  • yellow mustard
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder

How to make Sloppy Joes

Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make sloppy joes in your home kitchen.

collage showing how to make recipe.
  • Add the ground beef and chopped onions to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Cook the sloppy joe meat until the ground beef is no longer pink. Stir as it cooks to break up the meat. Drain off any excess grease from the beef.
  • Add the ketchup, water, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt to the sloppy joe mixture, and stir to combine.
  • Bring the sloppy joes mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.

If you want a healthier version of this classic dish, you can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken. I don’t use green peppers in my recipe, but feel free to include those when you cook the ground beef and onions.

If you want a spicier version, add a little chili powder to kick up the heat.

sloppy joes on bun on a white plate.

Toast the hamburger bun before adding the sloppy joe filling, and serve with coleslaw, potato chips, French fries, or tater tots for one of my favorite quick meals.

This is definitely one of my favorite ground beef recipes. Just remember to bring plenty of napkins to your dinner table.

Recipe FAQ’s

Why is it called Sloppy Joes?

One of the stories I’ve heard about Sloppy Joes getting its name goes back to the 1930s and a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa. The story says that a cook named Joe added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches. And the rest is history.

What are Sloppy Joes?

Sloppy joes are a popular American sandwich made with ground beef cooked with onions, ketchup, tomato sauce, and seasonings. The mixture is typically served on a hamburger bun.

More Recipes You’ll Love!

  • Mushroom Swiss smash burger on a white plate.
    Mushroom Swiss Smash Burger
  • view of Cheeseburger cut in half with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and bleu cheese on a white plate
    The Ultimate Pulled Pork Cheeseburger
  • bbq chicken sandwich with cole slaw and pickles on bun.
    Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
  • prime rib sandwich on white plate
    Leftover Prime Rib Sandwich

sloppy joes on bun on a white plate.

Sloppy Joes

Chef Dennis Littley
Homemade Sloppy Joes are one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. Tender, lean ground beef simmered in a tangy sweet, hearty tomato sauce with just a hint of spice, served on soft pillowy hamburger buns, makes a quick and delicious lunch or dinner.
5 from 45 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Listen to the Post
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Entree, sandwich
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 483 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ cup onion finely chopped
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon table salt to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper to taste
  • 4 hamburger buns split

Instructions
 

  • Add the ground beef and chopped onions to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Cook the mixture until there is no more pink in the ground beef. Stir as it cooks to break up the meat.
  • Add the ketchup, water, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt to the ground beef mixture and stir to combine.
  • Bring the sloppy joes mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
  • Serve the sloppy joes over hamburger buns.

Notes

If you want to perk up your sandwich, you can add pickles chips, sliced American cheese, or cole slaw to your sandwich.   

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 25gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1015mgPotassium: 609mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 283IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 45 votes (32 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Ofelia G-E says

    February 27, 2025 at 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you again, Chef Dennis, for sharing another fabulous recipe. When I saw this, I knew I had to make it for my husband since I’ve banned his favorite canned Sloppy Joe’s from the house. This recipe was an instant hit and after 22yrs of being on the “Meals Not Allowed” list, I’m looking forward to making this again and again. I didn’t have ketchup after purging the refrigerator, so I made my own which turned out better than store bought. Many Thank You’s!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      February 28, 2025 at 9:04 am

      You are very welcome, ands I’m happy to hear you made your own ketchup, and I’m sure it was better than store bought!

      Reply
  2. Tricia says

    February 22, 2025 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    Very easy and tasty (there were no leftovers)! Thank you.

    Reply
  3. SB says

    June 15, 2024 at 10:26 am

    What can be used instead of Worcestershire sauce? (It’s something I never use, so I don’t buy it.)
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      June 15, 2024 at 10:42 am

      Just leave out the worcestershire, it won’t have that much effect on the flavor,

      Reply
  4. Mike says

    February 28, 2024 at 4:03 pm

    5 stars
    Those joes were the bomb !
    Next up coconut layer cake : )

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      February 28, 2024 at 4:18 pm

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my sloppy joes, its one of my favorite sandwiches.

      Reply
  5. Marlene says

    June 20, 2023 at 8:10 pm

    5 stars
    This is by far the Best Damn Sloppy Joe. The only thing I did was add some sweet bell pepper as I grew up with sloppy Joe having bell pepper in it.

    Keep the great recipes coming Chef Dennis.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      June 20, 2023 at 10:09 pm

      Thanks for the great review Marlene and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the sloppy joes!

      Reply
  6. Cathleen says

    June 19, 2023 at 8:39 am

    5 stars
    I have never tried sloppy joes until now, but this is so good, I know that I’m going to be making this on repeat. Thanks so much for this recipe!

    Reply
  7. Dee says

    June 18, 2023 at 9:33 pm

    So good! Homemade sloppy joes are the best. My daughter loved these.

    Reply
  8. Valentina Ottah says

    June 18, 2023 at 7:59 am

    5 stars
    These were delicious! I hadn’t ever tried sloppy joes before making your recipe. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Madelyn says

    June 16, 2023 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe makes delicious sloppy joes. We make a little more than the recipe calls for and make a sloppy Joe pizza sometimes. Delicious!

    Reply
  10. Kristina says

    June 16, 2023 at 5:15 pm

    5 stars
    My daughter loves the sloppy joes served at school but now that it’s summer I needed a recipe that earned her approval. She said these were amazing, even better than the school ones.

    Reply
  11. Jacqueline Debono says

    June 16, 2023 at 9:29 am

    5 stars
    I have to confess this was my first time making sloppy joes. They aren’t so well known here in Italy! But I have long wanted to try them. So easy, so delicious and so much fun to eat!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      June 16, 2023 at 11:13 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed them Jacqueline, it is a delicious sandwich and one of my all time favorites.

      Reply
  12. Mikayla says

    June 14, 2023 at 1:07 pm

    5 stars
    The sloppy joe has been revived in our house because of this recipe. It is so delicious and beats any package mix you could ever buy!

    Reply
  13. Colleen says

    June 13, 2023 at 2:17 pm

    5 stars
    I hadn’t had sloppy Joes since childhood and so glad I found this recipe. They were delicious and we can’t wait to have them again!

    Reply
  14. Kathryn says

    June 13, 2023 at 9:54 am

    5 stars
    These sloppy joes made such a delicious dinner and they always take me back to my childhood, such a fun recipe! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  15. Jenny Graves says

    June 13, 2023 at 3:58 am

    5 stars
    Count me in on the “sloppy joe wagon”. I’m never falling off this baby. The flavors in your recipe are big and bold and everyone loved it. Yum!

    Reply


My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

More about me →

Fan Favorites

  • overhead view of barbecued half racks of baby back ribs on a white platter
    Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
  • sliced meatloaf with the rest of meatloaf on a white platter
    Classic Meatloaf Recipe with Zesty Glaze
  • shredded cabbage mixed with coleslaw dressing in a glass bowl.
    Easy Homemade Coleslaw Recipe
  • Banana bread sliced on a cutting board.
    Banana Bread Recipe
  • chicken parm with pasta on a white plate
    Chicken Parmesan Recipe
  • seasoned crispy chicken legs on a foil wrapped tray
    Baked Chicken Legs

Featured In

Collage showing where Ask Chef Dennis has been featured.

Footer

↑ back to top

INFO

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

SUBSCRIBE

Sign Up Today and start getting my easy-to-make restaurant-quality recipes!

CONTACT

  • About
  • Contact

© 2009-2025 · Ask Chef Dennis · 30 N. Gould Street, STE 7204, Sheridan, Wyoming, 82801

Proud Member of:
Mediavine Publisher Network

Let's Get Social

Pinterest Facebook Flipboard Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.