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Sloppy Joes

By:Nagi
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A homemade Sloppy Joe recipe that’s true to its name – sloppy moreish deliciousness! These Sloppy Joes are savoury and sweet with a touch of tang. Terrific freezer friendly meal option and to scale up to make vast quantities to feed a hungry crowd.

Make it a quick meal, or let it cook long and slow – you’ll be rewarded with extra tender meat and extra flavour. Just clamp the lid on and walk away!

Close up of a Sloppy Joe with potato crisps on the side

A Sloppy Joe recipe you’ll love!

I read somewhere that Sloppy Joes are a “Poor man’s barbecue”, and I blinked, somewhat bemused. Because while it’s a terrifically economical meal option and easy to scale up to feed a crowd, it never crossed my mind as a choice for budget reasons.

It’s just darn tasty – and everybody loves it.

Moreish. Juicy, savoury, a touch sweet and it’s one of those things where you take a bite and it’s so good, you don’t want to talk, you just want to keep eating, until the entire Sloppy Joe sandwich is inhaled and you contemplate whether to wait the recommended 20 minutes for “stomach creep” to kick in, or just go another one right now.

Close up of Sloppy Joe with cheese with bite take out of it

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Here in Australia, we don’t have Sloppy Joe seasoning mixes or sauces. So packet mixes aren’t an option – and even if they were, I’d still make it from scratch because it’s easy. It doesn’t require any hard to find ingredients and in fact, I’m pretty sure the ingredients that go in Sloppy Joes are standard pantry items for most people.

OK, so if you spied the ketchup in the photo below, I know this isn’t technically “made from scratch” BUT this recipe uses a lot less ketchup than many. Also, I prefer using plain crushed canned tomato rather than a flavoured canned tomato sauce and adding my own seasonings.

What goes in Sloppy Joes

Like making Bolognese….

Once you’ve gathered the ingredients, it’s basically like making Bolognese. And the flavour is somewhat reminiscent of it too, except Sloppy Joes taste a bit more like BBQ Sauce.

The one big difference is that the sauce is cooked right down so it’s really thick and not saucy at all. Juicy but not saucy, otherwise it’s too wet to pile onto sliders. Nobody wants soggy Sloppy Joes!

How to make Sloppy Joes

How to serve Sloppy Joes

As for serving:

  • The rolls – any soft bread rolls will work great, but no one has ever said NO to Sloppy Joes served on normal sliced bread!
  • TOAST the bread, no matter what you use – this helps stop the Sloppy Joe filling from soaking it;
  • Buttering is optional – I don’t because I can’t taste it once all that juicy filling is piled on;
  • Cheese is optional for most people, but around these parts – it’s essential. Slices or grated. My favourite is Swiss or Gruyere, then Cheddar;
  • Other fixings – pickles (dill pickle, onion, anything of choice!), jalapeño or chillies (fresh or canned), hot sauce (if you like a kick!). For crunch, try corn chips/fritos or Slaw (see note below).

On the side – in the States, the Sloppy Joes I had came with crisps on the side. I wouldn’t do that for a meal, but for gatherings, I love the idea of laying out a big pot of Sloppy Joe filling, a basket of warm buns and bowls of crisps!

For a meal option, try serving it with this Everyday Cabbage Salad (which is my non-mayo Slaw). That would work well as it can be the side salad or be used in the Sloppy Joe Sandwiches. A classic mayo-based Coleslaw is also an option, but I think the Sloppy Joe Sauce works better with the fresher no-mayonnaise Slaw.

And don’t forget – this is ideal freezer food! Make a BIG BATCH and freeze in serving size portions!! – Nagi x

The best of ground beef / mince recipes

2 Sloppy Joes stacked on top of each other, one with melted cheese, ready to be eaten

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Sometimes it helps to have a visual, so watch me make this Sloppy Joe recipe!

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Close up of a Sloppy Joe with potato crisps on the side

Sloppy Joes

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 50 mins
Mains
Western
5 from 19 votes
Servings5 -6 people
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe video above. Everybody loves Sloppy Joes - and they're easy to make from scratch! I like making it with crushed tomato and less ketchup, and skipping the flavoured canned tomato sauces. Ideal freezer food, and to scale up to make for gatherings. SWEETNESS: Sloppy Joes are typically quite sweet, this is less sweet than most. But if you want it with just a bit of sweetness, skip the brown sugar and add it in gradually towards the end, adjusting to taste.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp /15g butter
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 onion , finely chopped
  • 1 green capsicum/bell pepper , diced
  • 500 g/1lb ground beef (mince) (Note 1)
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard OR 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 400 g/14oz crushed tomato , canned
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 beef bouillon cube , crumbled (Note 2)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

To serve:

  • 5 to 6 soft rolls (Note 3)
  • Cheese slices (optional)
  • Other fixing options - see Note 4

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a large pot over high heat.
  • Ad garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes until onion is almost translucent.
  • Add capsicum and cook for 2 minutes until softened.
  • Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from red to brown.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Mix well, then turn heat down to medium low (or low for strong stoves).
  • Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice to make sure it doesn't catch on the base. (If in rush, cook 15 minutes without lid)
  • Remove lid and give it a good stir for a minute. Mixture should be thick, not runny and saucy (see video). Adjust salt to taste.
  • Toast rolls. Butter if desired (I don't).
  • Pile on lots of filling, immediately top with cheese (heat should semi melt, otherwise pop under broiler/grill). Top with lid and serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:

1. Meat - Also terrific made with pork! If using chicken or turkey, switch the bouillon cube for chicken and use 1 tsp extra Worcestershire Sauce.
2. Beef bouillon cube - or 1.5 tsp beef stock powder. If you don't have either, chicken will also do. Worst case - use salt (add to taste at the end)
3. Rolls - my favourite is brioche buns and soft small hamburger buns. Any rolls or bread is fine here.
4. Other Fixing Options: pickles (dill pickle, onion, anything of choice!), jalapeño or chillies (fresh or canned), hot sauce (if you like a kick!). For crunch, try corn chips/fritos or Slaw (see note below).
On the side - crisps are a favourite in the States which is ideal for gatherings. 
For a meal option, try this Everyday Cabbage Salad (my non-mayo Slaw), doubles as side OR stuffing in the Sloppy Joes. A classic mayo-based Coleslaw is also an option, but I think the Sloppy Joe Sauce works better with the fresher no-mayonnaise Slaw.
5. Slow Cooker Option: Cook for 6 hours on LOW for amazingly ultra tender meat! Give it a good stir at the end to evaporate excess liquid.
6. Storing: Filling will keep 4 to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container, or up to 3 months in the freezer (cool then freeze). Defrost then reheat using method of choice (I microwave). Best not to keep rolls with filling on it - goes sloppy (oh... the name... 💡)
7. Nutrition - assuming soft white rolls used, not brioche.
Nutrition Facts
Sloppy Joes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 407 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 71mg24%
Sodium 891mg39%
Potassium 819mg23%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 1160IU23%
Vitamin C 42.3mg51%
Calcium 130mg13%
Iron 5.2mg29%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 407kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 42g (14%)Protein: 26g (52%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 71mg (24%)Sodium: 891mg (39%)Potassium: 819mg (23%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 17g (19%)Vitamin A: 1160IU (23%)Vitamin C: 42.3mg (51%)Calcium: 130mg (13%)Iron: 5.2mg (29%)
Keywords: Sloppy Joe recipe, Sloppy Joes
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After having just gotten back from 2 weeks in Vietnam, he was very concerned as he watched me pack for a weekend away with friends.

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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65 Comments

  1. Kirsty Andrews says

    5 stars
    ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! 😀
    Put it in the slow cooker for 6hrs then thickened it up with a bit of cornflour in water…just devine!

    Reply

  2. Jody Hand says

    5 stars
    This. Was. Awesome. Thank you! I doubled it and used both green and red peppers along with natural cane sugar vs. the brown. I also used ground meat trimmings from my local grocer (so much flavor but fattier). This was a fantastic recipe!! Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply

  3. Franca Jenniskens says

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, loved this recipe! I didn’t know what crushed tomatoes were, I used canned cubed tomatoes instead. Now I read below that I should have discarded the tomato paste. I thought the mixture was a little bit sour, I used a bit more sugar. Is this possibly because I added the tomato paste? Can I substitute crushed tomatoes with passata?

    Reply

  5. Miko says

    Hi! Can you omit the tomato paste and substitute diced tomatoes for crushed tomatoes? I don’t have those right now.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Miko, you can definitely use canned diced tomatoes instead of crushed – just leave out the tomato paste and add an extra splash of Worcestershire 🙂 N x

      Reply

  7. Shelly says

    5 stars
    Made this last night and my girls (ages 7 & 5) LOVED it. I got two thumbs up from my 7 year old and she is a tough critic. My husband and I also enjoyed the taverns (what we call sloppy joes in Iowa). I double the recipe so we have some in the freezer when in a pinch for meals.

    Reply

  10. Paula Rankin says

    5 stars
    This is an outstanding version of sloppy joes….way better than anything I ever had in school. We used slices of Havarti and American cheese. I’m not a real fan of cubed bouillon, so the only change I made was using 1/2 teaspoon of Beef Better Than Bouillon. Not sure if they sell it in Australia, but it is a very concentrated paste. It is richer in flavor, and less salty than the cubes. It also comes in chicken and other flavors.

    Reply

  11. Athena says

    5 stars
    Nagi, this recipe is so good I could, quite literally, eat these every day! I use 93/7 ground turkey because I’m on Weight Watchers and want to cut fat, but after you all all the other goodies, you’s never know this recipe is made with turkey. FYI, ground turkey breast is just too dry, so I use the turkey with a little fat in it. I also add a couple of diced carrots and some celery just to get more veggies in. Everyone who has ever had these loves them, even my picky grandsons. We eat them open faced so we get more filling than bread, and they are delicious! Just goes to show you, food doesn’t have to be fancy to be GOOD!

    Reply
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