Sloppy Joes
Saucy, beefy, and so satisfying. We’re convinced this is the best recipe for homemade Sloppy Joes. Ground beef in a hearty tomato sauce, served on toasted hamburger buns, is a great option for lunch or dinner. Everyone needs a great and nostalgic Sloppy Joe recipe and THIS. IS. IT.
Servings: 5
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup*
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tsp yellow mustard or to taste
- 2-3 tsp brown sugar or to taste*
For the Sloppy Joes
- 1 Tbsp extra light olive oil or any high-heat cooking oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef 85%-90% lean
- ½ tsp fine sea salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ½ small green bell pepper seeded and finely diced, or use 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 5 hamburger buns toasted if desired
Instructions
- Make the Sauce – In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and brown sugar, and set it aside.
- Cook the Beef – Place a large skillet or dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add olive oil and ground beef. Saute the beef for about 5 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula. If you see extra fat on the bottom, tilt the pan and spoon it out or blot it up with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add vegetables – Stir in the diced peppers and onion. Cook another 5 minutes until the veggies are tender and beef is browned. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Add the sauce and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened to your liking. Adjust the seasoning taste* and add water if you prefer a looser consistency. Serve on toasted buns for Sloppy Joe Sandwiches.
Notes
*Why ketchup? I recently started adding ketchup to my sauce, and I found that it adds more dimension, acidity, and sweetness to improve the flavor of the sauce.
*Add sugar to taste, depending on the sweetness of your ketchup. Start with 2 teaspoons and add more if needed.
Sloppy Joe Tasting Guide – You can adjust the flavor profile of your sloppy joe based on your preferences. It helps to add a bit of the sauce to a bun and adjust after taking a bite.
- Too sweet? Add a pinch of salt or ½ tsp apple-cider vinegar
- Too Tangy? Add ½ tsp brown sugar or a drizzle of ketchup
- Too Tomato-y? Simmer an extra 5 min to concentrate flavors and caramelize sugars.
- Missing depth? Add extra Worcestershire.
- Too loose? Simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes to thicken
- Too thick? Add a splash of water
- Refrigerating – Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
- Freezing – transfer the cooled meat sauce to freezer-friendly containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheating – It’s best to reheat a recipe the same way it was cooked. Warm the meat sauce in a pan over the stovetop until hot. You can microwave, but cover to catch messy splatter.
