Best Ever Homemade Sloppy Joes
~ Our families have declared this Homemade Sloppy Joe recipe the absolute best ever … so much better (and healthier!) than Manwich. Super-simple, and you can even make it ahead for busy nights! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Freezable • Make Ahead •
I love comfort food. Especially when it’s cold outside.
And friends, it’s cold in Ohio. Our kids have been to school a whopping 5.5 days so far in 2015. All the snow and extreme cold temps make it awfully tough for the buses to get our precious little ones to school safely, so we’ve had a few snow days.
I’m totally not complaining. I {heart} snow days. I still get super excited! Maybe even more than my kids … and they get pretty darn giddy! Ahhh … snow days are the best ever!
The chance to sleep in! Monopoly tournaments! Movies while snuggling on the couch! Sledding! (Ok, so the sledding is more for the kids … but I make the hot cocoa!)
And on those really cold days, I don’t know about you, but I’m craving comfort food! Mmmm … comfort food! It’s just the best ever! (So, if you’re following along, that would be best-ever comfort food on a best-ever snow day … that’s pretty darn best-est!)
Sometimes, though, good ‘ol comfort food takes a really long time to make. But on snow days, I don’t have that kind of time. (Remember … Monopoly, movies, the making of all the hot cocoa?)
I really want to whip up a delicious, hearty meal, but I need it to be quick, too. Something that will keep us toasty and cozy. And, of course, totally kid-approved!
Mmmmmm … I know! A wonderfully warm, yummy hot sandwich. Yes! That is what we shall have! Sloppy joes!
And when ya make your own, you know what’s in ’em. There’s no, shall we say … questionable ingredients.
Oh … and if you think you might get entangled in a never-ending Monopoly-a-thon, you can even make these in advance! They reheat perfectly!
Let the happy dance commence!
So fast! So easy! So healthy!
My littlest, who always used to ask for “No sauce, please” on her sloppy-joes-from-a-can, now asks for seconds of these! Choosing homemade over the brand name? For a kid? If that’s not a parental win, I don’t know what is!
Shelley’s son even dubbed these “the best sloppy joes ever” (yup, best ever – it’s today’s theme, ya know)! And really – I have to agree with him.
These sloppy joes are the perfect meal on a cold, snowy day. Or a busy weeknight. Or for a Saturday lunch before you head out to the slopes. Or for any day. At any time. They’re really just … the best ever!
So go ahead and pop in another movie and grab those kids for a few more snuggles. This super-easy-best-ever sloppy joes recipe will be ready in a flash!
More Sloppy Joe Joy
Wanna riff on this classic recipe? Shake things up and get a little creative? Try these unique sloppy joe recipes, too!
Best Ever Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe
This deliciously easy sloppy joe recipe is so much better than Manwich! A total family favorite! So simple, and you can even make it ahead for busy nights!
• Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Freezable • Make Ahead •
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup frozen, diced onions (see note)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste with Italian herbs
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot
- 1/2 cup frozen, diced green peppers (see note)
- 2-3 tablespoons water (see note)
- whole wheat buns
Instructions
- Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add beef, onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook until beef is browned and cooked through, stirring to crumble, about 8-10 minutes. Drain if needed (although, if using very lean beef, you probably won’t need to).
- Add tomato paste, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce. Cook for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Stir in green peppers, cooking just until peppers are hot and crisp-tender.
- Add water, until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately on whole wheat buns, passing additional hot sauce as desired.
Notes
Frozen onions and peppers, and water: If you have fresh onions and green peppers on hand, these will work perfectly, as well. However, you'll need to add more water at the end of cooking, likely about 1/4 - 1/3 cup, if you use fresh vegetables. As frozen veggies thaw, they release more water than the fresh veggies do, which is why, with fresh vegetables, you'll need to add a little more water.
Make-ahead options: This reheats beautifully. If you're crunched for time in the evening, you can easily make this the night before or earlier in the day, and then simply reheat just prior to serving. It also freezes well if you want to make batches further in advance.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 servings Serving Size: 1 sandwichAmount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gFiber: 3g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
Oh my these look SO good!!! I can’t even remember the last time I had a sloppy joe and that’s just inexcusable! Cannot wait to give these a try and I know my family will be thrilled with them too 😀
Definitely sounds like you need these yummy sloppy joes in your life! They’re so easy and so delicious … such an improvement over opening a can. 😉 Enjoy! ~Shelley
The is THE sloppy joe recipe in our house. Everyone loves them. I usually use fresh not frozen peppers and onions ,turkey instead of beef,and add a little bit extra hot sauce. We have them with homemade fries and pickles. 🙂
Hi Carie! I’m so happy to start my morning with this sweet comment! Thank you so much for taking the time! And I love your suggestions and ingredient swap ideas – super-helpful for other readers, too! And those homemade fries and pickles? Oh yeah – perfect accompaniment! Geez … now I’m craving these sloppy joes again … seriously might have to grab the ingredients when I head to the store today, to make these over the weekend! 😀 Anyway, thanks again, and have fantastic weekend! ~Shelley
Yeah … These were just OK! I followed the recipe to a T and the flavor was so – so. I like mine a little more sloppy and realize I could have added more water to make it so but, wanted to follow and review the recipe as it was posted.
Got to admit … They were good enough for me to eat 3 of them fresh off the stove top.
Hi there! Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know how this worked for you – we really appreciate that, and I have some ideas that might help you make this sloppy joe recipe even more to you liking next time!
First off, it sounds like the flavor was ok for you, since you ate 3 fresh off the stove! 😀 One important note that could make a lot of difference there for you, though – don’t neglect the direction in step #5, to pass additional hot sauce as desired. That’s really important.
Because this is a very family-focused blog, we tend to play it safe when it comes to spice or really bold flavors, making sure to note where those flavors and heat can be amped up a bit more – that way everyone in a family from a toddler to a heat-lovin’ daddy can enjoy the meal together. In my family, for instance, my daughter loves these sloppy joes straight from the skillet, I personally think they’re much better with just a bit more hot sauce, and my husband and son (heat lovers!) add even more – and we all find that simple flavor adjustment makes a surprisingly big, big difference and makes it spot-on perfect for each of us.
Next … the sauciness. You’re totally right – as you can see in the pics, this isn’t a super-saucy sloppy joe recipe, like those old-fashioned sloppy joes we all used to eat in the school cafeteria where it was sorta hard to find any meat. But, definitely – you can go saucier here!
The first thing to check is in the first note at the bottom of the recipe card. I’m not sure if you used fresh or frozen peppers and onions, but that does make a true difference in how much water you’ll need – as we stated, it will take you from needing 2-3 tablespoons of water to about double that amount (more like ¼ – ⅓ cup).
Beyond that, one easy fix to get these sloppy joes extra saucy would be your great idea of just adding a bit more water. But, if you really love your sloppy joe recipes super-sloppy-saucy, just adding LOTS of water may simply dilute these down. If you really want to try a full-on saucy sloppy joe, I’d suggest increasing all of the sauce ingredients so that you have proportionally more of the sauce than the meat.
I hope that helps! My family really has loved these ever since Gretchen first shared the recipe with us – it’s truly a favorite and gets requested again and again. My son seriously did dub these “the best sloppy joes ever” – it’s the only sloppy joe recipe he wants me to make now! I hope my suggestions will help you love them just as much!
~Shelley