Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (2025)

This classic and easy Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (my Great Grandma's!) goes back generations in my family, and it’s as easy as it is delicious. The epitome of easy weeknight meals, this old school favorite is on the table in under 20 minutes. The easy homemade Sloppy Joe sauce makes it!

JUMP TO RECIPE

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links

A delicious, fast and easy Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe the whole family will love!

An easy dinner that’s on the table in less than 30 minutes! This Sloppy Joe recipe is fast and easy to make, with a handful of basic pantry ingredients like ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. The scratch-made sweet and tangy sauce is lightyears better than the canned stuff!

Serving the Sloppy Joes

I love to serve my Sloppy Joes on a soft, pillowy bun with a side of fries, chips, or a pickle! This recipe can also be made ahead, and kept on warm in a crockpot for tailgates and bbqs!

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (1)

What goes into the Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe?

To make these super easy Sloppy Joes, you will need:

  • 1lb80/20 ground beef.
  • A small onion.
  • A green bell pepper.

What goes into making the easy homemade sloppy joe sauce?

  • Some Worcestershire sauce. Lea & Perrins is my favorite.
  • A bit of sugar, ketchup and yellow mustard. Don't use other varieties of mustard, as they will not work well in the sauce.
  • A touch of canola oil, for cooking the veggies.
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (2)

Looking for more great beef recipes?

Try my Shredded Beef and Smoked Gouda Enchiladas, World's Best Pot Roast, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Creamy Baked Bean Gravy, or Thai Burger Sliders with Green Curry Mayo!

Easy, fast and delicious

This Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe recipe couldn’t be any easier; made quickly without any fuss with ingredients you probably have lying around the kitchen. Sauté some onions and green pepper, brown the ground meat, and add the ketchup, mustard, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Once your meat is cooked and sauce is thickened, grab your hamburger buns, and voila- a family-friendly dinner is on the table (in under 30 minutes).

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (3)

The best homemade sloppy joes, for generations

No Sloppy Joe (in my humble opinion) is as good as my Great Grandma's recipe. Her homemade Sloppy Joes from scratch were super easy, and super satisfying. I grew up eating them, and have always been a HUGE fan. Her Easy homemade sloppy joe sauce is SOOOO good, I am always craving it, especially in summer BBQ season.

For such a simple recipe, you’d be surprised how many times my Mom and I have laughed over losing the recipe for this Sloppy Joe AGAIN and AGAIN. My mom likes to joke that it’s my Great Grandma’s way of looking down and messing with us from time to time. When I decided to add this recipe to the blog, I was excited that we would finally have it in one place for safe keeping (bookmark this page, mom!).

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (4)

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?

You could, but I would stay away from ultra-lean turkey. If you want to go with a leaner option, I’d go with ground bison or lean ground beef. I use 80/20 ground beef for this recipe, but you could go with 85/15 or bison and this would still be super flavorful.

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (5)

How to make Sloppy Joes- Video

Can I use a different kind of mustard for the Old fashioned sloppy joes recipe?

Please don't! I have tried Dijon and spicy mustard trying to be fancy, and it completely changes the flavor of the dish (not in a good way). Stick with tried and true classic yellow mustard and you won't be disappointed.

Best bread for Sloppy Joes

  • Classic hamburger buns. Seeded or unseeded both work!
  • Brioche buns
  • Potato Rolls
  • Kaiser Buns
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (6)

Topping the Sloppy Joes

This Sloppy Joe recipe is great as is on a fresh, soft bun. If you want to give it a little extra oomph, add a slice of cheddar or American cheese right before serving, or a few pickle slices!

What to serve with Sloppy Joes

  • Chips
  • French Fries
  • Broccoli Salad with Bacon
  • Macaroni or Potato Salad
  • Piled on Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Cornbread
  • Baked Beans
  • Coleslaw
  • Baked Mac and Cheese
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (7)

Storing leftovers

Refrigerator

Allow the dish to cool completely, and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezer

Store in a ziplock bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Reheating your leftover Sloppy Joes

Reheat in a skillet or saucepan over medium low heat until warmed through, about 3-5 minutes. If reheating from frozen, thaw first before reheating for best results.

Made this recipe? I'd love to hear from you!

If you make my Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe Recipe, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me onInstagram! I love to see your photos!

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (8)

Print Recipe

5 from 20 votes

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (Great Grandma's)

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, game day, lunch, Main Course

Keyword: easy weeknight dinner, ground beef, sandwiches, sloppy joe

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 80/20 ground beef*
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 2 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

Instructions

  • Sauté onions and pepper in 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. 


    2. Move onions and peppers to outer edge of pan and increase heat to medium-high. Spread ground beef out in center of pan in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, or until meat begins to brown.


    3. Season beef with salt and pepper, and flip over. Continue to cook, breaking meat apart into small pieces as you go with a wooden spoon or spatula, until meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes. 


    4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Cook 2-3 minutes until flavors are melded. Serve on burger buns, brioche buns or potato rolls. 


*Notes/Substitutions:
The same portion of lean ground beef or bison could replace the 80/20 ground beef.

©Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe (2025)

FAQs

What can I add to Sloppy Joe to make it taste better? ›

I love to have sloppy Joe on a toasted bun or onion roll with melted cheese. If I'm feeling fancified, I sometimes sauté some onion and bell pepper to toss in the mix. You could add a little more vegetable if you wanted with finely diced carrot for sweetness, mushrooms if you like them, and black beans.

What can you add to sloppy joes to thicken it? ›

Why Use These for Sloppy Joes? Baking soda helps keep the ground beef moist and tender, and incorporating baking soda into the finely chopped onion causes the onion to soften rapidly so it nearly melts into the sauce. Cornstarch thickens the sauce and binds up any fat, creating a silky-smooth, cohesive texture.

How many people will 1 lb of sloppy joes feed? ›

Our classic sloppy joes recipe calls for 1 pound of ground beef to make 6 sandwiches, which is 3 ounces of ground beef per sandwich.

Should you drain meat before adding Sloppy Joe sauce? ›

Sloppy Joe Tips

We suggest draining the browned beef, because excess grease serves as a barrier to sloppy joe seasonings. You'll want the beef to absorb these wonderful flavors as it cooks.

What's the difference between sloppy joes and Sloppy Jane? ›

Unlike traditional can Sloppy Joes, which are often loaded with unhealthy additives and preservatives, Sloppy Janes are made with lean meat, low-fat ingredients, and a variety of fresh vegetables. They are easy to make and require only a few simple ingredients.

How much hamburger is needed for 50 sloppy joes? ›

3. Pour 10 lb 12 oz (1 gallon ¼ cup) ground beef mixture into steamtable pan (12" x 20" x 2 ½"). For 50 servings, use 1 pan.

Is 1lb of meat enough for 4 people? ›

If meat is the central part of your dish, you will most likely want 1/2 of a pound per person. When cooking for 8 people, you'll want 4 pounds of meat. On a typical week night when you're cooking for just 2, 1 pound of boneless meat should be sufficient.

What was the original sloppy joe made with? ›

Many believe the Sloppy Joe is the namesake of a Sioux City, Iowa cook, who in 1930, combined the regionally popular loose meat sandwich with tomato sauce.

What's the difference between Manwich and Sloppy Joes? ›

What is the difference between Manwich and Sloppy Joes? Sloppy Joes are the sandwich, while Manwich is the store-bought canned sloppy joe sauce, produced by ConAgra Foods and Hunt's.

What do Northerners call sloppy joes? ›

I'm from Green Bay, but I live in Nebraska now, and Nebraskans call Sloppy Joes "taverns" or "tavern sandwiches." I went to MPS in the 70s and they had them for lunch. I just don't remember what they were called. I'm thinking it was barbecue beef sandwiches but then it could've been sloppy joes as well.

How do you make manwich taste better on Reddit? ›

For example, I like to add a bit of cinnamon to the can of Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce to make it taste more like my mom's homemade version. I also like to add a splash of vanilla to my pancake mix.

Is mayo good on a Sloppy Joe? ›

The mayo sauce mixture can be as much or as little as you need.. amts given are approximate. Don't be scared to give this a try It's really awesome and a true comfort food!!!!!"

What is a Sloppy Joe supposed to taste like? ›

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.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Carlyn Walter

Last Updated:

Views: 6240

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carlyn Walter

Birthday: 1996-01-03

Address: Suite 452 40815 Denyse Extensions, Sengermouth, OR 42374

Phone: +8501809515404

Job: Manufacturing Technician

Hobby: Table tennis, Archery, Vacation, Metal detecting, Yo-yoing, Crocheting, Creative writing

Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.