Homemade Sloppy Joes (Print page)

Ground beef in tangy tomato sauce on toasted buns. Ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb ground beef (80/20 preferred)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce & Seasonings

05 - 1 cup tomato sauce
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
07 - 2 tbsp ketchup
08 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
09 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
10 - 1 tsp yellow mustard
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1/4 tsp chili powder

→ To Serve

15 - 4 soft hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
16 - Dill pickle slices

# Directions:

01 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef. Cook, stirring and breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet. Sauté until softened, about 3–4 minutes.
03 - Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and chili powder.
04 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and flavors meld.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
06 - Spoon the beef mixture generously onto the bottom half of each toasted bun. Top with pickles if desired, then cover with the top half of the bun. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry right now
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, meaning less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy dinner
  • These reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, maybe even better than fresh
02 -
  • Draining the fat after browning the beef keeps these from feeling greasy, but don't go overboard or you lose flavor
  • The sauce needs those 10 minutes of simmering to thicken properly, otherwise you'll end up with soup instead of Sloppy Joes
  • Toasting the buns isn't optional, it's what prevents them from turning into complete mush under all that sauce
03 -
  • Add a splash of beef broth or a pat of butter at the end if the sauce seems too thick
  • A dash of hot sauce in the mixture elevates these from nostalgic to genuinely craveable
Go Back