These Homemade Sloppy Joes kick canned sauce to the curb. The sauce is just ketchup, A1, and a few pantry staples, and it simmers right into the beef in one skillet. It’s savory-sweet, messy in the best way, and sticks to your ribs…and your memories.
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Keys to Nailing This Recipe
Sloppy joes are simple, but three things decide whether you end up with a thick, saucy filling or a runny mess on a soggy bun.
- Let the sauce thicken uncovered. The lid keeps things saucy while the flavors blend. The last 5 uncovered minutes cook off extra liquid, so the filling doesn’t soak through the bun.
- Drain the fat first. Leftover grease pools on top and keeps the sauce from clinging to the beef. Tilt the skillet and spoon it off before the sauce goes in.
- Don’t skip the steak sauce. The A1 gives the sauce a deep, beefy flavor. It’s the one ingredient that makes this taste nothing like the canned stuff.
How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes
Canned sloppy joe sauce like Manwich is mostly sweet and pretty one-note. Here, ketchup gives you the tomato base and a little sweetness, A1 and Worcestershire add a deep, savory flavor, and a splash of apple cider vinegar keeps it from tasting flat. It only takes about 5 extra minutes, and it tastes like a real dinner instead of something out of a can.
I use ketchup instead of plain tomato sauce because it already has the sweetness, tang, and seasoning built in. Here’s how it all comes together.
1. Make the Sauce and Prep the Veggies
Dice half a medium onion and half a sweet bell pepper. Red or green pepper both work. Red is a little sweeter, and green gives you that classic sloppy joe flavor.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, steak sauce, water, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, honey, brown sugar, and yellow mustard until smooth.
Mixing the sauce first lets the tomato paste and brown sugar blend in completely instead of clumping when they hit the hot pan.
✦ Whisk until the paste disappears. Little lumps of tomato paste won’t break up once they’re mixed in with the beef.
2. Brown and Drain the Beef
Add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in the onion powder, garlic powder, and a little salt and pepper.
Cook, breaking up the beef as you go, until there’s no pink left and the veggies have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
I use 85% lean ground beef. It has plenty of beefy flavor, and draining takes care of the extra fat.
Tilt the pan to drain: Push the beef to one side, let the grease run to the low side, and spoon it off. A dry pan means the sauce clings to the beef instead of sliding off.
3. Simmer Covered, Then Uncovered
Pour the sauce over the beef and stir it in well. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir every few minutes so the sugars in the sauce don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Take the lid off and let it simmer uncovered for about 5 more minutes. It’s ready when the sauce clings to the beef instead of pooling in the pan, and a spoon dragged across the skillet leaves a path that fills in slowly.
✦ If it’s still soupy: Give it a few more minutes. It’ll look loose when the sauce first goes in. The honey and brown sugar help it thicken as it cooks down, so keep it uncovered for another 3 to 5 minutes if needed.
4. Toast the Buns and Serve
While the filling finishes, butter the cut sides of your hamburger buns and toast them in a hot skillet for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden. Then pile on the filling and grab plenty of napkins. Things are going to get messy!
Enjoy these bad boys on toasted buns, over a bed of rice, or spooned over hot dogs.
✦ Toast the buns first: A toasted bun holds up to the saucy filling instead of going soggy on the bottom.
Slow Cooker Option
Brown the ground beef with the onion, bell pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the beef as it cooks. Drain the grease, then transfer the mixture to your slow cooker and stir in the prepared sauce.
Cover and cook on
LOW: 3 to 4 hours
or
HIGH: 1½ to 2 hours
Need it thicker? Cook uncovered on HIGH for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the filling reaches your preferred thickness. Serve on toasted buns.
Easy Swaps and Add-Ons
These sloppy joes are easy to adjust once you’ve made them the classic way.
- No A1 on hand: Use 2 extra tablespoons of ketchup plus an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire. BBQ sauce also works in a pinch, but the filling will come out sweeter and a little smoky.
- Less sweet: Cut the brown sugar down to 1 teaspoon, or leave it out and keep the honey. The sauce will taste a little tangier.
- Make them cheesy: Lay a slice of cheddar or American cheese on the hot filling before you add the top bun. It melts right in.
- Add a little heat: Stir a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce into the sauce before it goes in the pan.
Want sloppy joes in casserole form? My Cheesy Sloppy Joe Biscuit Bake bakes a cheesy sloppy joe filling under a layer of biscuits.
What to Serve With Sloppy Joes
Fries and coleslaw are what I serve with sloppy joes most often. My Air Fryer French Fries get crispy without a pot of oil, and a scoop of Country Creamy Coleslaw adds a cool crunch next to the warm, saucy beef. A bag of potato chips works too.
Feeding a group for game day? Spoon the filling onto slider buns and set out a tray with sliced cheese and pickles so everyone can build their own.
Storage, Freezing, and Leftovers
Fridge: Let the filling cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Cool the filling completely, then freeze it flat in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Warm it on the stovetop over medium-low, or in the microwave, stirring halfway through. Add a splash of water or broth so it doesn’t dry out.
Make ahead: You can make the filling a day ahead and reheat it. The flavors blend even more overnight.
Leftover ideas: Spoon leftover filling over Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, pile it on fries with a little cheese, or use it to top hot dogs.
FAQs
Why are my sloppy joes runny, and how do I fix them?
Keep simmering the filling uncovered over medium-low, stirring often, for another 5 to 10 minutes. The extra liquid cooks off and the sauce thickens up. If it’s still thin, stir in another tablespoon of tomato paste.
Runny sloppy joes usually come from keeping the lid on the whole time or skipping the step where you drain the fat.
Why are my sloppy joes greasy?
Usually the fat didn’t get drained, or the ground beef had more fat than 85% lean. If the sauce is already in, tilt the pan and spoon off any grease that pools on top, or gently blot the surface with a paper towel.
Next time, drain the beef well before adding the sauce, and the filling will stay thick and saucy instead of oily.
Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?
Yes, ground turkey works. It’s much leaner, so there’s little or no fat to drain, and you’ll want to add a tablespoon of oil to the pan so the turkey and veggies don’t stick. Turkey has a milder flavor, so the A1 and Worcestershire make an even bigger difference here. Cook it until there’s no pink left before adding the sauce.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, just use a wide pot or Dutch oven so the beef browns instead of steaming. The covered simmer stays about the same, but a bigger batch has more liquid to cook off, so plan on 5 to 10 extra minutes uncovered. For parties, transfer the filling to a slow cooker on LOW or WARM to keep it hot for a couple of hours.
More Easy Ground Beef Dinners
Recipe
Best Damn Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
Method
- Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, steak sauce, water, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, honey, brown sugar, and mustard until smooth. Set aside.
- Brown the beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef, onion, bell pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef, until browned and the veggies have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Drain the fat: Tilt the skillet and spoon off the grease.
- Simmer covered: Stir in the sauce and bring to a simmer over medium-low. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Thicken uncovered: Remove the lid and simmer for about 5 more minutes, until the sauce clings to the beef and a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a path.
- Serve: Butter and toast the buns in a hot skillet for 1 to 2 minutes, if you like. Pile on the filling and serve right away.
Notes
- Don’t skip the A1: It gives the sauce its deep, beefy flavor. In a pinch, use 2 extra Tbsp ketchup plus 1 extra Tbsp Worcestershire.
- Thickening: The uncovered simmer is what thickens the sauce. If it’s still thin, simmer a few minutes longer or stir in another Tbsp tomato paste.
- Drain well: Spooning off the fat keeps the filling from turning greasy and helps the sauce cling to the beef.
- Peppers: Red bell pepper is a little sweeter, and green gives you a more classic flavor.
- Less sweet: Cut the brown sugar to 1 tsp, or leave it out and keep the honey.
- Ground turkey: Add 1 Tbsp oil to the pan. There’s little or no fat to drain.
- Slow cooker: Brown and drain the beef with the veggies, then cook with the sauce on LOW 3 to 4 hours or HIGH 1½ to 2 hours.
- Toast the buns: A toasted bun holds up to the saucy filling instead of going soggy.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or broth.
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Gwendolyn Maddox says
Wow!!!! I whipped this up as a “trial run” for the 4th of July. I admit that I was skeptical about the A1 sauce even though I love it. Please do not skip this ingredient. It pulled everything together magically!! Thank you the recipe.