4/8/2021 The BEST Homemade Sloppy Joes - The Chunky Chef

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The BEST Homemade Sloppy Joes

 4.89/5  25 minutes  851 Comments

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by: Amanda published: 10/24/2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Step away from the canned sauce and give these homemade sloppy
joes a try! They’re truly the best version of a childhood favorite!

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As we head into the upcoming holiday season, I’ve been thinking

about family-friendly meals.  You know, those meals that your kids
always want to eat.  In our house, this Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
is number one on our list… with these sloppy joes being number 2! 
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With two little ones myself, I know ALL too well how frustrating it is
to cook a meal and have them promptly turn up their noses and say
it’s “gross”. *facepalm*

I’ve always been a fan of classic sloppy joes.  There’s something so

innately satisfying about the sweet and savory combination and
messiness of it all!  And I know you all love them too, since I’ve been
getting a lot of requests for sloppy joe recipes.

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I’ve made a LOT of sloppy joe recipes lately, trying to come up with
the perfect one.  Some were too sweet, others too spicy.  Well guys, I

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finally got it.  The perfect balance.  This sloppy joe recipe is sweet,
tangy, zesty and savory, with the perfect texture and consistency.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES

Homemade sloppy joes are incredibly easy to make, and come
together in one skillet in about 20 minutes or so.  Browned beef is
mixed with onion and green pepper and simmered in a sweetened
tomato/ketchup sauce.  The secret is in finding the right seasoning for
the sauce!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

MANWICH AND SLOPPY JOES?
Technically Manwich is a pre-made sauce that’s used to make sloppy
joes.  I’m not sure exactly what’s in it, and have never tried it myself,
so I can’t say that my recipe tastes similar or not.  Manwich is
marketed as a easy way to make sloppy joes… but in reality,
homemade sloppy joes are JUST as easy to make!

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HOW DID SLOPPY JOES GET THEIR NAME?

From what I can glean from the good ol’ internet, a cook named Joe in
a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa added a tomato sauce to a loose meat
sandwich.  It must have been a favorite and took off!
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WHAT CAN I DO WITH SLOPPY JOE MEAT?

Number one, slap some on a toasted bun!!  After that, here are some
of my favorite things to do:

Spoon some over some crispy waffle fries.  Bonus points if you also
melt some cheese over the fries before adding the sloppy joe meat!

Add some to a grilled cheese.

Roll up in crescent roll dough and bake at 375 F degrees for about
12-15 minutes.  Cheese makes a great addition to these as well!

Add some on top of a burger.

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CAN YOU MAKE SLOPPY JOES IN A

CROCKPOT?
You can!  Just brown the beef and add all the remaining ingredients
(no buns though), and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours, or HIGH for
2-3 hours.  This will have a softer texture than skillet sloppy joes
though.
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PRO TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES:

Before you get started, toast your buns.  Toasting the bun makes
ALL the difference, and only takes a few minutes.  Crank up the
heat under the skillet to high, and add a drizzle of vegetable oil. 
When the oil is hot, add the buns, then place the buns cut side up
on a cooling rack after they’re toasted.

Watch the sauce so that it doesn’t reduce too much.  When too
much of the sauce reduces, it gives you a dry sloppy joe mixture. 
Everyone likes theirs a little differently, but for me, I cook it down so
that I can see the bits of meat, and when I drag my spoon through
the sauce, it leaves a trail where the sauce is parted.  If the sauce
immediately flows back into that trail, it’s too liquid-y.  I want a few
seconds before the sauce covers the trail, which gives me a saucy
consistency that’s not too liquid.

Choose your favorite type of bun.  I usually go for either a pretzel

bun (like I did in these Beer and Chorizo Sloppy Joes!), or a brioche
bun.

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SHOP THE RECIPE:

Skillet – I like to use either stainless steel or cast iron for this, as
they both give a great sear!

Wooden plate – I love these for sandwiches!

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Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me
@the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

The Best Homemade Sloppy Joes

4.89 from 588 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes

Calories: 266

Servings: 6 (hover over # to adjust)

  
Print Rate Pin

Step away from the canned sauce and give these homemade
sloppy joes a try! They're truly the best version of a childhood
favorite!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1/3 green bell pepper, minced
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1/2 large yellow onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp brown sugar (or less, if you prefer)
1 tsp yellow mustard
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of hot sauce (optional)

Instructions
1 Heat butter and oil in large skillet over MED/MED-HIGH heat. 
Add beef and brown, breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks,
about 5 minutes.  Transfer to colander to drain.
2 Add onion and bell pepper to same skillet and cook 2-3
minutes, until soft.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so, until
fragrant.  Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste. 
Stir well.
3 Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder,
Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and
black pepper.  Stir well to combine.
4 Cook over MED heat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture has
thickened to your liking.  Remove from heat and serve over
toasted buns.

 Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the
bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

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 Chef Tips
Sloppy Joe meat mixture can be frozen!

1 Cool the mixture completely, then add to freezer containers

and freeze for up to 4 months.

2 Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.

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