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Homemade Sloppy Joes is a classic dinner recipe that is easy to make and economical too! It takes less than 30 minutes to make and costs just $9.34 for six servings! That’s just $1.56 per serving!
Every time I make this homemade Sloppy Joe recipe, I cannot help but start singing The Lunchlady Song by Adam Sandler. Do you know the one I am talking about? I sing it every single time I make this.
“Well, yesterday’s meatloaf is today’s Sloppy Joes…Sloppy Joe, slop, Sloppy Joe.” LOL! It’s the BEST song! However, even though this Sloppy Joe recipe is super easy, it does NOT use yesterday’s meatloaf! I just wanted to clarify that.
Now, you could be like the Lunchlady and whip up some Sloppy Joes very quickly by using the can of premade sauce that you just add to the beef. I have done it in a pinch a few times myself.
But once you make Sloppy Joes using this recipe you, will never look back. It is just as easy as opening a can and is seriously the BEST Sloppy Joe recipe ever! It is so much better than anything you will get from the Lunchlady or the premade can.
Sloppy Joe Recipe Questions Answered:
How many pounds of hamburger do I need for 50 Sloppy Joes?
Our recipe calls for 1 ½ pound of ground beef, which makes enough for six servings. To make 50 sandwiches, you would need to purchase 12 ½ pounds of meat.
The remaining ingredients for 50 sandwiches are as follows:
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 8 1/2 large yellow onions, chopped fine
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 12 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 (29 oz) cans tomato puree
- 4 cups + 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 2 3/4 cups water
- 2 3/4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 50 hamburger buns
How do you thicken up Sloppy Joes?
If you need to thicken up your homemade Sloppy Joe recipe, simply mix 1 TBS cornstarch and one tablespoon of warm water in a small bowl. Use this ratio for every cup of sauce you need to thicken. Whisk in the mixture slowly into the Sloppy Joe sauce until you reach the desired consistency.
Are Sloppy Joes fattening?
Sloppy Joes are traditionally made using ground beef. While beef is a good source of protein, it is high fat and calories. If you are looking for a healthier version of this Sloppy Joe recipe, try substituting ground turkey for the beef.
How to Make Classic Sloppy Joes Recipe:
- First, in a large skillet, add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, reduce heat to medium and add onions and salt and saute, often stirring, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown around the edges, about 6-10 minutes.
- Then, stir in garlic powder and chili powder and cook until fragrant, bout 20 seconds.
- Next, add in the beef and use the back of a wooden spoon to break the meat apart. Cook until the meat is almost browned all the way through.
- Stir in brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the mixture until the sauce has thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Finally, season mixture with pepper. Serve on hamburger buns.
How to get the kids involved with this recipe:
- Ages 2-3: Let them help you spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture onto the hamburger buns.
- Ages 4-5: Let them help measure the ingredients and add them to the skillet when making the sauce. They would also love brushing the butter on the buns.
- Ages 6-8: Teach them how to saute the onion and brown the meat.
- Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe. Remember to teach knife safety when cutting the onions.
- Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.
The flavor and Recipe Variations:
- For a healthier option, substitute ground turkey for the ground beef.
- Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes
What sides go with Sloppy Joes:
- Green Beans Almondine
- Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Pasta Salad *Pro-tip: Leave out the chicken when serving as a side dish
- a simple salad
- veggie sticks and ranch dressing
- potato chips
More Easy Main Dish Ideas:
- Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes
- American Goulash
- Easy Beef Chili
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Teriyaki
- Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie
- Italian Zucchini Boats
- Machaca Burritos
- Meatball Subs
- Mexican Chicken Rice Bowls
- 15-Minute Skillet Tilapia with Artichokes and Tomatoes
- One Pan Cheesy Broccoli Chicken
- Slow Cooker Italian Harvest Soup
How long is this good for:
- Serve: The mixture can stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze the prepared sloppy joe mixture for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
- To reheat: Defrost the mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, about 7-10 minutes. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to loosen the mixture a bit.
How much will this Sloppy Joes Recipe cost:
RECIPE COST: $9.34
PER SERVING COST: $1.56
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil – $0.06
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine – $0.62
- 3/4 teaspoon salt – $0.01
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder – $0.06
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder – $0.02
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef – $5.40
- black pepper to taste – $0.03
- 1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar – $0.02
- 10.75oz canned tomato puree – $0.95
- 1/2 cup ketchup – $0.44
- 1/3 cup water – $0
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce – $0.02
- 6 hamburger buns – $1.71
Best Sloppy Joes
Equipment
- cutting board
- chef knife
- large skillet
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped fine
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar
- 10.75 oz canned tomato puree
- ½ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- black pepper to taste
- 6 hamburger buns toasted and buttered
Instructions
- In a large skillet add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, reduce heat to medium and add onions and salt and saute, stirring often, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown around the edges, about 6-10 minutes.
- Stir in garlic powder and chili powder and cook until fragrant, bout 20 seconds.
- Add in beef and use the back of a wooden spoon to break the meat apart. Cook until the meat is almost browned all the way through.
- Stir in brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the mixture until the sauce has thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Season mixture with pepper. Serve on hamburger buns.
Claudia Lamascolo says
Wow does this ever bring back memories of mom … I just got such a great feeling looking at this post thanks so much!
Jess Jankowski says
I love it when a recipe brings back some fond memories. Thank you for sharing yours with us.
Nellie Tracy says
These are so easy and the whole family devours them!
Jess Jankowski says
Love it when a recipe is easy and the family loves it.
Debbie Hagood says
This caught my eye because you told house much ground beef for to make sloppy joes for 50 but not sure how to multiply out the rest of the ingredients to make for 50. Do you have that information. I would love to make this for our church community meal.
Jess Jankowski says
This would be an awesome dish for your church community meal! Thank you for your question. If you look back on the website under the Questions answered, I have updated it with the rest of the ingredients for a serving size of 50. Please let us know how it goes!
Patsy K Bennitt says
Rather bland and very runny.
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Patsy. I am sorry it turned out runny for you. My first question would be are you sure you used Tomato Puree and not sauce? We just updated the post to include a video with step by step directions to make this. We hope that hopes and that you will try again. Feel free to season to taste.
Debbie Hagood says
I tried this tonight and we liked it. I see the recipe for 50 now but it says 1 1/5 lbs of ground beef. I think that’s a typo. ??? How much ground beef would I need to make this for 50?
Jess Jankowski says
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Debbie Hagood says
I see it now. It’s says 12 1/2 lbs of ground beef about the actual recipe.
Jess Jankowski says
Yep you got it! Thanks Debbie!
Gemma says
I am embarrassed to admit, I’ve never tried Sloppy Joes before! I feel like I’ve been massively missing out though, after this reading this post. They sound so delicious and something I need to make this weekend! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us xo
Jess Jankowski says
Oh my goodness!! Yes, please try it!! You will not regret it.
Tessa Zundel says
Now this is a family friendly recipe!! I love that you included ways for the kids to help – cooking with kids is SO important. Children raised in the kitchen eat more healthy!
Jess Jankowski says
It is so true…they definitely eat more healthy and are more likely to try new things when they are involved in the cooking process.
Sujatha Muralidhar says
love this recipe, the juicy sloppy joes looks tempting to make tonight.
Jess Jankowski says
Thank you so much for your review! If you love this recipe, be sure to check out our Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes!
Rachel says
Can’t wait to try this recipe! My family loves sloppy joes. Thanks!
Jess Jankowski says
It is such a crowd pleaser! Thanks for stopping by.
Patty says
Have you ever added bbq sauce to it?
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Patty. We have not tried it with bbq sauce yet. But that does sound yummy. If you try it please come back here and let us know how it goes, we would love to know!
Melissa Fabela says
I’ve been trying so many different sloppy joe recipes for my family and this one hit the mark! Will definitely be my go-to from now on!
Jess Jankowski says
Melissa this is great news! Thank you for your feedback. So happy you love it!
saif says
I love Sloppy Joes. I am glad I found this recipe and I am definitely going to make this at home.
Jess Jankowski says
So glad you found it too! Enjoy!
Nicole says
This looks so good! Going to make this for lunch for everyone with french fries.
Jess Jankowski says
French fries would be perfect with this!
Sula says
This brings back some memories for sure! I’ll be giving this a try very soon!
Jess Jankowski says
Love it when food brings back special memories! Enjoy!
Christie Gagnon says
I haven’t had a sloppy joe since I was a kid and am thinking I need to introduce my kids to them! I think I will substitute ground turkey though. Thanks for the recipe!
Jess Jankowski says
Ground turkey would be super good! Great idea!
Amy Chung says
Don’t think I’m crazy but I’ve never had sloppy joes before! But I do love the idea of using leftover meatloaf to make them. Love being able to re-constitute leftovers to reduce food wastage. This is great and my daughter would be able to make this herself….so no cooking for me tonight! LOL
Jess Jankowski says
Oh my goodness Amy! It is time to have one! That’s such a good idea to use some leftover meat to make these. That makes it an even easier meal to make! Enjoy!
Bhawana says
That looks so delicious, believe me while typing I am drooling over to grab this burger.
Jess Jankowski says
Sounds like you better go make it right now! Thanks for stopping by!
Heather says
It’s been WAY too long since I’ve had a sloppy joe! I definitely need to make these for the family!
Jess Jankowski says
Do it Heather! It is a family favorite over here!
Amber Myers says
I admit, I usually make these from a can. I might have to try them this way!
Jess Jankowski says
Amber, I used to as well. Never again!
Marta says
I love that you’ve included a guide on getting the munchkins in on the cooking fun! We need more of this.
Jess Jankowski says
Thank you Marta! We are strong believers of getting the kids involved, even if it does take a little longer and make a little bit more of a mess!
Christa says
A yummy meal that the kids will love and is also budget friendly? Sounds great!
Jess Jankowski says
It’s a win-win for sure!
Jordan says
Yum! Sloppy Joe’s used to be one of my favorite meals as a kid but I haven’t had one in a long time. Thanks for the recipe!
Jess Jankowski says
It’s such a classic recipe that all ages enjoy!
Gloria says
I cannot remember the last time I had sloppy joes. It was always a hit with the family. I think I have everything I need to make this for dinner tonight.
Jess Jankowski says
This is awesome Gloria. Be sure to let us know how it goes!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
Now you have got me craving Sloppy Joes – it is such a fab and delicious dinner that my family always enjoys. Will be giving yours a go for sure.
Jess Jankowski says
It’s a good thing to crave! Let us know how it turns out!
Genevieve | Fitty Foodlicious says
Sloppy Joes are such an easy recipe to make and I always forget about them as a recipe option. Making these for dinner soon!
Jess Jankowski says
Genevieve, we agree! It is such an easy and tasty recipe!
kerri says
sloppy joes are on of our guilty pleasures! excited to try this!
Jess Jankowski says
Kerri, sloppy joes are an excellent guilty pleasure! Enjoy!
Rosemary says
This was one of my favorite childhood recipes and thank you for the wonderful memories. I haven’t made sloppy joe’s in a while and now I will 🙂 I really like how you have detailed age-approriate steps for kids. I don’t have kids, but I’m sending this recipe to my sister. Cheers
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Rosemary, thanks for stopping by and sharing our recipe with your sister!
Lois says
PLEASE change the quantity listed for vegetable oil – of 8 cups under amounts needed for 50 sandwiches!!!! That would make this wonderful recipe a definite MESS!!!
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Lois, thank you for catching our typo. For 50 sandwiches you would need 16 Tablespoons of oil. I have corrected it. Thank you!
Sarah says
My husband has few food dislikes and mustard is one of them. I have never found a homemade sloppy joe recipe without mustard until I happened upon yours! We are in love. Our entire family, including 3 littles, inhaled this entree. We will definitely make it again, thanks so much!!
Jess Jankowski says
Yay Sarah! We are so happy to hear this. Thank you for letting us know!
Kim says
My husband & I really enjoyed this! I made it with Beyond Beef to make it vegetarian & since that’s only 1 lb I adjusted the spices & liquid ingred down a bit & it came out delicious. I did not have tomato puree so I looked up substitutes & used equal parts tomato paste & water. I was so happy to not use the canned Sloppy Joe sauce. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jess Jankowski says
We are thrilled you made these substitutions to make it your own and work for you. Thank you for your feedback!
Serena says
very good recipe! a hit with kids and adults
Jess Jankowski says
Thank you!!