Easy Sloppy Joes Recipe
This EASY sloppy joes recipe makes a simple dinner I’m sure you will love!! It’s a family favorite meal in our house but of course, it works great for summer get-togethers too!
For weeknight dinners, the kids love these with either french fries or onion rings but sometimes I sneak in a healthy cucumber tomato onion salad that I know everyone else enjoys!
Table of contents
Why You Will Love Sloppy Joes From Scratch
- A deliciously messy meal! It’s like taking everything that you’ve ever learned about manners and just tossing them right out the window. And when the word “messy” is part of the name of the food, you know it’s going to be good.
- A kid-friendly meal that adults enjoy too!
- Easy-to-make recipe with simple ingredients making it perfect for easy weeknight dinners.
- A hearty and satisfying one-pot dish that’s sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
- Ground beef: Our favorite for sloppy joes from scratch but if you prefer, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
- Onion: Adding onion gives the sloppy joes a bit more depth of flavor.
- Celery: You want this to be chopped very finely for the right texture. It adds flavor and sneaks in some more veggies.
- Ketchup: The slightly sweet tomato flavor makes the perfect base for all the flavors.
- Lemon juice: A little bit of acid to balance the sweetness and fat in the beef mixture.
- Brown sugar: My secret ingredient for the sloppy joe sauce! It really works well with the sweetness of the ketchup to make this the BEST sloppy joe recipe.
- Worcestershire sauce: Enhances the savory flavors in the dish.
- Vinegar: We’re adding just a tad to balance the sweetness.
- Dry mustard: For more depth of flavor.
How To Make Easy Sloppy Joes
- Brown the meat. In a large skillet pan with the onion and celery until the meat is browned and the vegetables tender. Drain off any fat from cooking.
- Add. The ketchup, brown sugar, salt, and dry mustard to the pan.
- Also, add. The Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, and water to the pan.
- Stir to combine. Everything together. Then cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally as it cooks.
- Serve and enjoy. Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.
Tips & Variations
- Drain off any excess fat left in the pan when browning the meat especially if you use regular ground beef.
- Cooking the veggies with the meat softens them so they melt into the sloppy joe sauce.
- Chop the onion and celery. Into small pieces so they cook up tender and hidden from pickier eaters.
- Serve up on buns with your favorite toppings such as sliced or shredded cheese, pickles, bacon, fried crispy onions straws (my favorite!), sour cream, and potato chips.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can make this sloppy joes recipe in the slow cooker. I like to make these sloppy joes in the crockpot when we are having a party. To make sloppy joes in the crockpot, brown the meat first and then throw the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker, stir, and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
We LOVE to use salads as sides such as potato salad, broccoli salad, or a delicious pasta salad! Fries, chips, or roasted veggies make great sides too.
The meat and sloppy joe sauce are usually served on a roll or bun to make a sandwich. It’s a bit messy so be sure to have plenty of napkins. You can also serve it open-face with lots of toppings and eat it with a fork and knife.
Storing
- Store. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze it in small containers or freezer bags for 3-6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
What To Serve With Sloppy Joes
More Easy Dinner Recipes
More sprinkles, please! Subscribe to my newsletter for weekly meal planning. Follow on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for fun behind the scenes, mom life, and the newest recipes!
Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef, onion, and celery. Drain fat.
- Pour ground beef back into skillet pan or crockpot. Add ketchup, water, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, vinegar, and dry mustard. Stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour. If cooking in the crockpot, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- Serve on hamburger buns.
Notes
- Drain off any excess fat left in the pan when browning the meat especially if you use regular ground beef.
- Cooking the veggies with the meat softens them so they melt into the sloppy joe sauce.
- Chop the onion and celery. Into small pieces so they cook up tender and hidden from pickier eaters.
- Serve up on buns with your favorite toppings such as sliced or shredded cheese, pickles, bacon, fried crispy onions straws (my favorite!), sour cream, and potato chips.
- Store. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze it in small containers or freezer bags for 3-6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for recommending my favorite products at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Deliciously Sprinkled.
Thanks for the slow cooker instructions. My kids graze all Sunday long so it’s easier to have it in there for when everyone is hungry. Loved it!
I love a bit of tang that vinegar and mustard add to the meat. Delicious!
Yummy! It’s very easy to cook that’s why I like it.
This has always been my husband’s favorite comfort food! He devoured this! Thanks so much!
So excited to give this one a go! My boys sure love sloppy joes!
Sometimes, there is nothing better than a sloppy joe! I love how easy they are to make & everyone always loves them!
I’ve never topped my Sloppy Joes with anything, but I’m game to try some of your ideas!
This is such a great recipe! Everyone in my house loves it!
These were so delicious and super easy to make! Adding this to our regular dinner rotation.
My kids love these!