Sloppy Joe Recipe

A sloppy joe on a bun with potato chips on a plate.

This sloppy joe 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!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword best sloppy joes, easy sloppy joes, sloppy joe sauce

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 573kcal

Author Jennifer

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.

Nutrition