There’s nothing better than a hearty and Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce that is sweet, savory and delicious!
This easy recipe combines simple ingredients with hearty ground beef for a delicious combination that is perfect served on top toasted buns or bread. It’s an easy recipe to whip up, and with all that tangy sauce, it disappears as quickly as it was made! It also can be added to casseroles or noodles for a hearty and filling meal.
Sloppy Joe Sauce
- Making a homemade sloppy joe sauce is almost as easy as opening a can of ready-made, but so much more rich and flavorful!
- Less messy and kid-friendly ‘sloppy joey’s’ can be made by scooping out the center of a dinner roll and filling it with sauce.
- Sloppy Joes are so versatile and can be added to other recipes. Create a cheesy casserole, try sloppy joe spaghetti or even baked sloppy joe tacos!
Ingredients & Variations
SAUCE: Sloppy joe sauce is simple to make. It has a tangy tomato-based sauce made with tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and some cider vinegar for some zest. Add some bbq or hot sauce, or experiment with different kinds of mustard to create your own signature brand!
MEAT: Ground beef is best for this sloppy joe’s recipe. But the sauce is also delicious combined with leftover meat and chopped veggies! Try cooked lentils, black beans, or cauliflower rice for a vegetarian version, if desired.
How to Make Sloppy Joes
- Prepare sauce ingredients.
- Scramble fry ground beef.
- Add sauce ingredients with water and simmer until thickened.
PRO TIP: For a thicker sauce, just simmer a little bit longer. Serve over toasted buns.
How to Serve Sloppy Joes
Unlike hamburgers, these hearty sammies don’t need condiments, but toppings are welcome! Offer small bowls of sliced jalapenos, shredded cheese, coleslaw, or French-fried onions! A squeeze of mustard is a zesty way to top this ‘bunwich’.
Serving a crowd? Cook up a large batch and keep warm in the slow cooker so guests can serve themselves! And don’t forget the toasted buns! Choose sturdy buns like kaiser rolls, onion rolls, or ciabatta bread.
Sloppy Joe’s are a tasty main dish that will go well with a side of creamy potato salad or some air fryer frozen fries. Or use it as a condiment itself for omelettes, tacos, burritos, chilli dogs, or nachos!
Best Shortcut Tip
Cook Sloppy Joe Sauce and keep it in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, perfect for a quick dinner or lunch all week.
To freeze, store in containers or in zipper bags, for 4-6 months. Freeze sauce in individual sized, or family sized, freezer bags then pop out and reheat for a quick dinner. Or use the sauce in other tasty recipes like sloppy joe tacos with mac & cheese.
Thaw meat sauce in the refrigerator and reheat over low heat on the stove, or covered with foil in the oven.
Easy Meals With Ground Beef!
- Cheeseburger Casserole – easy and delicious
- Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta – ready in 30 minutes!
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry – skillet recipe
- Creamy Beef Mushroom Stroganoff recipe – a favorite
- Texas Toast Sloppy Joes – served all at once
Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Sloppy Joe Sauce
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup water
For Serving
- 4 hamburger buns toasted
Instructions
- Whisk all sauce ingredients (except ground beef and water) in a bowl. Set aside.
- Cook ground beef in a medium skillet until no pink remains.
- Add the sauce and water, then simmer 5-7 minutes or until it reaches desired thickness.
- Spoon meat mixture over the toasted buns and serve.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for 4-5 days. Freeze in covered containers or individual sized, or family sized, freezer bags for 4-6 months.
- Thaw sloppy joe sauce in the refrigerator, then reheat over low heat on the stove, or covered with foil in the oven.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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REPIN this Sloppy Joe Sauce Recipe
Sloppy Joe Sauce is a welcome addition to my diy recipe book but was a little on the bland side before I added more salt and vinegar.
I am glad you enjoyed it, Joseph. Thank you for sharing your alterations!
I tripled the batch and it came out really soupy not sure why this is
Hi Dakota, it should be saucy but definitely not soupy. In step 3 we simmer for 5-7 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness. You may have needed to simmer for a little longer to let the liquid evaporate and create a thicker sauce. I hope that helps!