It doesn’t get any better than this American classic! My homemade recipe for sloppy joes is a game-changer — and way better than the canned version. Made with ground beef (or turkey) and seasoned with dried spices, ketchup and dijon mustard, they’re saucy, the right amount of sloppy and downright delicious!

Sloppy Joes on a plate with coleslaw, potato chips and a fork

Did you grow up eating Sloppy Joes? Even though I didn’t really eat them growing up, I feel like it’s one of those dishes that’s instantly familiar and comforting. I was recently inspired to make a from-scratch version, and I’m so glad I did.

As a busy home cook, I quickly learned that Sloppy Joes are really easy to make from scratch. Aside from the ground beef (or turkey!), it’s all spices and pantry ingredients. Needless to say, I’m obsessed and love this dish for weeknight comfort food. If you’re a sloppy joe lover, you also gotta check out my One Pot Sloppy Joe Pasta!

pan with ground meat and a wooden spoon

Ground meat is so versatile

My love for ground turkey dinner recipes runs deep. And one of my favorite things to do is mix ground turkey with ground beef to make it even more flavorful! It’s one of my favorite easy weeknight tips to amp up the flavor.

cutting board with diced onion, a large knife and bell pepper

How Do You Make Sloppy Joes From Scratch?

Once you make your first batch of homemade Sloppy Joes you’ll never go back. My version is a little less sloppy and a little more structured, which I personally prefer! Of course, you can adjust this recipe to your preferred thickness for a really sloppy Sloppy Joe.

  • Heat your oil on a hot pan, and then add the oil, onion, and peppers so they can begin softening and cooking to golden perfection.
  • Add your meat (we use ground beef or turkey from ButcherBox!) and seasonings, cooking for 5-7 minutes, until the meat is browned. I love that this recipe is slightly sweet, a little tangy, and perfectly saucy.
  • Add the saucy ingredients: ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and water. Let’s get a simmer going, baby!
  • Here’s the secret, my key finishing touch to a REALLY good Sloppy Joe: spread room-temp butter or ghee on the bun (or butter your skillet/pan) and get the bread browned and caramelized. Sloppy Joe on a toasted bun is heaven on earth!
sloppy joes on a burger bun

Food photography by Ashley Cuoco

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Sloppy Joes

Classic Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef (or Turkey!)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Laney Schwartz
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove Top
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Description

It doesn’t get any better than this American classic! My homemade recipe for sloppy joes is a game-changer — and way better than the canned version. Made with ground beef (or turkey) and seasoned with dried spices, ketchup and dijon mustard, they’re saucy, the right amount of sloppy and downright delicious!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, small dice
  • 1 red bell pepper, small dice
  • 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¼ cup water
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add the oil, onion,  bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes until veggies begin to soften. 
  2. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and chili powder and cook for 5-7 minutes until meat is browned. 
  3. Add the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and water. Mix with beef mixture until well combined and a bit saucy. 
  4. Heat a separate pan over medium/high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Place the hamburger buns face down in the pan to brown the inside, about 2-3 minutes. Remove, add more butter if needed and repeat with remaining buns. Serve the sloppy joe mixture on the toasted buns and enjoy.

Did you make this recipe?

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