One bite of this Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe will instantly take you back to the meaty, messy, Sloppy Joe sandwich of your childhood. Sweet, tangy and loaded with flavor, this version of the classic American comfort food is also surprisingly healthy, and comes together in about 30 minutes.
Jump to:
- Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes Video Tutorial
- Best Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe Recipe
- Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Ingredients
- How To Make Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes
- Recipe Variations for Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe Recipe
- TIP WHEN COOKING FOR KIDS
- Here are some other recipes with beef that we love too:
Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes Video Tutorial
Best Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe Recipe
Kids of all ages will love this classic homemade Sloppy Joes recipe. It’s quick and easy, and because we use a leaner ground beef and load it with bell peppers, carrots and onions, it’s actually pretty healthy.
These can be served as-is on a bun or mini slider roll, or step it up by piling it onto a pretzel bun and adding a slice of your favorite cheddar or pepper jack cheese with a pickle.
This recipe is actually fairly healthy to begin with since we use a lower fat beef and tons of veggies. If you are looking to reduce even more fat and calories, feel free to substitute ground turkey or increase the amount of veggies.
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Ingredients
- Avocado Oil - you can also substitute any other type of cooking oil, such as olive, canola or vegetable oil.
- Onions - we suggest you use yellow or white onions.
- Garlic - minced fresh, or you can substitute pre-minced garlic.
- Carrots - these should be washed, peeled and shredded. You can also dice them if you don’t have a good tool to shred them.
- Bell Peppers - we use red and orange, but you can any combination of colors that you have on hand.
- Ground Beef - we recommend between 7-15% fat ground beef. However, you can also substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground bison.
- Tomato Paste
- Worcestershire Sauce - this adds quite a bit of flavor, but you can omit if you want to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Barbeque Sauce - we like to use Sweet Baby Rays but any brand that you like will do. Or, if you prefer slightly less sweet, you can substitute ketchup. Either omit the barbeque sauce, or find a gluten-free variety to make these gluten-free.
- Brown Sugar - we use light brown sugar.
- Salt & Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes - this is optional, but adds a nice spicy kick. If you really like spice, try adding a pinch of chili powder or a dash of hot sauce.
How To Make Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes
- In a non-stick saute pan on medium-high heat, add avocado oil (or any other cooking oil).
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions and carrots and saute until the onions are translucent and the carrots are becoming tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the bell peppers and garlic and saute until they are tender, or about 4-5 more minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, and use a spoon or spatula to break up the hamburger meat, and add your salt, pepper and crushed red peppers (if using). If it seems too dry in your pan, you can add a few tablespoons of water.
- Continue cooking until the beef is almost fully cooked, about 8-10 more minutes. There should still be a little pink.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, brown sugar and barbeque sauce (or ketchup). Continue to stir until the sauce is completely mixed in and the beef has finished cooking, about 3-5 more minutes. There should be no pink left in your beef once it is done.
- Serve on a mini slider or pretzel bun with a slice of cheddar or pepperjack cheese and a pickle, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations for Homemade Sloppy Joes
There are plenty of ways to adapt even a classic recipe like Homemade Sloppy Joes. Here are a few ideas:
- Turkey Sloppy Joes: Substitute ground turkey for beef for a leaner option.
- BBQ Sloppy Joes: Add your favorite barbecue sauce to the ground meat mixture for a smoky and sweet flavor. Top with coleslaw if desired.
- Spicy Jalapeño Sloppy Joes: Sauté diced jalapeños with the meat for some heat.. Add hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
- Mushroom and Swiss Sloppy Joes: Sauté mushrooms with the ground meat for a savory, umami flavor. Top with Swiss cheese for a rich and creamy addition.
- Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes: Use ground chicken instead of beef and mix in buffalo sauce. Top with blue cheese crumbles and serve on a bun for a buffalo chicken twist.
- Mexican-Inspired Sloppy Joes: Season the meat with taco seasoning and add black beans and corn. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro.
- Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers: Use the Sloppy Joe mixture as a filling for bell peppers. Top with cheese and bake until the peppers are tender.
- Sloppy Joe Tacos. Just make your Sloppy Joes and roll up into a warmed tortilla.
- Sloppy Joes Sliders. Use Eikhorn Dinner Rolls as mini rolls. Just slice in half and pile in your Sloppy Joes.
- Sloppy Joes Stuffed Baked Potatoes. Pile on top of a partially-hollowed baked potato half, top with your favorite shredded cheese, and serve with sour cream and green onions.
- Sloppy Joes Pizza. Cover pizza dough, or french bread, with your Sloppy Joes, top with cheese and bake!
- Sloppy Joes Nachos. Layer with tortilla chips, black beans and shredded cheese and bake until the cheese has melted. Serve with sour cream and salsa.
Frequently Asked Questions
The filling for Sloppy Joes is not gluten free but a few easy substitutions can make it gluten free. Just omit the Worcestershire and BBQ sauces and substitute ketchup, then serve on a gluten free bun or piled on top of a baked potato.
Yes, you can definitely make Sloppy Joes in the crock pot. Just saute your vegetables and meat as directed, then transfer to the crock pot. Add the rest of your ingredients and a little water or beef broth (¼ cup should be fine), and cook on the low setting for about 3 hours.
Yes, just cool completely and transfer to freezer bags. Lay flat on a sheet pan or a flat surface in the freezer, and store for up to 3 months. You can defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat in a saute pan, or you can transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and defrost and rewarm in the microwave.
For a Sloppy Joe sandwich, you want to use a sturdy bun or roll that will hold up to all of the juiciness. I like to use pretzel buns, brioche rolls, or slider rolls.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: store completely cooled Sloppy Joes in a freezer bag or another airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat over the stovetop or in a microwave.
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil can substitute any other cooking oil
- ½ med Onion diced; yellow or white onion
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 large Carrot shredded or diced
- 1 med Red Bell Pepper diced; can also use any color you have on hand
- ½ med Yellow Bell Pepper diced; can also use any color you have on hand
- 1 lb Ground Beef 7-15% fat
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes optional
- 4 ounces Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Barbeque Sauce use your favorite kind, or can substitute ketchup
Instructions
- In a non-stick saute pan on medium-high heat, add avocado oil (or any other cooking oil).
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions and carrots and saute until the onions are translucent and the carrots are becoming tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the bell peppers and garlic and saute until they are tender, or about 4-5 more minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, and use a spoon or spatula to break up the hamburger meat, and add your salt, pepper and crushed red peppers (if using). If it seems too dry in your pan, you can add a few tablespoons of water.
- Continue cooking until the beef is almost fully cooked, about 8-10 more minutes. There should still be a little pink.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, brown sugar and barbeque sauce (or ketchup). Continue to stir until the sauce is completely mixed in and the beef has finished cooking, about 3-5 more minutes. There should be no pink left in your beef once it is done.
- Serve on a mini slider or pretzel bun with a slice of cheddar or pepperjack cheese and a pickle, and enjoy!
Notes
TIP WHEN COOKING FOR KIDS
Saute your veggies slightly longer than you normally would so that they are almost mushy. It will be easier to hide them this way!Nutrition
Here are some other recipes with beef that we love too:
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
Kids of all ages will love this classic Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe. One bite will instantly take you back to the meaty, messy, Sloppy Joe sandwich of your childhood. It's sweet, tangy and loaded with flavor. Our version of this classic American comfort food comes together in about 30 minutes and is actually fairly healthy because we use leaner ground beef and load it with veggies.
Leave a Reply