Easy homemade sloppy joes are the perfect weeknight dinner recipe. Saucy, spiced ground beef tops a hearty hamburger bun for a finger-lickin’ delicious meal. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have this ultra-comforting sandwich on the dinner table in no time.
My grandma and her sister (my great aunt) lived on opposite sides of a duplex house; when we were kids and would spend time at my grandma’s, we also would spend a good bit of time over on my aunt’s side of the house as well. My great aunt was famous for a few of her specialty items – poor man’s cookies, broccoli casserole, and, my favorite, sloppy joes. There was nothing terribly fancy about it – a can of Manwich and some ground meat, but there was something about eating such a messy sandwich I just loved. It must be a kid thing!
A while ago, sloppy joes popped into my head out of nowhere; I hadn’t had them in at least 10 years, but I suddenly was on a quest to make a version from scratch. I remembered there sometimes being onion and green pepper in my aunt’s recipe and then went from there. Here’s to favorite kid flavors and homemade replications!
You don’t have to dash out to the store if you’re out of tomato paste; tomato sauce and tomato puree are both an excellent substitute. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce.
How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes
I’m always totally enamored with a nostalgic taste that can be replicated from scratch. These homemade sloppy joes come together with a handful of ingredients and will be ready for dinner in 45 minutes.
- Aromatics: Onion, green pepper, and garlic give a depth of flavor to the sauce that keeps you coming back for more.
- Ground Beef: Literally the meat of this sandwich.
- Tomato Puree + Ketchup: Tomato puree keeps the sauce thick while the ketchup adds in sweet tomato flavor.
- Sugar + Spice: Brown sugar, chili powder, salt, and pepper give this iconic sandwich some much-needed flavor.
How do you safely drain the fat from the pan?
To easily drain the grease from the pan, push the ground beef to one side of your cooking dish. Then:
- Use a spoon to scoop out the grease into a foil-lined bowl.
- Squeeze the grease out of the pan using a turkey baster and transfer to a foil-lined bowl.
- Or wipe the grease out of the pan by absorbing it into 3-4 paper towels.
EASY SLOPPY JOE SAUCE | Better than Canner
FAQ
What happens if you use tomato sauce instead of paste?
Is sloppy joe sauce the same as tomato sauce?
How do you thicken tomato sauce for sloppy joes?
Does tomato sauce work the same as tomato paste?
Can you add tomato sauce to sloppy joe?
A lot of sloppy joe recipes call for tomato sauce or a can of tomato paste mixed with two cups water. However with this recipe you just use a can of condensed tomato soup. It’s the perfect consistency and flavor! Do you drain the beef before adding sloppy joe sauce? Yes!
Is there any choice for low sodium tomato sauce?
Best low sodium tomato sauce are tomato paste, canned tomatoes (unsalted), fresh tomatoes sauce, tomato soup, puréed eggplant, puréed bell peppers, puréed beets and carrots.
What can I eat with homemade sloppy joe sauce?
You can serve this homemade Sloppy Joe sauce on toasted burger buns or on slider rolls. We also occasionally serve it on top of grilled root vegetables, like a slice of roasted celeriac, for a low-carb meal. Top it with some melted cheese and you have an easy weeknight meal that everyone will enjoy.
What seasoning goes well with sloppy joe sauce?
Montreal Seasoning – This classic blend is perfect for beef, but all purpose steak seasoning works just as well. Onion – Opt for a white onion, which has a milder and slightly sweet flavor. Mustard – Yellow mustard adds a mild tang to the Sloppy Joe sauce.