My Stovetop Sloppy Joes recipe is one of my favorite childhood meals, and now my kids are (mostly) huge fans too! Ground beef in a seasoned sauce and piled on a bun, with all the barbecue sides? SOLD!

Stovetop Sloppy Joes

This is a quick and easy dinner recipe that is not only great to make for a big gathering, but also is an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser! Simple ingredients come together easily to make hearty, protein-packed sandwiches that are just as good the next day as they were the first time around.

You can skip the canned sauce for these. We’re making our own with a bunch of pantry and commonly stocked fridge ingredients that I bet most of you already have. Plus, you can tweak it and change it to suit your own preferences, too. There are no rules here. Personally I like to add an extra glug (or two) of the apple cider vinegar!

What is a sloppy joe?

If you didn’t grow up in the Midwest, you might not know about the famous Sloppy Joe. Many of us had a sloppy joe day for hot lunch as kids. Personally, that version wasn’t a thing I ever wanted to repeat, but my Mom’s sloppy joes? Or my aunt Terri’s sloppy joes? 100%.

I’m not sure what all went into those things, but I know when I first moved out on my own I was pretty positive it was just ground beef, ketchup, mustard, and some minute rice.

Turns out it is a lot more than that, and the rice was a clever way to extend the meat for a BIG group of people, and I’ve thoroughly tweaked and messed with this until landing here. (No more rice, these days, though I’m certainly not above it! Do you know how many pounds of ground beef teenage boys can eat?? TOO MANY!)

Try our Over The Top Sloppy Joes too!

Homemade Sloppy Joes Shopping List

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredients

Ground Beef
Celery
Onion
Tomato Sauce
Ketchup
BBQ sauce
Brown Sugar
Dry Mustard
Worcestershire
Apple Cider Vinegar

Make this with a Smoked Baked Potato!

How To Make Homemade Sloppy Joes

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Brown The Meat – In a large pot over medium-hight heat, add the meat and season with your salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and onion powder. Once it is browned, drain off the excess fat.
Mix Them Up – Add all of the sauce ingredients to the seasoned meat. Stir and add enough water to thin it down some. Around a cup usually works. If you plan on cooking it for 2 hours, add 2 cups. Reduce the heat to medium-low and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Cook It Down – Let the sloppy joes simmer for 1-2 hours. Serve hot!

Serve with some Blackstone French Fries!

FAQ

What’s in a sloppy joe?

Some people do sloppy joes with ground pork, others with ground beef, or even ground chicken or lamb. Some people throw caution to the wind and do combinations of ground meat. Even ground turkey works if you want to go there.

But the thing that really makes a joe sloppy is that sweet and tangy tomato sauce. That flavor comes down to the combination of Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Some grilled onions in there is a plus too.

I don’t want to scare anyone off, but I know the truth behind the sloppy joe conspiracy. Yes, it can finally be revealed…

Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. Yes, those little oily fish that you either love or hate are one of the main ingredients in Worcestershire. “How could they?” you ask? Well, don’t let it bum you out unless of course, you are vegetarian or vegan. Then you just have to find the anchovy-free version of it. That is what we have to do, as one of our kids is allergic to fish. More often that not I just wait to add the Worcestershire until last and take out some for him before I add it.
The fact is anchovies are amazing at helping other seasonings and flavors be their best.

Want a different twist on a classic sloppy joe? Try this Chicken Gumbo Sloppy Joes recipe!

Can these sloppy joes be cooked in the slow cooker?

Yup! I actually have a recipe especially for that method, here on my Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes page.

The crockpot method works best if you have to leave the house during the cooking time, and if you have a lot of time on your hands.

It isn’t a dump-and-go type of crockpot recipe, mind you. You still have to cook the meat. But it is great for a giant batch that you want to have ready to go after a long day at the lake, or right when you get home from work.

Use my Homemade BBQ Sauce in this!

Tips for Sloppy Joe success!

Sloppy joes are simple to make, but with a few things in mind you can make sure they aren’t only edible, but incredible!

Use High Heat To Brown The Meat – Make sure to use high heat to brown the meat. You really want to get that nice sizzle on there for the Maillard reaction to occur. That’s the french terminology for caramelizing the meat. It adds tons of flavor.

The Beef Matters – The best ground beef for sloppy joes is not to lean and not too fatty. An 80/20 blend is about perfect to make sure the flavor is there without having too much fat to drain off either.

Experiment – I can’t follow a recipe to the “t” to save my life, and I don’t expect you guys to either. That’s where the magic happens and where you can really make things your own. So with this recipe, and any others – FEEL FREE TO EXPERIMENT. Just don’t email me a nasty-gram if it doesn’t work. 😉 Experiments aren’t always a success!

We love to serve with Vinegar Coleslaw!

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Like yours a little sweeter? Increase the brown sugar or use a sweeter barbecue sauce!

Want some more bite? Just increase the vinegar.

Like to keep it spicy? Throw in some hot sauce.

Looking to add more vegetables to your life? Throw in some more celery, and also some bell peppers for good measure.

Try with Smoked Mac and Cheese!

The best side dishes for sloppy joes

I think coleslaw and french fries make great companions for a nice hearty sloppy joe. But oven-fried onion rings definitely would be on the list of top choices too.

If you want something less obvious, then what would you think about broccoli cheese soup?

Yield: 8 servings

Stovetop Sloppy Joes

Sweet, tangy, and juicy sloppy joes for the next time you need a dose of down-home cooking.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 - 2 cups water

Instructions

Brown ground beef with onions and celery. Season with salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and onion powder. Drain excess fat.
Add all other ingredients (except the water) into a Dutch Oven. Place cooked ground beef/celery/onion mixture into the pot and stir.
Add enough water to thin out the sauce and give it room to thicken during cooking time. 1 - 2 cups should be plenty. The less time you cook it, the less water you should add.
Simmer over medium-low heat for 1-2 hours or until vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 236Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 293mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 21g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!

Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe