Easy Sloppy Joe’s
This sweet, tangy and extra saucy meat filling is MUCH better than anything you can buy in a can. Scooped onto soft buns, these easy homemade sandwiches are a quick meal to feed a couple of people or a large crowd in about 20 minutes.
What are Easy Sloppy Joe’s?
Apparently Sloppy Joe’s vary depending on the part of the country that you live in. Here in Minnesota, Sloppy Joe’s are a one pan meal that combine ground beef with a sweet and tangy sauce served on a soft bun. They definitely live up their name as the delicious, meaty sauce can sure be messy to eat!
In my house, we top our Joe’s with salty dill pickle slices for an added crunch.
Is this meal easy enough for a busy weeknight?
Yes, definitely! This is one of my favorite go-to meals to make on busy homework and activity nights. It’s made from simple ingredients and is ready in under half an hour.
You can also make the filling ahead or time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, simply reheat on the stove or microwave and scoop on to buns.
This recipe is all made in one pan, so its a really quick cleanup. I love these pans for a non-toxic, non-stick option.
This sauce is is also made of pantry staple ingredients, so as long as you have some ground beef and buns, you can whip these bad boys up any time.
What’s a quick and easy side dish with Sloppy Joe’s?
- coleslaw
- pasta salad
- pretzels or chips with my easy Pretzel Dip
- fries
- fruit
- corn on the cob
My kids especially like chips like these as a side dish because they use the chip to scoop up the extra filling that inevitably falls out of the sandwich! We usually add pickles on top of our sandwiches for an extra crunch, but you could serve them on the side instead.
Can you serve this recipe at a party?
Yes! My absolute favorite part about this recipe is that it can easily feed a CROWD! You can double or triple the recipe and make it a head of time. Then simply reheat to serve when ready. Since Easy Sloppy Joe’s are best served warm, I recommend serving it in a disposable chafing dish like these or even a large crockpot and letting your guests spoon it onto buns themselves.
What do you need for this recipe?
- extra lean ground beef
- ketchup
- yellow mustard
- worcestershire sauce
- water
- brown sugar
- hamburger buns
How do you make Sweet and Saucy Sloppy Joe’s?
In a large pan over med-high, brown the ground beef with a wooden spoon on meat masher like this one. Cook until no longer pink and drain off access liquid. I like to use extra lean ground beef, so there won’t be much grease from the meat, but still drain off what is there so you don’t end up with a greasy sauce.
Reduce heat to med-low, add the worcestershire sauce and give the meat a good stir.
Add in the ketchup, mustard and water mix everything together to completely coat the meat. The mixture may seem a bit watery, but it will thicken up a bit while it simmers.
Stir in brown sugar. Simmer over med-low heat stirring occasionally for 5 mins to let the favors blend together.
Scoop meat and sauce mixture into hamburger buns. Top with dill pickle slices (optional) and serve.
Easy Sloppy Joe’s
Equipment
- large pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 package hamburger buns
Notes
- In a large pan over med-high, brown the ground beef with a wooden spoon on meat masher. Cook until no longer pink and drain off access liquid.
- Reduce heat to med-low, add the worcestershire sauce and give the meat a good stir.
- Add in the ketchup, mustard and water mix everything together to completely coat the meat.
- Stir in brown sugar.
- Simmer over med-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Scoop meat mixture onto hamburger buns and serve. Try adding dill pickle slices for an extra crunch (optional).
