A classic homemade sloppy joe recipe made with hamburger meat and a tomato based sauce. Easy weeknight dinner!
This is, dare I say an old-fashioned, sloppy joe recipe that was common in our house in the ‘90s. I pass on the mail order meals and like to serve slightly nostalgic dinner recipes, like this one, to my kids.
With a freezer full of ground meat, this is an easy dinner recipe that I can get on the table in under 30 minutes. This easy sloppy joe recipe is also perfect to make ahead of time for those busy sports nights.
Reasons to add sloppy joes to your dinner recipe rotation:
- You likely have all the ingredients on hand.
- Leftovers are tasty.
- Ready in under 30 minutes.
- Great source of lean protein.
- Budget friendly, family approved recipe.
Ingredients
- Ground Meat – I like to use a 90/10 lean ground beef or ground venison.
- Green Bell Pepper
- Yellow Onion
- Tomato Sauce – One 8 oz. can. You can substitute this for 1 cup of ketchup if you prefer.
- Ketchup – Try to use a ketchup that isn’t too sweet. I like Whataburger Ketchup or classic Hunt's.
- BBQ Sauce – Be sure to use a BBQ sauce that you like the flavor of, I use whatever I have on hand, which is typically Stubb’s or Sweet Baby Ray’s.
- Prepared Yellow Mustard
- Brown Sugar – If your ketchup or BBQ sauce is really sweet, you may want to reduce the amount of brown sugar.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Spices: Salt, pepper and garlic powder
Variations
- Substitute a poblano pepper for the green bell pepper.
- Add some heat to the recipe by adding a diced jalapeño, chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper to sloppy joes.
- For saucier sloppy joes, increase the BBQ sauce in the recipe.
- Instead of on a bun, serve it on top or a baked russet or sweet potato.
What to serve with sloppy joes
Serve sloppy joe mixture on a toasted hamburger bun with a side of pickles. Side dish ideas for sloppy joes include tater tots, potato chips, baked beans and roasted red potatoes. For vegetables, I like to serve with broccoli, cauliflower or a house salad.
📖 Recipe
Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 c. yellow onion chopped
- 1 c. green bell pepper chopped (1 pepper)
- 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
- ¼ c. BBQ Sauce
- ¼ c. ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook ground beef over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain grease if necessary. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until onion is translucent.
- Add tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and spices to meat mixture. Stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this easy dinner recipe! What other nostalgic recipes do you serve your family?
Alaine
More easy dinner recipes you may also enjoy:
Cynthia
Turned out to taste just as I remembered when I was a kid! I added a little roasted green chilies along with the green bell pepper.