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Classic Sloppy Joes are a quick and easy family friendly dinner! Your choice of ground chicken, beef or turkey is simmered in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce. Serve on toasted hamburger buns and enjoy this meal that can be ready to eat in 30 minutes!
Looking for a different type of sloppy joe? Try these Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes!
This post has been updated since it was originally published on 6/2/2014
Why you’ll love them
Budget-friendly family dinner – This recipe uses simple ingredients, many of which you may already have.
Freezer-friendly – Sloppy Joe meat freezes great! Make a double batch and enjoy one portion tonight and freeze the other half for a day when you don’t have time to cook.
Saucy and delicious – The key to a good sloppy joe recipe is the sauce. This homemade version will make you forget all about the stuff in the can. The sauce is rich with the perfect balance of savory, tangy, and sweet.
Quick and easy dinner – From start to finish these sloppy joe sandwiches can be on the table and ready to eat in 30 minutes or less!
The ingredients
- Ground chicken, turkey, or beef – Use whatever ground meat you and your family like best. I’ve used them all and they all work great.
- Onion – Any variety of onion works. I generally use white or yellow onion.
- Tomato sauce – An 8 ounce can of tomato sauce is the perfect size for this recipe.
- Ketchup – Adds sweetness to the sauce that the can of tomato sauce doesn’t provide.
- Honey – The amount you use is up to you and may depend on the brand of ketchup you use and how sweet it is. I use a less sweet ketchup and usually a tablespoon of honey.
- Apple cider vinegar – Adds a little tang to the sauce. White vinegar can be used as well.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds a great savory flavor to the sauce.
- Chili powder, dry mustard, celery seed, garlic powder – The spice blend for the sloppy joes. This blend is what makes them unique.
How to make sloppy joes
Whether you’re new to cooking or someone who is looking for a recipe that doesn’t require a lot of prep work and time in the kitchen, this sloppy joe recipe is for you!
Brown the ground chicken and onion – Add the ground chicken (beef or turkey) to a large skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to crumble the meat. Push the meat over to one side of the pan and add the diced onion to the other side.
Sauté the onions until they’re tender and brown the meat until cooked through. Add the dried spices, salt and pepper to the chicken and onions then stir everything together.
Add in the sauce – Combine the tomato sauce, ketchup, vinegar, honey, and Worcestershire sauce in a measuring glass or bowl. Pour the sauce onto the meat and stir everything together.
Turn the heat down to low and let the sloppy joe mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. While the sauce thickens, toast the hamburger buns and prepare any toppings.
Ways to serve sloppy joes
- On brioche buns like the ones shown in the photos, or hamburger buns.
- On top of rice.
- For a lower carb option, use it as a filling for lettuce wraps or wrap it up in a tortilla.
- Over spaghetti. It has a similar consistency to meat sauce for pasta.
- As a topping for a baked potato.
Side dishes to serve with sloppy joes
- Potato salad is always a great option. If you’re not into mayo based potato salad, try my chimichurri potato salad.
- Southwestern Bean Salad
- Roasted potatoes go great with sloppy joes. These everything bagel roasted potatoes are one of my favorites or if you like blue cheese, try these herb roasted potatoes with blue cheese. Swap blue cheese with feta if you prefer.
- Making these sloppy joes in the summer? You can’t go wrong with a refreshing salad like this strawberry watermelon feta salad.
Storage and leftovers
The sloppy joe leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the meat mixture for up to 3 months.
To reheat the sloppy joes, either warm it in a saucepan with the lid on over low heat until heated through or microwave in 30-60 second intervals. If the mixture is too thick add a splash of water to loosen it up.
More sloppy joe recipes
Did you make these sloppy joes? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
This was one of the very best sloppy Joe recipes I have tried. Used Trader jOes meatless beef and added a big teaspoon of smoked paprika!!!! Not a fan of green bell so I used red. Yummy!
Thanks for making the sloppy joes Annette!
Colorado sounds gorgeous! I love the ground turkey in these, that’s all I use nowadays. And the honey must make it extra good! Yum!
Colorado is beautiful Kayley, if you’ve never been here you must plan a trip! The honey adds great flavor to these sloppy joes, it’s what I love most about them!
Whoa, you’ve been super busy and active! Love it. Great way to refuel with these sloppy joes!
Thanks Joanne! The sloppy joes definitely hit the spot!
I have a similar sloppy joe recipe that I make often, but I’ve never thought to add honey. I’m sure it adds the perfect amount of sweet flavor to this delicious dish!
The honey is my favorite part about these sloppy joes!
We are all about quick and easy meals here. I love the addition of honey to these, such a great idea!
Thanks Matt! I bet you guys need as many quick meals as you can get your hands on right now!
These look amazing! I agree with Annie, sloppy joes aren’t easy to make look delicious and you nailed it….. my mouth is watering! My parents recently retired and moved from where I live (NH) and Colorado and they are loving the weather too, they’re near Colorado Springs :) You are Very active, that’s great! I’m working on it but nowhere near you! Thanks for sharing this great recipe! The best part is that I have ground beef and was just struggling with what to do with it…. you’re the best!
Thanks Stephanie, that’s so sweet! For me the key to staying active is doing things I love and that are fun, that way it doesn’t feel like a “work”out.
I’ve never had sloppy Joes but these look great :)
You are in for a treat! Give them a try!
A Sloppy Joe is not an easy food to photograph, great job on the photos! I totally agree with you, I want to be doing fun things instead of cooking when the weather is this great. Most of my cooking his migrated out to the grill lately!
Thanks Annie, I was stressing taking pictures of the Joes, you just made my day!