Homemade Sloppy Joes are not only easy to throw together, the rich zesty flavor is better than Manwich!
Ever since developing this recipe, I have never purchased another can of Manwich. These are easy to make, and I always seem to have the ingredients on hand, since they are mostly pantry staples.
Manwich Sloppy Joe recipe
The classic sloppy Joe, as we know it today, is mostly associated with Manwich, but it was actually born from Loose Meat Sandwiches, popular in Iowa. It is said that a cook, appropriately named “Joe”, added tomato sauce to a loose meat sandwich, and a new classic was born!
This homemade sloppy Joes recipe recreates much of what I love about Manwich, while taking these classic sandwiches to the next level! The sauce bursts with a deeper, richer, flavor that I absolutely love! Most importantly, you probably have all of the ingredients for it already in your kitchen!
Plus, let’s be honest, we all feel a bit lazy dumping Manwich from a can and calling it dinner. If you make my homemade Manwich recipe, it not only tastes better, but you get the satisfaction of making something from scratch!
How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes
The basic ingredients for making your sloppy Joes sauce consist of ketchup for a base, brown sugar for sweetness, and vinegar and/or mustard for a zesty tang. Personally, I like to deepen the flavor with Worcestershire sauce as well as a bit of paprika. A dash of cayenne really balances out the sweetness without adding noticeable heat.
I find it is best to make this in a deep-sided skillet like a saute pan. You can use nonstick or stainless, but if given the choice I would recommend using stainless because you will get more flavorful fond building up on the bottom of the pan that will incorporate into the sauce.
The best beef for making sloppy Joes is 90/10 ground beef in my opinion. 80/20 is great for making burgers, but it is a little greasier than I prefer for sloppy joes.
Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes are perfect for serving a crowd, and the easiest vessel to use when serving a crowd is your slow cooker. These sloppy Joes can be made in advance and kept warm in the slow cooker, just follow the recipe as write and pour into a crockpot for serving. Otherwise, I have also written a very similar adaptation of this recipe specifically designed for the crockpot. My slow cooker sloppy Joes are a “dump and cook recipe” requiring no additional cooking or cleanup.
How to customize this recipe
You can add some smokiness substituting smoked paprika and even adding a few splashes of liquid smoke. I also like swapping out green pepper for poblanos for a little more flavor and heat. If you are a sportsman, try this recipe with ground venison, it is fantastic!
How to serve sloppy Joes
You can use gourmet buns such as brioche or even pretzel buns, but I think this classic childhood favorite is best served on traditional hamburger buns. Whichever bun you choose, toasting them adds more flavor and texture to your sandwich.
Serve these sandwiches alongside some French fries, thick-cut steak fries, or sweet potato fries. Otherwise, some fried pickles would be great with these as well!
More Homemade Sloppy Joes Ideas
- Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes – Loaded with the flavors of the classic cheesesteak sandwich.
- Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes – Pickles, ketchup, mustard, this recipe tastes like the real thing!
- Creamy Ranch Sloppy Joes – Creamy sloppy Joes flavored with ranch.
- Quick & Easy Cheesy Sloppy Joes – This recipe was given to me by an Amish woman, they are easy and flavorful!
- Sausage Pizza Sloppy Joes – Love sausage pizza? This recipe is for you.
Homemade Sloppy Joes – Better than Manwich
Ingredients
- 2 pounds extra lean ground beef
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 1 green pepper (small diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 8 hamburger buns for serving
Instructions
- Add ground beef and onions to a skillet and cook until beef is browned.
- Add all remaining ingredients (except for buns) and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until beef is crumbly and liquid has formed a thick sauce.
- Serve on hamburger buns.
Notes
If you enjoyed reading my Homemade Sloppy Joes recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.
Heather says
My boyfriend and I absolutely loved these! I’ll definitely be making them often. Thanks for the recipe!
Debra Pryor says
Wow! No more cans of manwhich EVER
Clifford streckenbach says
Good stuff man 😂😀😃😁
jeff says
Since I left the USA, I have been wanting to make some sloppy Joes!!! and Yes I use to doctor up a can of manwich before.
I will make these, add a slice of cheese and some canned sliced jalapeno.
Heather says
Do you use apple cider vinegar?
Fox Valley Foodie says
Yes, that is correct.
Lillian says
Delicious! My sloppy joe is similar. I use left over Spaghetti sauce instead of Ketchup. It has ground turkey, onion, mushrooms tomato sauce, garlic, and spices. Now, thanks to you I add mustard, a little cayenne and Worchester (from comments) – of course, brown sugar. Husband can’t stop saying yum as he asks for seconds.
Brenda says
This is the best sloppy Joe recipe! I quit eating sloppy Joes a very long time ago because I didn’t like any of the can stuff. My best friend told me to try making my own. I’m so happy I found your recipe.. Thank you so much!
dalphine wilson says
Thank you for this recipe. Tastier than I expected. This will be in the weely dinner rotation!
hil says
Hey,
Great post! I really like and appreciate your blog post.Really looking forward to reading more. Keep writing.
Really helpful artical.
Thank…
Teena says
These are amazing! The only difference I made was instead of green pepper I put in a small can of diced green chilis. Thank you for the recipe!
Lynn Donnelly says
Can this sloppy Joe recipe be canned?
Fox Valley Foodie says
It hasn’t been tested for longterm storage, so I do not recommend it.
Connie Citriniti says
I am sure you could freeze some of it once it has been prepared. Nice easy meal…just defrost and serve when you need a quick dinner.
Deb Black says
Exactly the way I make mine, but I also add a tsp of horseradish. Have you tried doing this before? Great recipes!
Fox Valley Foodie says
That sounds like a wonderful addition, I will have to try that.
Vehh says
Great i tried this and my kids and husband loves it! Of course i added some extra spices melted some mozzarella cheese and toasted my buns but I had no complaints and nothing extra either. Thank you so much your a life saver
Joycelyn says
Gosh that’s an awful lot of ketchup. Not being much of a lover of ketchup, is that amount really necessary or will a much smaller amount mixed with something else not so sweet suffice?
Thank you
Fox Valley Foodie says
If you don’t like ketchup you can try using tomato sauce instead or a blend of both.
Susan Manthei says
I only made half of the recipe and got 6 sandwiches. Totally different from my usual recipe and loved it. Used celery since I didn’t have a green pepper.
Marie says
Sloppy Joes were always a staple in our house since I was A kid, My mom would Take Jetcup, brown sugar, little mustard, Cidervingar and A Good bbq sauce.We never had a cam of manswich ever..It was always homemade. For birthday party’s or a good summer bbq party..It was so good with homemade potatoes salad .and chips Yummy!!!.
Teresa Doyle says
These sound amazing. My husband, our son and I all hunt so we have plenty of deer burger for making this. Plus, Sloppy Joes have always been my son’s favourite so I will pass this recipe on to him too. TFS, I can’t wait To try it.
Pam E says
NEVER BUYING MANWICH AGAIN!!!!!
I made this sloppy Joe recipe tonight and followed the recipe exactly. OMG!! I don’t normally like sloppy Joe’s but this was amazing! I ate two sandwiches and my husband is heading to the kitchen for a fourth sandwich!
Thank uou for sharing this recipe. I also love your Classic Chicken Salad recipe. VERY good!
C. Williams says
Loved it, way better than the old Manwich store bought mix.