This old fashioned sloppy joes recipe is a simple thirty minute meal. Hearty and comforting. Made with lean ground beef, peppers and onions in a tangy tomato sauce.

Skip the premade canned sauce mix and make this from scratch. It’s infinitely better tasting and super easy to prepare.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Pantry staple ingredients – this recipe uses ingredients that are a staple in nearly all pantries. No unusual items here.
Minimal cleanup – using one pan to cook makes cleanup a breeze.
Ready in 30 minutes – in a dinner rush? Thirty minutes is all you need to prepare a delicious weeknight meal.

What Goes With Sloppy Joes?

We love to serve sloppy joes with creamy cole slaw or macaroni salad. These refreshing salads make great sides for sandwiches.

Add a slice of cheese – this kicks the sandwich up a notch by adding some creaminess.

Top view of Sloppy Joe on white plate with napkin.

No Hamburger Buns? No Problem

The following breads make delicious substitutes for hamburger buns. These are a nice variation if you just want something different.

Biscuits – these make great little sliders.
Hawaiian rolls – another option for sliders.
Texas toast – a must for big appetites.
Crescent rolls – roll some Sloppy Joe meat in a crescent roll and bake.
Sandwich bread – serve open faced and eat with a fork.

Pro Tips

Sauté the onions and peppers first – Cook these first and then remove them before browning the ground beef. By doing this, you won’t burn the onions and peppers.
Bell peppers – Traditionally green bell peppers are used but I like the sweetness of a yellow or orange bell pepper. Use what you like for this recipe.
Celery and garlic – You could also add chopped celery and minced garlic to this recipe. Just sauté it along with the onions and peppers.

The Best Utensil For Chopping Ground Meat

I use a meat chopper every time I need to brown ground beef. This little utensil breaks up the meat faster than a spatula or spoon. A few simple twists is all it takes to speed up the browning process. This is especially useful if the meat hasn’t defrosted completely. Once the meat is broken up, I then switch to a spatula to finish browning.

Related – 5 Must Have Tools Every Kitchen Needs

Ingredients Needed

Ground beef – 80 percent lean /20 percent fat makes the best blend for Sloppy Joes.
Yellow onion – This is the most common type of onion.
Bell pepper – This recipe uses orange for sweetness. Green is more savory. Choose what you like.
Olive oil – This is a high heat tolerant oil necessary for sautéing the onions and peppers.
Salt and pepper – Must have spices to bring out the best flavor.
Ground mustard – You can substitute prepared mustard if you don’t have ground mustard.
Brown sugar – Light or dark is fine. Light brown sugar is what was used in this recipe.
Ketchup – Will add a bit more sweetness to the overall taste.
Apple cider vinegar – If you only have white vinegar that is fine to use.
Worcestershire sauce – This adds additional tangy flavor.
Tomato sauce – This is the basis for the sauce in this recipe.

How To Make Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes

For the complete instructions, see the recipe card below.

Sauté chopped onions and peppers in olive oil till soft. Remove from pan onto a plate. Set aside.

Browning ground beef in a pan with a spatula.

Brown ground beef till no longer pink. Drain grease.

Browned beef, spices and tomato sauce in a skillet.

Add the remaining ingredients to the browned ground beef.

Stir all ingredients together. Cover pan. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over toasted hamburger buns.

Sloppy Joe on plate with a red striped napkin.

How To Store

Store leftovers in an airtight, sealed container for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe