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The Best Sloppy Joes Ever

5 from 16 votes
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Sloppy Joes on top of hamburger buns
Sloppy Joes

You can all thank Mr Magpie for this recipe for the best Sloppy Joes ever. Picture this: the family and I in the middle of the grocery store. The kids are helping shop, picking out what they want for school lunches and snacks before swim team. I’m wandering down the aisle looking for chocolate per usual because everything else bores me, and Mr Magpie picks up a can.

“Whoa!” he exclaims “Sloppy Joes! We haven’t had these in years!”

I freeze in the middle of grabbing some canned beans for my white bean pumpkin chili .

“Sloppy Joes…. out of a can?”   I squeak in horror, glancing around to see who heard my barely there food cred being utterly decimated in the middle of the grocery aisle.

white plate with Sloppy Joes on top of hamburger buns topped with cheese

” Totally!” Mike exults, not noticing my eyes rolling back in my head “How about this for supper tonight? 

“Oh my Effing Gee.” was pretty much all that I could manage to get out word-wise. Action-wise I might have slapped the can out of his hand, I’m not admitting anything.

Look. I’m no food purist, I eat mushroom soup straight from the can and love a hot, fresh McDonald’s Filet o’ Fish more than anything else in this world. For real. That fish burger is my favourite food. But dudes. You don’t eat sloppy joes from a can. That just makes me sad.

close up Sloppy Joes on top of hamburger buns topped with cheese

How to Make Sloppy Joes

  • Place ground beef in the bottom of a large, deep skillet.
  • Fry until brown, drain most of the grease then add the onions.
  • Saute the onions and green pepper until soft, then add in the garlic.
  • Saute for 2 minutes, then add in the rest of the ingredients.
  • Stir, simmering on medium heat for 10 minutes.
  • Serve on top of hamburger buns, topped with cheese if desired.

How to Make Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

You can use vegetarian ingredients to make sloppy joes! Try:

  1. Cooked lentils
  2. Crumbled/Chopped up tofu
  3. Vegetarian burger patties – just chop them up and cook
  4. Chopped up and cooked mushrooms

How Did Sloppy Joes Get Their Name?

No one knows for sure, but it’s guessed that  a cook named Joe at Floyd Angell’s café in Sioux City, Iowa came up with the concoction, He simply added tomato sauce to his ground beef sandwiches and the “sloppy joe” became a real thing! There are of course, many other versions of how it came to be, who knows which one is real!

How to Freeze Sloppy Joes

After you have cooked the sloppy joes, simply place into a large freezer safe container or freezer bag and freezer in your deep freezer for up to 6 months.

2 pieces of buns with Sloppy Joes and cheese on top

How to Make Sloppy Joes in the Slow Cooker

Making sloppy joes in the slow cooker is so easy!

  1. Place the ground beef in the bottom of a large, deep skillet. Fry until brown, drain most of the grease then add the onions.
  2. Saute the onions and green pepper until soft, then add in the garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, then place into the botto o a slow cooker.
  3. Add in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Set on low and cook all day, 8-9 hours.
  4. Serve on top of hamburger buns, topped with cheese if desired.

2 servings of buns topped with Sloppy Joes and cheese

Tips and Tricks for Making Sloppy Joes

  • Sloppy joes shouldn’t be a chili. Sloppy joes don’t need beans, mushrooms or vegetables ( other than green pepper!) or anything fancy.
  • Sloppy Joes DO need copious amounts of fresh minced garlic, onions, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and seasoning salt to be the best sloppy joes ever.
  • Add pinch of sugar to cut the acidity if your ketchup wasn’t a sweet one.
  • If you want, ground turkey would be amazing in this as well, if you don’t eat red meat. It’s the sauce that makes everything amazing!

So, who’s a sloppy joe lover? I’ve been converted, to be honest I’ve never really been a fan before. These though? Seriously fantastic and that’s because I’ve tailored them to my taste which you know, I think is pretty ok 😉

But now I am going to ask you a question:

Topless or topped sloppy joes?

Mike and I argued about this. I like topless with melted cheese on top and you eat it with a knife and fork, HE says put a bun on it and eat it with your hands.

What do YOU say? Topless or topped?

Happy Cooking babes!

Love you more than chocolate,

Karlynn

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Sloppy Joes Recipe – The Best Ever!

How to make The Best Sloppy Joes Ever! These sloppy joes are easy, simple and use great ingredients. This is the recipe you've been looking for all your life!
5 from 16 votes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Calories
445
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 cup white onion diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/2 whole green pepper finely chopped you can use the whole thing, Mike's not a huge fan
  • 2 cups tomato sauce or a 15-16 oz can
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt - or to taste if you like saltier
  • white sugar - to taste
  • 4-6 hamburger buns
  • Shredded cheese if desired

Instructions
 

  • Place ground beef in the bottom of a large, deep skillet.
  • Fry until brown, drain most of the grease then add the onions.
  • Saute the onions and green pepper until soft, then add in the garlic.
  • Saute for 2 minutes, then add in the rest of the ingredients.
  • Stir, simmering on medum heat for 10 minutes.
  • Serve on top of hamburger buns, topped with cheese if desired.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 445kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 1908mg, Potassium: 1307mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 740IU, Vitamin C: 27.3mg, Calcium: 134mg, Iron: 7.5mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Michael says

    I just made this and, OH MY GOD!!!!! Now I know why you call this the Best Sloppy Joe’s Ever. I completely agree. The only thing I did different was I had no white sugar so I used light brown sugar instead. Not sure if it changed the flavor in any way but like I said, OH MY GOD this is good. No more that canned stuff at my house.

    p.s.. I agree with Mike. Go with the tops and eat with your hands.5 stars

  2. Susan McNabb Ruff says

    Seriously. I just want to be your next door neighbor

    5 stars

  3. KevinCasement says

    I’ve always had mine topped, but topless with cheese on top sounds pretty good too. These were a staple growing up and I’ve recently started making them again.  So good!

    5 stars

  4. Pam Mansveld says

    Nice! I would definitely go topless with just a sprinkle of chopped green onions

    5 stars

    • The Kitchen Magpie says

      You’re my kinda gal \U0001f609 Green onions! Yum!!!

  5. The Kitchen Magpie says

    You’re my kinda gal. Green onions! Yum!!!5 stars

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