Sloppy Joes

These homemade sloppy joes are rich, savory, and perfectly balanced with a touch of sweetness and smoky flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes.

Recipe by Carrian Cheney on January 20, 2025

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT15M

Total time: PT25M

Rating

4.23 stars (180 reviews)

Keywords

beef, buns, ground beef, main dish, sloppy joes

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Butter
½ Cup Onion (diced fine)
1 Red Bell Pepper (diced fine)
1 ½ teaspoons Garlic (minced)
1 Pound Ground Beef (we use 80% lean)
2 ½ Tablespoons Dark or Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
¾ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 Cup Ketchup
¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
4 Buns (for serving)

Steps

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter.
Once melted, quickly add the onion and stir occasionally until translucent.
Add the peppers and garlic and stir occasionally for 1 minute then add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon, stirring it all together.
Allow to cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the brown sugar, mustard, worcestershire, liquid smoke, chili powder, and paprika.
Stir for 30 seconds and then add the ketchup and vinegar.
Allow to cook for 5 minutes, season to taste and serve or cook up to 1 hour on low and then serve. The longer it cooks the better the flavor.
Scoop onto buns that have been brushed with butter.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Calories: 611 kcal
Carbohydrates: 53 g
Protein: 26 g
Fat: 34 g
Saturated Fat: 15 g
Trans Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 103 mg
Sodium: 1133 mg
Sugar: 27 g
Unsaturated Fat: 15 g

Reviews

Megan on 2026-05-25 (5 stars):
Listen. I’m an 80’s girl. I was raised on sloppy joes- NOT the manwhich sloppy joes. My mom made the absolute best!!!…..that is until I tried this recipe. Now both my mom and I use this as our “go-to” because it’s THAT good. The addition of the bell pepper and the liquid smoke! 😘 🔥
billy on 2025-09-09 (5 stars):
Over the years my family has had many sloppy joes. some better than others. but this was the first time for this recipe and WOW!!! Everybody said it was the best Joe we ever had. This is now my one and only go to recipe until I find something better, which I think will take a long time to find! And as far as simmering good things come to those who wait! taste was intensified, and burger mixture was thicker and bound together that it did not fall off the roll. a substitute for simmering, where at time you have to keep stirring to prevent burning is what I do with any meal that needs simmering such as chicken and dumplings. preheat oven to 300-325 and place covered dutch oven or pot in oven, and heat for stated time in recipes. amazing results and no bottom burn. thanx for this amazing recipe post!
Robin L on 2025-04-27 (5 stars):
I love this recipe… I do add a couple of things like diced peppers either orange yellow, red or combination, I do not like green peppers 🫑 sometimes I’ll add shredded zucchini or shredded carrots. If I have some that need to be used just to get some extra veggies in our diet… Plus, I also add some crushed red pepper flakes because we like it spicy 🌶️ Thanks for a great easy weeknight meal!
Daniel on 2025-03-28 (5 stars):
I am glad that I read some of the reviews first. Some mentioned that the acidity was too high, and to use half the amount of vinegar. The first couple of times that I made this I halved the vinegar (I followed the rest of the recipe to a tee) and the results were amazing. During those times, I didn't allow the mixture to simmer long...perhaps about 5~10 minutes. This last time I made it, I allowed the mixture to simmer for about an hour, and guess what? I actually ended up adding a small splash of vinegar to balance the flavor!
Tasha on 2025-03-10 (5 stars):
I have made this recipe several times over the past couple of years my family loves it! We like it a little less tangy so we put a little less vinegar.
Greta on 2024-08-22 (5 stars):
This is my go to Sloppy Joe recipe. It is delicious. I may “eyeball” when adding the ingredients but it’s delicious every time! My family loves it for a quick meal.
Helen on 2024-07-02 (5 stars):
This was a great sloppy Joes recipe, even a bit spicy with the addition of the chili powder and smoked paprika, which we really liked. Based on several comments, I only used 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar, and that was enough for us. Definitely one I'll be making again!
Angela on 2024-03-21 (4 stars):
I enjoyed this but made some modifications. I lessened the amount of sugar. I added 3 finely diced carrots to sneak more veggies in. I didn’t have any vinegar so added a splash of lime. Lastly, I do not like liquid smoke so I left it out and added more chili powder. I used 1/2 turkey and half ground beef. My peppers were the mini ones. I love this recipe! And they are right, simmer this for an hour
Elizabeth on 2024-02-11 (4 stars):
**Add less vinegar if you’re sensitive to acid! I could tell this was delicious and perfect right up until the vinegar step. I absolutely love every single one of OSB’s recipes and trusted the recipe, but ooops! Way too much vinegar for my family’s tastes. I tried to doctor it and save it, but it was a loss. Will have to try again with just 1 tbs of vinegar - I think it’ll be perfect for the acid shy!