How do you make Sloppy Joes look pretty? Asking for a friend…ha!
Here’s the thing, I wasn’t going to post a new recipe this week at all. I’m a part-time 5th grade teacher, I have a son starting college, I have a daughter starting high school, another daughter in junior high and it’s “back to school” week for ALL of us. So much excitement and stress! However, when I was making my dinner plan for the week I added my Classic Sloppy Joes. I realized that I hadn’t shared them yet and if I can fit these into my crazy week then so can you!
Recipe History
I have to tell y’all where this recipe came from! My mother-in-law made these just after my husband and I were married and I immediately loved them. She told me they were called “Ellis School Barbeques” so of course I had to know why. Ellis is the elementary school that my husband went to in Logan, UT and somehow she got the recipe for the “barbeques” (or “sloppy joes”) that the lunch ladies served. I have been making this recipe for 20 years but my husband has had them since he was a kid. Of course, I couldn’t leave the recipe alone! Over the years, I have changed the ingredient amounts but haven’t added anything. The original recipe included flour to thicken them but I think it’s unnecessary. I like my sloppy joes sloppy!
How do Classic Sloppy Joes taste?
These Classic Sloppy Joes are the perfect combination of ground beef, onion, tomato based sauces, and spices. The tomato soup and curry powder make them so unique but at the same time, you still get the classic taste that you grew up on. My mom always made sloppy joes with sauce from a can. Remember that stuff? If you use that, you have to try this easy homemade version that is so much tastier!
This recipe uses 2 lbs of ground beef and serves about 8 people. I like to double it and use 4 lbs then freeze what we don’t eat. A quick thaw on a busy weeknight has saved our dinner many, many times. Like I’ve said before, I love to cook once and eat twice!
Sponsored post for Lee’s Marketplace. Items on sale the week of August 25-31: ground beef, ketchup, white onions, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, hamburger buns
Classic Sloppy Joes
Charlotte Hancey
Quick and easy homemade sloppy joes! Full of classic, delicious flavors with everyday ingredients.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 yellow or white onion, diced
- 1 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons steak sauce (A-1)
- 1/2 cup tomato soup concentrate
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Hamburger buns, for serving
Instructions
Heat a large, non-stick skillet to medium-high. Add ground beef and onion then cook until meat is browned. Drain excess grease.
Add ketchup, Worcestershire, steak sauce, tomato soup, curry, sage, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir until combined well.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
Serve on buns.
Notes
- We like to add sliced dill pickles to ours.
- Freezes well! I like to double this and freeze excess for an even easier future dinner.
Keyword easy dinner, family dinner, ground beef, sloppy joes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Reader Interactions
Comments
These have been one of my favorites since I went to Ellis Elementary.
I lived across the street from Ellis Elementary ‼️
Because of that, I didn’t get to eat school lunch very often, but the sloppy joes were a favorite 😋
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FAQs
Some attribute the original Sloppy Joe to a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, where, many years ago, in 1930 a cook named Joe added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches. Voila: a new between-the-bread offering, and the sandwich's official name.
What mistakes everyone makes when cooking sloppy joes? ›
Not breaking the meat up properly
Once you've tenderized your beef and onions, you'll want to brown them and add sauce to make a sloppy joe. However, even if you get the taste of the meat and the thickness of the sauce just right, you will also want to be sure that all the pieces of ground beef are the same size.
How many pounds of ground beef per person for sloppy joes? ›
Our classic sloppy joes recipe calls for 1 pound of ground beef to make 6 sandwiches, which is 3 ounces of ground beef per sandwich. Depending on the size of your bun and how meaty you like your sandwich, you can increase or decrease that amount an ounce or two either way.
What do people in Wisconsin call sloppy joes? ›
How "hot tamale" became the name for sloppy Joes in these Wisconsin communities is so far a mystery. The name was solidified through decades of Sheboygan and Manitowoc school lunch menus, though "sloppy Joe" has come into use now.
What is the fancy name for Sloppy Joes? ›
Some other names for sloppy joes include: barbecues, dynamites, gulash, sloppy janes, slushburgers, steamers, wimpies, and yum yums. What do you call sloppy joes where you live? Just like the many names for sloppy joes, you'll also find all sorts of variations on the recipe.
What's the difference between a sloppy joe and a sloppy Jane? ›
If you're aiming to eat a lower-fat diet, then consider fixing yourself a sloppy jane. This variant on the sloppy joe swaps out regular ground beef for leaner beef. It also places a higher focus on vegetables and other low-calorie ingredients.
Should you drain meat before adding sloppy joe sauce? ›
Sloppy Joe Tips
We suggest draining the browned beef, because excess grease serves as a barrier to sloppy joe seasonings.
What will thicken sloppy joes? ›
- Flour can be used similar to corn starch.
- Other thickeners used are bread crumbs, potato flakes and oats. ...
- Go gradually with these. ...
- Use oats to thicken sloppy-joes as to absorb the excess but it will be thicker the next day.
- Barley can be used but is more expensive.
Canned chiles can also add loads of flavor and texture to your sloppy joes. Mild Hatch chiles are perfect for people who don't want their sloppy joes too spicy, while chipotle chiles add some heat and some lovely smokiness. You could also opt for fresh chiles like fruity (and super spicy) habaneros or milder Anaheims.
What toppings go on sloppy joes? ›
Garnish with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded pepper-Jack cheese, chopped avocado, pickled or fresh jalapeño slices and chopped cilantro, if desired. Hawaiian Variation: Prepare recipe as directed above, substituting 1/2 cup sweet barbecue sauce for tomato sauce and omitting Worcestershire sauce.
A sloppy joe is a sandwich consisting of ground beef, onions, tomato sauce or ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings served on a hamburger bun.
What is slang for sloppy joe? ›
a man or youth whose appearance is habitually slovenly.
What are sloppy joes called in Pennsylvania? ›
In Central PA, what we call a barbecue sandwich is what most of the rest of the world calls a sloppy joe. We don't mean to offend those of you who believe that “barbecue” can only mean a smoked meat, such as pork or beef brisket or ribs.
Is sloppy joe a Southern thing? ›
Many believe the Sloppy Joe is the namesake of a Sioux City, Iowa cook, who in 1930, combined the regionally popular loose meat sandwich with tomato sauce. It's less messy predecessor, the loose meat sandwich is a Midwestern favorite of steamed or sauteed ground beef, onions, mustard and pickles.
What is the sloppy joe sauce made of? ›
What is the sloppy joe sauce made of? It's made with ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chili powder, garlic, dry mustard, and a little Tobasco (if you want). That sauce coats the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to make the filling.
What was the sloppy joe in the 1930s? ›
Many believe the Sloppy Joe is the namesake of a Sioux City, Iowa cook, who in 1930, combined the regionally popular loose meat sandwich with tomato sauce. It's less messy predecessor, the loose meat sandwich is a Midwestern favorite of steamed or sauteed ground beef, onions, mustard and pickles.
Where is the original Sloppy Joes? ›
Sloppy Joe's Bar is a historic American bar in Key West, Florida located at the corner of Greene and Duval Street since 1937.
What is the origin of the sloppy joe jumper? ›
You've probably seen these comfortable jumpers, but just didn't know their name. The history of this simple jumper started with male Ivy League students, who wore oversized, sloppy-style sweaters to show their superiority. A bit later Sloppy Joes gain popularity among women and create a new way to emphasize femininity.
Charlotte Hancey
