Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe

Sloppy joes are something of a staple in our household and we hope this recipe can help make it a part of yours as well. And who doesn't like a good sloppy joe sandwich?

If you prefer, you can follow along with our video of this recipe here!

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Though not always the case, more times than not, I have all of the ingredients necessary for this recipe which makes this an easy one to decide on. Add to the fact that, as you'll see below, it's really easy to make, and I'm sure it'll make its way into your list of go-to recipes as well! 

List of ingredients:

2 lbs. of ground beef

1/2 an onion (you can use more or less depending on your taste!)

1 bell pepper chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped between

3/4 to 1 cup of ketchup (depending on taste and how much meat you're using)

2 tablespoons of mustard (I just used regular yellow mustard)

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 cup of water

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of rosemary

1 teaspoon of thyme

1 teaspoon of sage

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

Now that we know what we need (or at least what we need to get if we don't have it already), let's get to cooking! 

First, we'll start by cooking the meat. This part is pretty straightforward. All we're trying to do is brown the meat, stirring it up into smaller bits. It is recommended to use leaner meat as there will be less grease (albeit that may come at a bit steeper price, so use what you have. We'll just drain the grease when it's done!) 

As we're cooking the meat, we are also going to add the chopped onion.

Once the meat has browned, we'll drain off the grease (if necessary) and continue cooking. At this point, the onions should have become somewhat clear as well. We will also reduce the heat a bit as we do not want this to burn. So let's bump that heat down to a simmer (like a medium to medium-low heat). 

Now let's add the bell pepper and stir in continuing to cook. 

Next comes the garlic. Now, for this, I used 3 cloves. You can add more if you wish. You can adjust all of the measurements to your taste! That's the joy of cooking! Make it your own!

Let's start making this saucy now! Starting with adding the ketchup. Stir in between 3/4 cup of ketchup and 1 cup. How much you add depends on the amount of meat and just how saucy you want Sloppy Joe. You'll notice when you add this, it'll start to take on that Sloppy Joe Smell! MMM MMM!

Next is mustard. We're going to add 2 tablespoons and stir it in well. I just used regular yellow mustard in this example, but if you'd like to try either a Dijon or maybe a honey mustard, give it a whirl! 

Once we have this all mixed together we're going to add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and as we have with everything else, stir it in well. We want to make sure everything is good and incorporated. 

Now let's add 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (please don't make me say it out loud!) Now, depending on your taste, you might want to add a bit more. If so, I'd recommend adding just a little bit at a time. While Worcestershire sauce can add some amazing flavor to a dish, it can be overdone. 

At this point, we still have some seasonings to add, but first, we're going to add 1 cup of water. It will look like an absolute soupy mess but don't worry. It will reduce into a good sauce! It's all part of the plan. 

Now we're going to add the seasonings:

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of rosemary

1 teaspoon of thyme

1 teaspoon of sage

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

This of course is all to taste! 

So we've now got everything mixed together and it's time to simmer. Slap a lid on your pot, and give this about 20 minutes to reduce down and finish cooking. 

And there you have it! Homemade Sloppy Joes! Serve it up with some tots and enjoy!

Once again, thank you for your support in our journey, and we'll see you on the next one!