The Best Sloppy Joes are homemade and delicious enough for adults and kids alike! The whole family will love this delicious easy dinner.
Sloppy Joes can be amazing, didn’t you know? It doesn’t have to be a quick, thrown together meal from a can that kids can tolerate. It can be flavorful and packed full of delicious vegetables. It can have texture!
PRO TIP: Toast your buns before placing your meat on. This will take your sloppy Joes to the next level! Simply place open-face on a baking sheet and put under the broiler setting on your oven. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
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What kind of ground beef should I use?
A lean ground beef (93/7) mixture is a great option for sloppy joes. There’s hardly any fat which means you probably won’t even need to drain the grease off of your meat. If you like your sloppy joes on the greasy side, feel free to use a higher fat content ground beef. -
Do I have to add all of the vegetables?
No. You can adjust the amount of vegetables to your own personal taste. However, the vegetables add extra flavor and amazing texture to this historically mushy sandwich of our childhood, and we do recommend sticking to the recipe as closely as possible. -
Where did the name “Sloppy Joe”come from?
There is much debate over who originally created the sloppy joe. It is said that a man named Joe in Iowa possibly created the sloppy joe in 1930. Another possibility, Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, Florida has served sloppy Joes since they opened in 1933. Last but not least, Sloppy Joe’s Saloon in Havana is another contender for original creator. So who really invented this favorite loose meat sandwich? The world may never know.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other classic American dinner recipes:
I doubled this recipe and it did take a little longer to get the diced green peppers soft… I added about a tablespoon more of Worcestershire sauce and 5 tablespoons of brown sugar. I didn’t use the celery. I took someone’s advice and added 1/8 tsp. of baking soda to cut down on the acidic tomato taste (unsure if it was really needed though). This is a keeper. Perfect amount of sweetness too.
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. I did have to make a couple swaps as I don’t have or like celery and green bell pepper. I used diced carrot and red bell pepper.