Homemade Sloppy Joe's - The BEST and most flavorful Sloppy Joe's that the whole family will ADORE! So EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and can be made with either ground beef or ground turkey to keep them HEALTHIER! Perfect for get-togethers, parties, or a fast family dinner on busy weeknights!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: 30-Minute Meals
Cuisine: Beef
Servings: 8
Calories: 219kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1 to 3tablespoonsolive oil*
1poundlean ground beefcan be made with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork
1small white or yellow oniondiced small
½cupsmall diced green bell pepper
8ouncestomato saucebasic tomato sauce, not spaghetti sauce or anything fancier needed
2tablespoonstomato paste
2tablespoonketchup
1tablespoonlight brown sugarpacked; or more to taste
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonkosher saltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
Hamburger bunsfor serving
Instructions
To a large skillet, add the oil, ground beef, onions, green peppers, and cook over medium-high heat to brown the beef and soften the vegetables. Crumble the beef as it cooks and stir mixture frequently to ensure even cooking, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.
Drain the mixture very well** (see Notes).
Add the tomato sauce, paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.
After mixture is simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low or low, and allow it to simmer for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until it's thickened a bit and is as thick as desired (mixture will also thicken up as it cools).
Serve immediately in buns. Sloppy Joe's meat mixture will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
*If you're using ground turkey or ground chicken, I recommend adding 2 to 3 tablespoons since they are very lean proteins that tend to dry out; with ground beef or ground pork, you can get away with less oil.**Because I personally prefer sloppier Sloppy Joe's with more moisture and sauce, I drain the mixture well, but I don't squeeze out every last drop of natural juices and oils. Suit yourself and your preferences with how well you drain it, ranging from well to very well.