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5.0 from 12 votes

Homemade Sloppy Joes

This recipe is for homemade sloppy joe sauce and includes all kinds of other great info!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 275 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbs vegetable oil
  • 2 stalks celery chopped small
  • 1 small onion chopped small
  • 1 Tbs minced garlic 
  • 1 lb of Ground Beef 80/20
  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • ¼ Cup ketchup
  • ¼ Cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 Tbs brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 Tbs cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil until the surface is ripply and then add the celery and onion. Cook till the onion is translucent (about 2 minutes).
  2. Add the garlic and heat for another minute until the wonderful smell of garlic fills the air.
  3. Pull the ground beef into quarter sized pieces and brown the ground beef until just past pink. Break the ground beef up into the smallest pieces possible with a wooden spatula while cooking. If there is a lot of grease/fat in the pan, drain the fat off.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the tomato sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, mustard, worcestershire and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Place a lid on the frying pan and reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer and stir frequently. Simmer until the sloppy joes are the consistency that you prefer. The longer they cook the thicker they will get. If you want yours looser, add water by the ¼ cup at a time.

Notes

  • When browning the ground beef, don’t overcook it.  Simply cook the beef until the pink is gone then add the other ingredients.  This helps the beef to taste more moist and flavorful rather than overcooked.
  • Chop the onion small.  Most of the time I recommend leaving onions in a substantial size chop so that people can pick it out if they want.  In this sandwich however, the onion should almost disappear into the meat.
  • If you have someone eating with you who really doesn’t like onion, just leave it out and substitute 1 teaspoon of onion powder instead.
  • If you have hung around here any time at all, you’ll know that I think garlic is the herb of the Gods.  I went easy on the garlic in this recipe, but it can stand a whole lot more. Feel free to add more. I like mine with 2-3 Tbs of garlic, but that’s just me.  You be you.
  • If you don’t have cider vinegar, it is ok to substitute white vinegar or even lemon juice.
  • You cover and simmer this recipe to the consistency that you like.  If for some reason it isn’t as loose as you would prefer, simply add some water, cover and simmer.  
  • When browning the ground beef, don’t overcook it.  Simply cook the beef until the pink is gone then add the other ingredients.  This helps the beef to taste more moist and flavorful rather than overcooked.
  • Chop the onion small.  Most of the time I recommend leaving onions in a substantial size chop so that people can pick it out if they want.  In this sandwich however, the onion should almost disappear into the meat.
  • If you have someone eating with you who really doesn’t like onion, just leave it out and substitute 1 teaspoon of onion powder instead.
  • If you have hung around here any time at all, you’ll know that I think garlic is the herb of the Gods.  I went easy on the garlic in this recipe, but it can stand a whole lot more. Feel free to add more. I like mine with 2-3 Tbs of garlic, but that’s just me.  You be you.
  • If you don’t have cider vinegar, it is ok to substitute white vinegar or even lemon juice.
  • You cover and simmer this recipe to the consistency that you like.  If for some reason it isn’t as loose as you would prefer, simply add some water, cover and simmer.  

Nutrition Information

Calories 275kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 15g (5%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 54mg (18%) Sodium 517mg (22%) Potassium 453mg (13%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin A 262IU (5%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 33mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 275

% Daily Value*

Calories 275kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 517mg 22%
Potassium 453mg 10%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 11g 22%
Vitamin A 262IU 5%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.