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Looking for an AMAZING Sloppy Joes recipe that is easy to make at home? You’ve found it!
Not only are these Sloppy Joes amazingly delicious, but this recipe is also kid friendly!
My mom had a lot of kids. She tried her best to make each of us feel special and important, and she did a good job of it! One of the ways she went about this was to let us pick a special birthday breakfast or dinner each year on our birthday. Money was probably tight, but regardless of that, she managed to get the ingredients for the meal. It always made me feel so special, getting to pick the meal we ate on MY birthday. It was awesome!
Every year, I chose homemade sloppy joes, with coleslaw, and homemade French fries. Followed up with an ice cream cake, perfection! Without fail. It was my all-time favorite meal, and honestly, still is one of my favorites.
Unfortunately, my mom didn’t really have a recipe for her sloppy joes. She knew what ingredients she added, however, not how much of each, so she just kind of threw the ingredients in the pan until it tasted the way she wanted it to. Yet she always managed to get it to taste the same, as well. That’s what I call impressive!
I have worked tirelessly on this recipe, trying to come up with one that tastes like hers. One that could take me back to my childhood days, if even for a few minutes. Well, I have done just that!
Yay!
Now, I am able to make this enjoyable meal for my husband and kiddos, and hopefully they’ll have wonderful memories from this meal, like I do.
Another wonderful bonus to this recipe is that it comes together rather quickly. Aside from the buns, if you choose to make them yourself, and I highly recommend you do! There is nothing quite as satisfying as sinking your teeth into a bun, fresh out of the oven. Hot, soft, chewy, fluffy, dense, all wrapped into one bun. I’m salivating!
Ingredients:
For the buns:
*Skip this portion, if you will be buying your buns. If you choose to make the buns, start them several hours before you plan to eat.
- Warm water
- Yeast
- Honey
- Oil
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Egg
- Sesame seeds (opt.)
For the sloppy joes mix:
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Milk
- Water
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cornstarch
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- BBQ sauce
- Molasses
- Worcestershire
- Dried minced onion (opt.)
Steps:
For the buns:
*Reminder: Skip this portion, if you will be buying your buns. If you choose to make the buns, start them several hours before you plan to eat.
1. Combine the water, honey, and yeast in a large mixing bowl, giving it a good stir. Let rest 10 minutes, to bloom.
2. When yeast is ready, add salt, garlic powder, and oil to the yeast mixture, giving it a good stir.
3. Add 5 cups of flour to the yeast mixture, kneading the dough together.
4. Add more flour as needed. You don’t want the dough to stick to your finger when pressed.
5. Continue to knead for 5-7 minutes, coat in 1tbsp oil, then cover and let rest about an hour(or until doubled in size).
6. Shape dough into small evenly-sized spheres, you should get roughly
7. Cover buns with a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper and place a baking sheet on top of the buns. This will add weight, keeping the tops more flat, like a burger bun.
8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
9. Let rest another 30 minutes to an hour, until risen, keeping in mind these will be more rounded on the sides and flat on top when done rising.
10. Once the buns have risen, add 1tbsp water to egg and mix well. Baste the buns with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, then toss them in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes.
KitchenAid Mixer
The KitchenAid is a great tool to use for the buns, if you have one.
For the sloppy joes mix:
*The sauce for this recipe makes enough for 2 meals. Use half, and freeze the other half until you’re ready for Sloppy Joes again!
1. Line a plate with paper towels, and place a colander on the paper towels.
2. In a frying pan, add the ground beef and seasoning salt. Cook fully, breaking the meat up as it cooks. Strain in the colander and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, add tomato paste, tomato sauce, milk, 1 1/2 cups water, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and brown sugar, whisking together.
4. Over med. heat, continue whisking ingredients while they heat up. The tomato paste will mix in as the mixture warms up.
5. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2tsp water and 2tsp cornstarch.
6. When the mixture is heated through thoroughly, whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture.
7. Over medium heat, simmer a few minutes more, allowing the mixture to slightly thicken. Once it thickens a little, remove the pan from the heat.
8. Pour the ground beef back into the frying pan and mix in 2 1/4 cups of the tomato sauce mixture.
9. Add in the Ketchup, BBQ sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, molasses, and dried minced onions.
10. Place back on the stovetop and turn heat to med/low. Let simmer 5 minutes, to let the flavors meld together, then serve on homemade buns and enjoy!
These sloppy joes are, seriously, the best I’ve ever tasted. My family and I hope you enjoy this tried-and-true recipe as much as we do!
Seriously the BEST Sloppy Joes recipe!
Ingredients
Buns
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/8 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp yeast
- 1/8 cup oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 5-6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (opt.)
Sloppy Joe Mix
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 3/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 1 6oz can tomato paste
- 1 8oz can tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water+2tsp
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp molasses
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp dried minced onions
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 4 tbsp BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
Instructions
Buns
- Combine the water, honey, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let rest 10 minutes, to bloom.
- When yeast is ready, add salt, garlic powder, and oil to the yeast mixture, giving it a good stir.
- Add 5 cups of flour to the yeast mixture, kneading the dough together. Add more flour as needed. You don’t want the dough to stick to your finger when pressed.
- Continue to knead for 5-7 minutes, then cover and let rest about an hour(or until doubled in size).
- Shape dough into small evenly-sized spheres, you should get roughly 13. Cover buns with a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper and place a baking sheet on top of the buns. This will add weight, keeping the tops more flat, like a burger bun.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Let rest another hour, until risen, keeping in mind these will be more rounded on the sides and flat on top when done rising.
- Once buns have risen, baste with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, then place them in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Sloppy Joe Mix
- Line a plate with paper towels, and place a colander on the paper towels. Set aside.
- In a frying pan, add the ground beef and seasoning salt. Cook fully, breaking the meat up as it cooks. Strain in the colander and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add tomato paste, tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cups water, milk, salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, whisking together.
- Over med. heat, continue whisking ingredients while they heat up. The tomato paste will mix in better as the mixture gets warmer.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2tsp water and 2tsp cornstarch.
- When the mixture is heated through thoroughly, whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture.
- Place the pan on the stovetop over medium heat, and simmer a few minutes more, allowing the mixture to slightly thicken. Once it thickens a little, remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour the ground beef back into the frying pan and mix in 2 1/4 cups of the tomato sauce mixture.
- Add in BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, molasses, and dried minced onions.
- Place back on the stovetop and turn heat to med/low. Simmer 5 minutes, to let the flavors meld together, then serve on homemade buns and enjoy!
Notes
- The sauce for this recipe makes enough for 2 meals. Use 2 1/4 cup in 2lbs of ground beef and freeze the other 2 1/4 cup sauce, OR use all of it in 4lbs ground beef.
- This recipe freezes well.