Dinners · Old-Fashioned Classics

Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes

Name: Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 sloppy joes
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil; 1 ¾ lb (750 g) ground beef (about 15% fat); 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped; 1 green pepper (about 150 g), finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 cup (250 ml) tomato ketchup (or 250 ml passata plus an extra 1 tbsp brown sugar); 2 tbsp tomato paste; ½ cup (120 ml) water; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tsp American-style yellow mustard (or Dijon); 1½ tbsp soft light brown sugar; 1 tbsp cider vinegar; ½ tsp salt, plus a pinch for the vegetables and a good grind of black pepper; 6 soft burger buns, split; 2 tablespoons (25 g) butter, for toasting the buns

G By Our Grannies' Kitchen Updated Jul 2026 4.8 (293 ratings)

4.8 / 5

6 servings

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Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

1 ¾ lb (750 g) ground beef (about 15% fat), plus 1 tbsp oil for the pan
1 onion and 1 green pepper, both finely chopped, plus 2 garlic cloves
1 cup (250 ml) tomato ketchup and 2 tbsp tomato paste (or passata plus an extra 1 tbsp brown sugar)
½ cup (120 ml) water
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp yellow mustard
1½ tbsp soft light brown sugar and 1 tbsp cider vinegar
½ tsp salt, plus a pinch for the vegetables, and a good grind of black pepper
6 soft burger buns, split, plus 25 g butter for toasting

Method

Brown. Heat the oil in a large, wide skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, press it flat with a spatula and leave it untouched for 3–4 minutes until deeply browned underneath, then break it up and brown the rest, about 4 minutes more. Don't crowd or stir it constantly — gray ground beef makes bland sloppy joes.
Soften. Tip off all but about 1 tbsp of the fat. Add the onion and green pepper with a pinch of salt and cook 5–6 minutes, until soft and just catching color. Stir in the garlic for the final minute.
Sauce. Stir in the ketchup, tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, ½ tsp salt and a good grind of pepper until everything is coated.
Simmer. Bubble gently, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until spoon-thick — a spoon dragged across the pan should leave a trail that holds for a second or two. If it tightens too far, loosen with a splash of water.
Toast. Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast in a dry skillet (or under a hot broiler) for 1–2 minutes, until golden.
Pile on. Taste the filling — a pinch more sugar if it's sharp, a dash more vinegar if it's sweet — then pile generously onto the toasted buns and serve straight away, napkins at the ready.

Granny's tip

Make a double batch and freeze half — the filling reheats beautifully with a splash of water, and a rainy-Tuesday supper is then ten minutes and a toasted bun away.

Tips for proper sloppy joes

Brown, don't gray

Press the ground beef flat in a hot pan and leave it alone until it takes real color underneath. That caramelized crust is most of the flavor.

Simmer until spoon-thick

Watery filling is the classic failure. Keep it bubbling, uncovered, until a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail that holds.

Toast the buns

A minute in a buttery pan gives each bun a golden edge that stands up to the sauce instead of dissolving into it.

Questions, answered

Why are my sloppy joes watery?

Almost always under-simmering. Once the sauce goes in, keep the pan bubbling gently, uncovered, for the full 15–20 minutes — a spoon dragged across the bottom should leave a trail that holds for a second or two. Tipping off the excess fat after browning helps too, and ketchup or passata carry far less liquid than canned chopped tomatoes, which will never reduce to the right texture in the time.

Can I make sloppy joes ahead or freeze the filling?

Yes — the filling actually improves overnight as the flavors settle. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of water until piping hot, and always toast the buns fresh.

Can I make sloppy joes without ketchup?

Yes — swap in 250 ml passata plus an extra tablespoon of brown sugar and a pinch more salt, since ketchup brings its own sweetness and seasoning. Simmer as normal and taste at the end, sharpening with a little extra cider vinegar if it needs it.

How do I stop the buns going soggy?

Butter the cut sides and toast them in a dry skillet or under the broiler until golden — the toasted surface acts as a seal. Then make sure the filling is properly spoon-thick before it goes anywhere near the bread, and assemble just before serving, not in advance.