This Sloppy Joe recipe only takes a few ingredients and is super easy to make on busy days when you don’t feel like cooking dinner. And they are always a family favorite!
If you want to go beyond the classic sloppy joe, check out this Enchilada Sloppy Joe Recipe, these Buffalo Sloppy Joes, or Smoky Tex-Mex Sloppy Joses.
I have been all about the classic recipes lately. Tuna casserole, lasagna, beef stew, macaroni and cheese, and salisbury steak.
And when you’re talking about classics, especially childhood classics, you’ve got to put sloppy joes on that list.
Not only is this sloppy joe recipe super simple for a weeknight, but it only takes a few ingredients, it’s full of flavor, and it’s a crowd pleaser. I’ve been using this recipe for years and years – that’s always how you know a recipe is a good one!
What are Sloppy Joes?
If you haven’t had this childhood classic, sloppy joes are a loose meat sandwich that are served on a bun. The meat is cooked in some sort of sauce, which gives it the “sloppy” part of the title.
It is said that the sandwich was named when a chef named Joe added a tomato sauce to a loose meat sandwich. It was a hit, and now people have been enjoying these sandwiches for decades.
The original sloppy joes are made with a tomato sauce, like this recipe. But there are a lot of different variations these days.
How to Make Sloppy Joes
Here is how you make them:
- Brown the ground beef.
- Add the onions and celery and cook.
- Stir in the tomato soup, salt and chili powder.
- Cook until thickened.
- Serve on a bun.
Sloppy Joe Tips
- I learned the hard way many years ago to not use the “healthy” version of the tomato soup. Just the classic can works best here for the best flavor.
- I grew up thinking that the addition of celery was just something that my mom did, but I have learned that many recipes actually contain celery! I love the extra flavor and texture, but if it’s not your thing, feel free to leave it out.
- Always taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. The seasoning can make or break this recipe.
- Don’t cook the sauce down too much. Make sure your mixture is at a simmer. If it does get too thick, you can add in a bit of beef broth to thin it out.
- I love my sloppy joe with a slice of cheese. It’s one of those things that really remind me of being a kid!
- Leftover filling can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More easy weeknight dinner ideas:
Easy Enchiladas
Taco Casserole
Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups
General Tso’s Chicken
Chicken Chilaquiles
Tools to Make Sloppy Joes
You need a good skillet – I have been using my cast iron skillet almost every day lately and love it!
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Sloppy Joe Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Sloppy Joe recipe only takes a few ingredients and is super easy to make on busy days when you don’t feel like cooking dinner. And they are always a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed tomato soup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 6 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet until it is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain if necessary.
- Add the celery and onion to the beef. Cook until tender.
- Add the tomato soup, salt, and chili powder. Stir to combine, reduce the temperature and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Serve on the hamburger buns.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sloppy joe
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 609 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 47 mg
Keywords: sloppy joe recipe, easy sloppy joes
Patsyk says
I've had the same thing happen to me as well on recipes I have made many times. Consider it a lesson learned and make sure you have the right products in the pantry for next time! 🙂
Kim says
Sploppy Joes are almost always good! It's a fact the "healthy stuffs" aren't always tasting good…
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A yummy speciality!
Cheers,
Rosa
kat says
It must be something in the air, you, another blogger & I all posted sloppy joes in the last couple of days
Susi says
Sloppy Joes are always a favorite with my crowd. Unfortunately the "Healthy Request" Soups are anything but good tasting, too bad it ruined your dinner.
scrambledhenfruit says
Sloppy joes were a standby meal here when my boys were teens- quick, easy and made lots! Your recipe sounds similar to mine- the canned soup gives it a little sweet taste. Maybe that's what the light version lacks. Thanks!
Joanne says
I totally know what you mean! Last night I made lumpy polenta because I was super hungry and in a rush. I didn't think I could mess it up.
I totally trust you though! I bet these are awesome.
The Comfort of Cooking says
Oh, these look SO yummy! Who doesn't love a messy, saucy sloppy joe… Mmmm!
teresa says
this always reminds me of snl's sloppy joe song, did you ever see that? these look great!
grace says
this is the second sloppy joe i've come across this morning. breakfast? perhaps. 🙂
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
I'll bet these are awesome too. Too bad about the salt, amazing how good it is to have salt but then how horrible it turns out if there is too much!!
Megan Davis says
I love sloppy joes! They are my favorite. By the way, this turned out to be my top best sloppy Joe recipe. Thanks a lot!
Jackie Pedersen says
My mom made these for the family back in the 1940’s. She had called them “Wimpies” They are the best! However, it is hard to duplicate Campbell’s condensed tomato soup if you want to use a healthy-type soup. The onions and celery are delicious in these. Thanks you for confirming my mom’s recipe! I shall keep trying to duplicate the soup if I can. Jackie
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m so happy that you love this recipe! I make it ALL the time!
Christina Hunt says
My mom made these in the 60’s and also made chili from Campbell tomato soup. My son’s still love Grandma’s chili as they called it. I still make these sloppy joes for myself in 2019.
★★★★★
Helen s Bell says
I also use Chicken Gumbo soup in place of tomato.
Joan Hildebrand says
Try chili sauce and sweet pickle relish to leftover roast beef! This is my sloppy joe or beef bar-b-que
Deborah says
That sounds so good!!
John Buck says
I add 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard and a quarter cup of quick oats this makes this recipe super fast and I also do it because that’s what my mother used to do
★★★★★
Megan Newhouse says
This is my absolute FAVORITE sloppy joe recipe ever. I’ve never been a canned joe fan so when I found this recipe, I was so excited! I make it once every two weeks for my family and we hardly ever have leftovers!
★★★★★