This 3 Ingredient Sloppy Joes Recipe is one of the easiest, most budget-friendly dinners you can make. Skip the canned sauce, this homemade sloppy joe mixture comes together quick and easy using simple pantry staples. It’s family-tested, affordable, and perfect for busy weeknights.
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe!
This 3 ingredient Sloppy Joe recipe tastes so much better than the canned sauce and comes together in about 20 minutes. It’s one of our go-to stovetop meals when we need something quick, affordable, and homemade.
My family loves this for easy weekend lunches between basketball games. It’s simple to throw together, and I almost always have the ingredients on hand. We’ve even added Worcestershire sauce or a little garlic powder to switch it up.
Try serving it on toasted buns — it’s a classic that never gets old in our house. Check out our Easy One Pot Dinners for Busy Families Series for even more budget-friendly ideas.
Recipe Snapshot
- Ready In: 20–30 minutes
- Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Ingredients Needed: 3 pantry staples plus ground beef
- Freezer-Friendly: Yes
- Budget Tip: Uses simple ingredients you likely already have.
- Family Approved: Even picky eaters love this version.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – Use whatever is on sale. Ground turkey works great too.
- Yellow Mustard – Adds tang without needing extra spices.
- Ketchup or tomato sauce – A pantry staple that replaces canned sloppy joe sauce.
- Brown Sugar – Adjust slightly depending on how sweet you like it.
Yep! That is all you need to make a fast sloppy joes for your family. What makes it even better is one of my kids does not like the traditional sloppy joes, but loves this recipe!
Once you make this, you won’t ever buy that store bought stuff again. This has so much more flavor than the canned sloppy joes. For the full recipe, scroll to see recipe card.
How to Make Sloppy Joes
Step 1 – Brown the ground beef in a large skillet on medium heat until no longer pink. You can use ground turkey too. Once browned, drain the excess grease from the beef. I like to season with salt and pepper while the beef is cooking.
Step 2 – Add in brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Stir to combine.
Step 3 – Reduce the heat and allow the meat mixture to simmer on low for about 5 minutes to combine the flavors.
Step 4 – Serve on hamburger buns and with your favorite sides.
Tips for Success
- Make Ahead – The prep time is very easy on this recipe, but you can prepare ahead of to save even more time.
- Ground Beef – Before mixing in the sauces makes sure to drain the meat to remove any grease.
- Simmer – Allow the mixture to simmer on low to combine the ingredients.
- Freezer Tip – Freeze in small portions for quick lunches.
Can I Double The Recipe?
Yes, this is a great recipe to make a double or triple batch and freeze the left overs. It does not take anymore work to make extra. We love to cook once and eat twice or more. This is such a huge help during busy weeks.
It really isn’t any extra work to double the recipe and you have a super easy dinner for another night. I try to do this as much as possible and keep a few quick meals in the freezer.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few of my favorite side dishes for sloppy joes.
- Easy Homemade French Fries Recipe
- Deep Fried Pickles
- Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Ranch Carrots Recipe
- Check out our full post on What to Serve with Sloppy Joes
- Top a baked potato for a complete meal idea.
- Potato Chips
It’s really good served with Grilled Corn on the Cob and Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries. These are both so easy and really delicious side dishes. Just keep it simple. This meal can easily be ready with hardly any work at all.
Try adding green bell pepper or onion to the ground beef while cooking. Onion and green pepper really give it an amazing flavor.
Storage & Freezer Instructions
- Fridge – Store the leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge. Leftovers will stay great for up to 4 days.
- Freezer – Yes! Let the mixture cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
- Reheating – Reheat in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can reduce or substitute with honey if needed.
Yes. The flavor actually improves after sitting for a few hours or overnight.
Ground beef is traditional, but ground turkey or ground chicken works well.
Yes. Brown the meat first, then cook on low for 2-3 hours to blend flavors. See all the details in this Easy Crock Pot Sloppy Joes Recipe.
Sloppy Joes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅛ cup brown sugar
- ⅛ cup mustard
- ½ cup ketchup
- 6 hamburger buns
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Brown 1 pound of ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart as it cooks.
- Once fully browned, drain any excess grease from the skillet.
- Add ⅛ cup brown sugar, ⅛ cup mustard, and ½ cup ketchup to the skillet with the cooked beef. Stir well until everything is fully combined.
- Reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and slightly thickened.
- Spoon the mixture evenly onto 6 hamburger buns and serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
More Easy Sloppy Joe Recipes
This simple Sloppy Joes recipe has been a lifesaver for us on busy days, and I hope it becomes one of those dependable, go-to meals for your family too. If you try it, I’d love for you to leave a comment and star rating — it helps other families find affordable recipes that really work.
Using ground turkey instead of beef…
Nancy – Yes, I love using ground turkey instead of beef as well!
Making this tonight but will add sautéed onions, celery and little sweet peppers to it…
Nancy – Yum! The addition of these veggies sound amazing! Please come back and let me know how it turns out.
Diced onions and green peppers..
Yum! The addition of diced onions and green peppers would be delicious in this recipe!
This was so easy and the ingredients are always handy in my kitchen. I was using a different recipe and it raised my blood sugar a lot (I am diabetic), so I was happy to find this recipe. It didn’t raise my blood sugar and it got rave reviews at the potluck. Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
Pam – Wahoo! So happy to hear this. Thanks for letting me know!
So delicious, but so tasty. Great meal for busy evenings or lazy weekends. Grandkids loved them. No leftovers at my house ??
Jana – Wahoo! This made my day! Thank you!
This recipe was amazing! We have three generations in our home and we all loved it! It was so easy to make and compared to the canned mix you get at the store, it was so much healthier. (I had never read the ingredients on the can before.)
We made a double batch and added a little onion to the ground beef. We did have some leftovers and it was even better the second day. Even the family members that never eat leftovers, liked these! We even made it again a few days later, since everyone loved it!
Wendy – I’m so happy to hear this. Thank you so much!
Mmmm best sloppy Joe ever. My family loved it ??
Amadee – Oh my goodness! Thank you so much!
I saw this recipe and thought it looked easy and could be better than my wife’s Manwich sloppy joes. So I gave it a try. Everyone thought it was much fresher and better than regular sloppy joes with no Manwich cans to clean and recycle. Next time I will try it with a little diced green pepper. Great recipe.
Ron – I’m so glad you tried it! Thank you so much! Green peppers sound yummy!
We love sloppy joes on soccer ?? nights. We always have to go watch our grandson play! Last year his team was #1.
These Sloppy Joes are quick and easy.
I make them up before the game and reheat the mix when we get home after his hour long game starts at 5pm…
So easy!!!
Thanks for the recipe.
Debbi – Wahoo! So happy to hear. Thank you!
Love how easy and budget friendly this recipe is! My family really enjoyed it, even my son who isnt crazy about sloppy Joe’s.
I really loved this recipe! It was so easy to make and I loved it! As a sloppy joe lover, this was simple, easy and tasty! I will definitely be making it again and again!
Easy as can be. Best ever from scratch recipe for sloppy Joe’sIts also great on hot dogs.
Sue – Thank you SO much! You made our day!
I have a more involved sloppy joe recipe that’s been my go-to, but honestly, this was every bit as good and loads easier! The flavor balance was perfect, and I love that it only uses ingredients I always have on hand. I will definitely be making these again!
Woohoo! I love hearing this so much Ashlie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the positive review!
Very easy and taste great.
Sharon – Wahoo! I’m so happy to hear this. Thank you so much!
I bad my granddaughter over neither one of us felt like going out or doing takeout so we had these simple ingredients in my pantry and I always have hamburger on hand so her and I made these and they are absolutely wonderful so easy and so good we ended up having french fries along with this.
Paula – I love that you made this instead of ordering takeout and had all that you needed on hand. We love it with French Fries too! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious! So simple to make . I double the amount so I could freeze half and everyone loved it ! Can’t get enough of these great recipes-thank you !!
Thank you so much, Brigitte. I’m so glad!
Best recipe!! However don’t use gluten free buns when making this!! It will change the whole meal!!
Thanks for sharing Jillian! I appreciate it and thank you so much for the positive review of this recipe!
Great recipe for a quick meal. Super easy. It is a great way to prepare easy clean up and it freezes well.
Lis – Thank you for leaving a comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed this! So simple and cheap to boot!
Yes – I agree Anna! Thank you for sharing and for the positive review!
Great but a little sweet for my family. Like more tangy flavor but a nice recipe and easy to adjust a little for preference
Janet – Thank you for your feedback. I love how you can adjust it to suit your preference.
Super easy meal that’s delicious.
We have made Sloppy Joe’s like this for years Once you eat them like this you won’t go back to the store bought stuff.
Gwen – Aww thank you so much. So happy to hear you love it!
these were good and everyone like them
This Sloppy Joe recipe is a testament to Ole School goodness just follow the recipe as is, definitely toast your buns of choice serve with a side of homemade French fries & coleslaw with some pickles as well and you’ll go to your Happy Place 10 10 10. I did tweak it some by adding mustard powder instead of what the recipe calls for as the hubby is not a fan of regular mustard. He had no clue!!
Elicia – So glad your modifications worked for your family. The sides sound delicious! Thank you for commenting.
Delicious, quick, and easy! My entire family loved these!
Jennifer – Wahoo! I’m thrilled. Thank you for sharing!
My husband was not a fan of sloppy joes until now. Thank you for this recipe. It is now a family favorite.
love sloppy joes only difference was I used ground turkey I cooked it at slower rate due to it being turkey I would like to try ground chicken next
My husband is the pickiest of eaters. He loved this recipe and so did I. This will be on my repeat list for a quick meal!
Christy – Yay! I’m thrilled to hear this! Thanks for commenting.
I thought it was so good & loved how easy it is to make!
Deanna – Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so glad it was a hit!
Have always liked sloppy joes. Easy recipe and fast to make.
Thank you so much! Your comment means a lot!
This was way better than canned Sloppy Joe’s or packaged Sloppy Joe’s sauces. I used Dijon instead of yellow mustard. I also put it in the crock pot. We served grilled corn ? and the Ranch carrots ? with it. Spectacular! My youngest wants to try it with Big Mac sauce ? next ?? time….
Wendy – So glad you enjoyed this homemade version! I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Great simple and easy recipe as-is! To jazz it up a bit I added diced onions and peppers. I also like mine a little spicy so I added a squeeze of gochujang sauce for a kick. I highly recommend serving them on toasted brioche buns.
Brooke – I love your variations. Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe. Used a little dry mustard as hubby doesn’t like reg., added a touch of hot sauce for a little kick. You can’t go wrong with a simple great recipe for a long work day! TU, keep them coming.
Easy and delicious! Quick with items already have on hand!
Jessica – Thank you for leaving a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Loveee this recipe! Never thought to add alittle mustard!!!! Perfect for a party or a a midweek meal!
Gina – So happy to hear you loved the mustard in this recipe. Our family loves it too!
love recipes with few ingredients!
DELICIOUS…
Ann – Wahoo! We do too. So happy to hear it was a hit!
So easy and tasted so good.
Anne – Thank you so much! You made my day!
As always, a quick and easy recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The sauce was amazing. My family loved it and it will now be added to our dinner rotation.
Joann – Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad to hear you will be adding it to your menu plan!
This recipe was so easy and flavorful. I made it one night for the grandkids and the next night my 12 year old grandson made it again with a few different twists. The kids absolutely loved it and so did the grown folks. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Sandra – Thank you for taking the time to leave such positive feedback. It means a lot!
I have always loved sloppy joes and this recipe is a great one. Easy and quick. Everyone loved it.
Sue – Wahoo! So happy to hear this! Thank you so much.
Very simple and fast to make. Great flavor that my kids enjoyed. Nice to have something like this for those busy sports nights.
Clifford – We love it for busy nights too. So glad it worked out for your family.
So I’ve never made sloppy Joe this way before it was good. My family ate it all. Will we get it again? I don’t know. I might be a creature of habit to make it the way I used to make it. I don’t know we will see but it
Thank you for leaving your feedback, Valeri. Let me know if you try it again!
This is hands down the best Sloppy Joe I’ve ever eaten and so easy to make.My kids never liked sloppy Joes until now when I made this they loved it. It’s way better than the can sloppy Joe . Thank you for another great recipe.
Sheryl – You’re welcome. I’m so happy you liked it!
Love this simple meal! My husband likes to add blue cheese coleslaw to his. Served with garlic Parmesan orzo.
Brandy – I love your side ideas. Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
This is delicious. I use a bit less mustard, but that’s a personal preference.
Christy – I’m so glad you liked it. It is easy to modify for your preference. Have a great day.
As promised, it’s a super easy recipe with a nice tang to the sauce. It’s not even hard to add a few diced veggies to the mix, customize it a little.
Kristy – Thank you so much. I’m glad you found it easy to customize.
I had forgotten about sloppy Joe’s, loved them as a kid. They were so good, just the perfect blend of ingredients. Thank you fir bringing back childhood memories. A simple quick and easy weeknight dinner.
I made these for dinner tonight. These are so good. A very tasty blend. I love that the ingredients are all on hand normal ingredients. Just enough sweetness.
this is super affordable, easy and delicious! thank you. I’ve always been a manwich mama but this is so good
I love hearing this Alicia! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you!
Its as easy as it sounds, with only 3ish ingredients the flavor profile is a little different than a can of Manwhich® or a Sloppy Joe seasoning pkt. Would be. I have made it several x and i usually throw chopped onions in w/ground beef & some garlic salt,white pepper and a dash of paprika, To cut the sweetness later & 2 tsp. or so Worcestershire sauce. After i drain any excess fat i add a dash of oregano, the ketchup, mustard & brown sugar. (Sometimes i use a mix of white & brown sugars) I taught my household how to make it too!
Brandy -I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the tips and feedback. Have a great day!
Made this for supper this evening and used your 30 minute dinner rolls in place of buns. It all came together so quickly and we all loved it! This will be my go to sloppy joe recipe from now on.
Anna – Wahoo! That sounds amazing with the 30-minute rolls. Thanks for sharing.
Quick and easy sandwiches for four. The ketchup version is sweeter than we prefer, so the tomato sauce option is great.
Jennifer – Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate your feedback.
I made these sloppy joes for dinner. They were a hit! We all loved them.
Teresa – Wahoo! I’m so glad. Thanks for sharing!
I skipped the brown sugar all together and instead added chopped Vidalia onions and a sweet red pepper. It was delicious!
Susan – So glad you tried it and I love your variations! Thanks for commenting!
This recipe is really good. I especially like that it has so few ingredients. I added onions to the meat cause I love onions. Will definitely make it again!
Susan – Thank you so much! I’m so glad you plan to make it again and I love the addition of onions.
This recipe is so quick and easy. We love having it for lunch and think it is much better than either the canned or store-bought sloppy joe packets. Everything you need you have except for the ground beef. The only change I made was to add a pinch more brown sugar. Economical and delicious, a WIN WIN!
Hey Cindy – Aww thank you so much! I’m so glad tried it and enjoyed it.
So much better than the canned mixes.
Julie – Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m so glad!
This was an easy recipe to make and so delish! I will be making this often. Thanks!
Kat – So happy to hear this. Thanks for sharing!
Loved this recipe! It was simple, easy, quick and delicious. Best of all, it was homemade which I loved, because I could control the ingredients verses pre made where you can’t.
Joanne – We love being able to control the ingredients too. I’m thrilled you loved it!
The sloppy Joes were very good. Next time i will add onion and bell pepper. Thanks for all the great recipes.
This Sloppy Joe recipe is one of the easiest yet. Using ingredients right in your pantry. It has a “Star “in my recipe book . The whole family loves this Sloppy Joe mix. It’s definitely a keeper!
Sandi – I’m so excited the entire family loved it! Thanks for letting me know.
This sloppy Joe recipe was a fan favorite for this weekends BBQ! Kids and adults loved it.
Kacey – I’m so glad to hear it! That’s so encouraging that everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Added garlic and onions to the meat. Super quick and easy and very tasty recipe:
Karen – Thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed it and found it quick and easy.
I usually make Sloppy Joes from a can so thought I’d give this recipe a try. It turned out better than expected and will now be my go-to when I make these sandwiches again. I love that it takes only a few ingredients and still is so tasty. Give it a try! You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you, Mary! Your positive and kind comment made my day!
This was so good! My daughter devoured this meal! I will make this again for sure.
Courtney – Yay! Thanks for letting me know. I’m so happy to hear this.
I have made Sloppy Joe’s this way my entire life, minus the brown sugar – the ketchup and mustard make it sweet enough.
Leta – Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed.
Delicious! I added onion and peppers to add flavor and texture. They were a huge hit!
Katy – Thanks for commenting. Love the addition of onions and peppers.
So easy and tasted great!!! Will be making again.
Patti – Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comment.
This sloppy joe recipe is so good.
Thank you so much Cat! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love that I had all the items on hand. Perfect for kids. We had this on Hawaiian rolls. I don’t think a pound of beef is enough for six people though.
Hey Ali – I’m so glad you had all of the ingredients to make this and enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback on the beef!
Very easy to make, I have everything on hand. My family really liked it. Diffently will be a repeat recipe.
Awesome Sherry! I love hearing this and thank you so much for the positive review – It means so much to me!
Fast, easy and delicious! If you have a bag of frozen peppers and onion blend, add a handful when you are browning the meat. Most of us have plenty of seasonings. Add dried parsley or Italian Seasonings, garlic powder, chili powder, ground black pepper, a little balsamic vinegar and minced vegetables. Carrots, celery and cauliflower are good! With this simple recipe you can make it as is or add some extras to it!
I haven’t made this Sloppy Joe recipe as yet, but due to all the very positive reviews, I gave it a 5-star rating. The only things I may add are a chopped onion and S&P, as I can’t remember ever browning ground beef without chopped onions along with it. But I would drain the browned beef/onion mixture before adding the S&P so that the spices do not drain along with the grease. Others also included BBQ sauce, but did not specify whether they substituted the BBQ sauce for the ketchup and/or mustard. I love the idea of the small amount of brown sugar to cut the bitterness of the mustard, though. I think maybe the BBQ sauce is the sub for the ketchup only, but I’ll have to experiment with that, I guess. This really is an easy and sounds like a delicious recipe for a nice quick, and tasty Sloppy Joe dinner. Thank you for the great idea to make Sloppy Joe so much easier, but without any fuss.
Marie – Thanks so much! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts once you try it!
Simple and delicious recipe!
Thanks so much Carrie!
Wahoo! Thanks for sharing! So happy to hear this.
Easy recipe! Delicious! Thanks Carrie!
Wahoo! Thanks for sharing! So happy to hear this.
Forgot to tap on the stars
Michelle – Wahoo! Thank you so much for the 5 Stars! I appreciate so much that you took the time to comment!
Had cherry tomatoes that needed to be used and frozen green peppers from our garden brown sugar, ketchup yellow mustard. Zapped everything in food processor and cooked down and a few dashes of hot sauce turned out great
Michelle – Love that you put all those delicious veggies to such good use! Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Made it and the family loved it. No doubt this will be a favorite. You had me at four ingredients…Easy and delicious!
Wahoo! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Linda! Thanks for letting me know!
Easy quick good recipe! Ty
Joyce – Thank you so much for sharing and for the positive review!
Oops used the Sweet baby Rays BBQ sauce half and half with ketchup.
Perfect! I have food Allergies so like to make my own. Super tasty, I did use Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce for some zing and added water just a touch at the end to make them sloppy. Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to look at your other recipes!
Carol – You are so welcome! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it.
Best recipe EVER!!
Thank you SO much Sandra!!!
This is delicious!!
Vicki – Yay! Thanks for sharing your feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Definitely one of my family’s go to. Love the basic recipe. We love using spicy brown mustard every so often.
I have made this recipe so many times! It is tasty and flavorful while being easy. The fun part is experimenting with different brands and kinds of ketchup and mustard. I have served this on buns, but most often I serve it in a bowl with some cut corn or chopped veggies. Last night, I served it with edamame in the shell. Easy peasy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Christine. Thank you so much for sharing and I love the idea of trying different kinds of ketchup and mustard. What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much for the positive review.
I grew up on the recipe, but we add a teaspoon of Worechestshire sauce, and right before we serve it we add alittle flour to hold it together. I love me some homemade Sloppy Joe’s, no canned sloppy joe mix for us.
Those addition sound amazing! Thank you for sharing and thank you for the positive review!
Absolutely love this, Haven’t had can sloppy joes in a few years, been using this one for that long everyone loves it, best ever… Thanks for sharing this years ago.
I love hearing that Susan! No more canned sloppy joes – woohoo! Thank you for sharing and thank you so much for the positive review!
What is 0.08 cup? Please advise.
If you have a measuring-sized cup set, it would be the smallest cup in the set. They usually go 1 whole cup, 3/4 of a cup, 2/3 of a cup, 1/2 of a cup, 1/4 of a cup, and the smallest size would be 1/8 of a cup. This recipe uses 1/8 of a cup of brown sugar and yellow mustard, which is the smallest cup size in the measuring cup set. If you don’t have a measuring cup set, 1/8 of a cup equals 30 ml, or 2 Tbsp, or 6 tsp, or 1 fluid oz. Hope that helps.
Thank you so much for sharing your tips Marie!
I made 1 and 1/2 times the sauce for 1 pound of beef. Also added salt pepper and smoked paprika at the end. Better than the can!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Michelle! Thank you for sharing and thank you for the positive review!
Loved this recipe! Not buying canned anymore.
Woohoo! We love hearing this! Thank you for sharing and thank you for the positive review!
I’ve been making sloppy Joe’s with another recipe that calls for 16 ingredients. My kids requested sloppy Joe’s and I didn’t have everything. I found this recipe and I won’t go back! It’s super easy, my kids and I like it better than other recipe, and it is super quick!
It’ll be my go-to fast dinner recipe for now on!
I’m so glad you love it! I love the simplicity!
I always add small diced bell peppers to mine. It’s a great recipe without but just adding a little veggies!
I love that idea!
Wow! The best with minimal ingredients!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for leaving a review.
I made the recipe today for a party I’m having where there will be some vegetarians in the crowd. I followed the recipe as is, tasted tested, and then made some mods:
1. I agree with others that the lentils need to cook longer.
2. I added 1/8 cup brown sugar and 1/8 ketchup to give it more of a true sloppy Joe taste.
3. I put a cover on my skillet and simmered for another 30 minutes or so.
4. Then I removed the cover and simmered another 15 or until most of the liquid had absorbed.
DELICIOUS!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it – Thank you for sharing and for your review!
I love this recipe. It is so quick and easy. I can’t do the can mix to tangy. Enough for 3 people to enjoy.
I use this recipe tonight and made sloppy joe pockets with canned pastry dough. These turned out amazing. Will definitely be my new go to for sloppy joes
I love that!
I replaced the beef with plant based meat and it was delicious! I also added some onions and cheese. Definitely will make again.
Super easy tks
Delicious! And EASY ?
Thank you!
Perfect taste and consistency. Will definitely make this again!
It’s so easy, and it tastes wonderful! I’ve had this pinned for years and it is the only way I’ll make sloppy Joe’s??
Gonna try sloppy joe tonite.My family use to not like this.hope they will like this recipe
I hope they love it! My family doesn’t love canned sloppy joes but they love my homemade sloppy joes recipe!
Need to use a little less mustard, next time. Otherwise easy and good tasting.
Brown Sugar…Light or Dark?
I usually use light but either will work in this recipe.
We love this recipe. We add a little hot sauce for some heat. Having it again tonight!
Thanks for sharing – I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Haven’t had sloppy joes in years this was so simple to prepare, I couldn’t resist. My grandson asked me when we can have them again. Completely delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing.
I forgot to rate it my parents really loved it (BTW I’m 11 and this was easy to follow and not a lot of ingredients) *my old post was below*??
This was super good. I made it for my parents and they went crazy for it. I will probably try this again but I’m not sure but this deserves 5 stars. I will definitely recommend this to people who aren’t sure about making it
Super easy delicious meal made in minutes. I substituted brown sugar for coconut and used yellow mustard (didn’t have brown mustard). Came out yummy. My family requests this once a week. Thank you!!!
So glad it was a hit! Thank you for commenting and leaving a review!
Could you add corned beef to this recipe, I used to make sloppy joes with corned beef and all your spices with a little extra flour and ground cumin . Just curious. Served with bread n butter pickles, on buns.
I haven’t tried that yet so I’m not sure but it sounds delicious! If you try it out, please let me know how it turns out. Thanks!
Thank you, thank you for sharing! Perfect!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Now my husband no longer wants to buy manwich. Since he has gout from time to time I use ground turkey instead and add minced garlic and some Worcestershire.
I’ms so glad you love it.
Shockingly good for just three ingredients — I’ve made sloppy Joes with a dozen or more! I might add some chopped carrots next time to sneak in a vegetable.
Just one thought — many recipe sites now have a print button which provides a page that’s easy to copy and paste, and also a link at the top to jump to the recipe. That makes things easier and it’s more likely I’ll follow and subscribe when those are there.
Thanks for a great shortcut recipe!
ETA You do have a jump to recipe button! On my device it puts the recipe over to the far right and is tough to see but thanks!
Shockingly good for just three ingredients — I’ve made sloppy Joes with a dozen or more! I might add some chopped carrots next time to sneak in a vegetable.
Just one thought — many recipe sites now have a print button which provides a page that’s easy to copy and paste, and also a link at the top to jump to the recipe. That makes things easier and it’s more likely I’ll follow and subscribe when those are there.
Thanks for a great shortcut recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it too!
This is just what I was looking for, sometimes simple is best! I doubt that many kids would reject this.
I just slightly modified this recipe for adult tastes by frying the meat in a tbsp of butter along with a 1/4 cup of finely diced red, green peppers and onion total. Drained off the majority of grease before adding the ketchup, mustard and sugar. Delicious and so easy!
This is, by far, the BEST sloppy joe recipe I’ve ever had! I fixed this tonight and my husband said it was better than any store bought sauce. I completely agree! I haven’t ever been a big fan of canned sloppy joe sauce. There’s always been something I didn’t quite like. But I haven’t figured it out yet. Now, I don’t have to. I’m a complete convert to this is the ONLY sauce I’ll fix when we’re wanting sloppy joes. Thanks for such an incredible recipe!
I’m so glad you love it! We love it. Simple and delicious.
Might try with less mustard next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Excited to try this sloppy Joe recipe… Forever since I made this…
Pretty tasty basic it’s if room to play and make it your own or just leave it as is . My kids and I enjoyed it tho.
Fantastic easy recipe!
Quick and easy meal to make and tasted awesome!
Nice simple and quick recipe that is easy to tweak to make it your own or leave as is. Easy to reheat for leftovers.
My husband and I have always used Manwich or other brands of sauces for our sloppy joes, but we ran across this recipe and gave it a try. Outstanding. We will never go back to the other ways again .
Thanks for sharing!
All kids and adults loved this! Even the one that doesn’t like mustard.
Worked well but changed it up
Used ground venison and smoked it for a few hours and then added the said amount of brown sugar, mustard and ketchup for 2 pounds and smoked for another 45 mins. Prefect!
Easy to make I only needed the sauce it’s tasty I hate mustard but it’s so good ?
Just made this and added diced onion! Delicious!
I made this twice The first time I made it according to the recipe and the second time I added a few things, like onions and Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper, and a little bit of lemon juice and red pepper flakes and it was a lot better. My husband thought the first time was just like a sweet crumbled-up hamburger and the kids thought it was ok but liked my version better, but thanks for posting it I will stick to mine though. Have a great day.
Now THIS is a good recipe. I have seen recipes with carrots and all sorts of other things added. That is not necessary.
These are great as is, but I like to add a little chopped onion, garlic powder and salt & pepper.
Flavor was great, but consistency was dry. Added some canned tomato sauce and simmered to reduce. Turned out great.
What size slow cooker did you use?I want to make this 4 ingredient sloppy joe but I only have a 2 quart slow cooker.
I used a 6 quart crock pot for this recipe. I don’t think that this recipe would work in a 2 quart slow cooker but it might work in a 4 quart one.
Thank you. You saved me with recipe to fill a quick last minute grandchild’s request, I just needed to make a little more of your sauce and added a tablespoon of sweet pickle relish. So good! Thank you again!
I made this for supper tonight and it was excellent,,,,
Absolutely great little recipe for some left over ground beef. Made it as stated with a brioche bun. Yummy! Thanks for a winner.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it – Thank you!
I made this tonight and it was a show stopper. I used ground turkey and instead of mustard I used honey mustard and didn’t have to add brown sugar. I also added onions to it. This will be added to my rotation of good quick and easy meals. Thanks so much for posting this recipe it made my dinner seem so effortless and delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it – Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Truthfully, I’m not really a “sloppy joe” person. However, I had some ground beef and some hamburger buns I needed to use, so I made this recipe. It was SO GOOD.
Our family’s go to football watching food with the toasted buns. On the menu for TH Game on Super Sunday.
another family favorite.
I was looking for a quick and easy sloppy joe recipe and was so happy to find this one. I made them for a family get together and they were a huge hit! My nephew ate three of them! This is now my go-to recipe. I have made them with finely diced peppers and onions, and without. Still delicious! Thank you for sharing!
So easy and delicious!! It’s like my grandma used to make! Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
We use ground chuck and Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce and is great.
That sounds delicious!
I add onion, garlic and a splash of vinegar and worchershire sauce to the ingredients you listed. My mom never bought the canned sloppy joes and neither do I.
Great ideas – Thank you!
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for about two months, but my husband doesn’t like sloppy joes. I finally decided to make it for myself and he decided to try it. My two adjustments were that I added 1/4 cup diced onions to the browning meat (as I had them in the freezer from another recipe) and finely shredded cheese on top (also already had from another recipe). I opted for sweet Hawaiian slider rolls (not tiny, but about 2/3 the size of a regular bun at the grocery store). The combination was perfect, just a little extra sweetness and very soft to go with it. My husband LOVED it! Said it’s not like other sloppy joes he doesn’t like and, since I have buns, I’m making it again for lunch tomorrow. He’s happy about that, since he polished most of it off. Fabulous recipe and one of the easiest I’ve seen with ingredients most of us already have. My only side was dill pickle spears already in the fridge. Thanks, Carrie!
Recipe was a real lifesaver thank you Carrie!
Oh my gosh I am SOO incredibly glad I found this recipe tonight!! I was surfing Pinterest trying to figure out a simple, quick recipe to use for ground beef, after a long day at work, stumbled across this one, and decided to give it a try. And IT IS SOOO INSANELY GOOD!!! I made it exactly as it is in the recipe (other than adding a slice of cheese) and it was so easy, and so perfect, I know I will make this time and time again!!
My son is a picky eater so we started going through pinterest pictures bases on what i had shopped for or was in my freezer. I had ground beef so I left him look through the pictures for something he thought he would like to try/looked good. He picked this recipe. I made it tonight and he really liked it. He loves ketchup and smelled it right away. I’ll make this again and slowly add in more veggies like onions and bellpeppers and maybe even sneak in some shredded carrot while adding less and less sugar. I loved sloppy joes as a kid but as an adult the can stuff scares me. Thanks for the mom win and feelings of nostalgia.
We loved these! ? When my husband chooses not to eat potato chips with a “burger” because it would take away from the taste of the Sloppy Joe, I know I have found a WI NNER!!!! He also told me I had found a KEEPER with this recipe. The only changes I made was I I halved the recipe and sauted 1/4 c. diced, yellow onion and 1/4 c. diced green pepper before adding the ground beef to the skillet. I also sprinkled between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp. celery salt into the ground meat as it was browning. I just halved the amount of mustard and catsup. ????
does anyone know how many serving this recipe is, I’m tempting to make this tonight 🙂
This is my favorite recipe for Sloppy Joe’s!
Can you use ground turkey instead of ground beef
I made this recipe tonight for dinner it was really easy my husband loves sloppy joe! But I’m not a big fan of a can or homemade. This recipe didn’t seem to make up a lot my husband liked it I did not but great recipes for quick dinner!
Can you give me an idea of how many this recipe will serve?
made this for years but used tomato soup instead of ketchup
What a great recipe. I had left over meat from taco night and this was a great, easy, fun recipe. Everything I already had in my Kitchen. Thumbs up.
Just wanted to make sure, yellow mustard right?
Yes yellow mustard Sue, but you could probably try any kind for a slightly different flavor. 🙂
Sved my butt today with this recipe and it was awesome 🙂
That is awesome Jess!
This is a great recipe. I have been using this for years. My mother taught me this one while I was still in school. The only difference is a teaspoon of pickle relish for ours.
Oh that is a great idea! 🙂
These were excellent!
I’m so glad you liked them. We love this easy recipe.
It’s a great place to start. We decided at the last minute to leave out the sugar add chopped green onions that we needed to use. Worked out beautifully. Next time we’ll use a tiny bit of garlic instead of the onions.
Have made sloppy joes this way for over 50 years. This is the way my mom made it. Like any recipe, this can be altered and ingredients added. Try sauteing onions with ground beef. Green peppers are also good. But just making the basic recipe is what I use most of the time!
Wouldn’t let me rate this over three stars……..why is this
Thanks Janice – We have done sauted onions too and love it!
made this tonight for dinner, was so easy. added chopped onion and green peppers to the ground beef. Much better then any can mix.
These were delicious, just like my mom used to make! My fiancé loved them! The only thing I added was a drizzle of honey bbq sauce.
My husband and I both agree this is the best sloppy joe recipe we have ever made! Yum!
This is how I’ve been making my sloppy joes for years. Everyone loves it every time I make it. =)