Throw out those canned sauces because this is the BEST homemade sloppy joes recipe you’ll ever get your hands on! It has the perfect blend of spices and sweetness and it’s just so delicious. It’s an easy 30 minute meal that’s completely made from scratch and you’ll never go back to store-bought after trying these.

These sloppy joes are easily everyone’s favorite! The flavors all blend together so well after letting it simmer for 10 minutes. Tomato sauce is used as the base, with a little ketchup and mustard, honey barbecue sauce and brown sugar to add the right amount of sweetness and a bit of Worcestershire sauce for the slight savory taste to balance it all out! It’s perfect!

This recipe is also a great way to feed a crowd – it’s not expensive, they’re quick to make, so satisfying and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.   

If you’ve followed my blog from the very beginning, you know that classic comfort foods is the way to my heart including Slow Cooker Roast Beef, Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie, Cheesy Classic Lasagna and Loaded Chili. These sloppy joes sandwiches have been our favorite for years and I really hope that your family will enjoy them as much as ours does.  

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup 
• 2 tablespoons honey barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 6 hamburger buns, split

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet, cook beef, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. 
2. While the beef mixture is cooking, add tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, barbeque sauce and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl and mix well to combine. 
3. Add the sauce to the beef, stirring to mix well and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.  
4. Spoon 3/4 cup to each bun and enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES

STORAGE

• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
• Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

REHEAT

• Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop on low heat. If the mixture is too thick and you’d like it more saucy, add a little bit of beef broth, water or tomato sauce.

SLOW COOKER METHOD

• Prepare the ground beef, celery and onions on the stovetop as instructed in the recipe. Drain any excess grease! 
• Add the meat to the slow cooker, pour the sauce over top and stir well to combine. 
• Cook on low for 2-3 hours. If possible, stir occasionally.