Homemade Sloppy Joes – Old Fashioned 50s Recipe
All you need is simple ingredients to make this tangy but slightly sweet Homemade Sloppy Joes – Old Fashioned 1950s recipe. Classic sloppy joes sandwiches are the no-fuss, easy dinner you need for busy weeknights.
When I say this is an “old fashioned sloppy joe recipe” I mean it. This recipe was my grandma’s sloppy joes recipe. It’s believed that the original recipe for sloppy joes or loose meat sandwiches (as it was called originally) was created in the 1930s, possibly as early as 1917.
So skip the can of Manwich or whatever brand of canned stuff you use and use this easy recipe to get a homemade, easy meal on the dinner table in 30 minutes that the whole family will love.
Tools I recommend:
This old fashioned sloppy joe recipe is a one pot meal, which is one of the many reasons I love this recipe.
- Large skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon
Find all of my favorite kitchen tools here!
Homemade Sloppy Joe ingredients:
Our family is typically a no-fuss meat and potatoes family. So this recipe only calls for meat, sauce, and buns. But if you like veggies or other ingredients in your homemade sloppy joes see the list of Ingredient Variations below.
Ground meat – feel free to use a variety of meat – ground turkey, beef, pork, or venison
Ketchup – a tomato base of foundation of the sloppy joe sauce
Apple cider vinegar – don’t skip this! ACV is where the tanginess comes from in sloppy joe sandwiches that your taste buds have come to know and love
Yellow mustard – mustard helps to complete the little tang in your sandwich
Worcestershire sauce – this amazing condiment elevates your sauce and takes the flavor to a whole new level
Celery Salt – throw in a tiny bit to add a salt, celery-like flavor
Brown sugar – adding in brown sugar creates the perfect balance of sweetness and tang
Buns – I love a soft roll or brioche bun but I plain old hamburger buns works just as great
Try these other fantastic meals
5-Ingredient Chicken Casserole – freezer meal option
Easy Chicken Pot Pie – freezer meal option
Sweet and Sour Meatballs – freezer meal option
How to make the Sloppy Joe Recipe from the 50’s:
1. Brown the meat
Cook the ground meat in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to break up the meat into pieces. Once the ground meat is cooked, drain any grease from the pan.
2. Make the sauce
Add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients (ketchup, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and brown sugar) into the skillet with the browned meat. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
3. Simmer
Let the sauce and meat mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine and the sauce to thicken up.
4. Serve and enjoy!
Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto the buns of your choice. See a list of side dishes to serve along with it below. Enjoy!
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations:
Celery seed – if you don’t have any celery salt feel free to substitute celery seed. Simply add a little salt at the end if you feel like the sauce needs it.
Slice of cheese or pickle – add a slice of cheese or pickles to your sandwich
Green pepper, red pepper, celery, red onion – feel free to add a variety of fresh vegetables to your sauce. Don’t worry this easy recipe can still be a “one pot/skillet” meal. Simply sauté the vegetables in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 3-5 minutes before you add the ground meat.
Side Dishes:
Sloppy Joes are a very versatile dinner. Here are some of my favorite side dishes to serve with sloppy joes:
Potato chips
Tator tots
Simple green salad
Crispy french fries
Sweet potatoes
Serve a dessert after Homemade Sloppy Joes:
Rich and Fudgy Chocolate Espresso Brownies Recipe
Delicious Fudgy Chocolate Cookies with 3 Ingredients
Best High Altitude Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
FAQs:
Sloppy Joe recipe for a crowd
Homemade Sloppy Joes makes an easy dinner for a crowd that everyone will love. Make a double batch or for a very large crowd use the ingredient amounts below. Tip: keep the sloppy joes warm by putting the meat mixture into a crockpot on warm.
- 5 pounds of ground beef
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup mustard
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
How to thicken sloppy joes
To thicken sloppy joes simply continue to slimmer while cooking it on the stove until the desired thickness is achieved.
Leftover Sloppy Joe Recipe
Serve delicious homemade sloppy joe sandwiches tonight and then tomorrow use the leftovers in a variety of ways:
- Serve sloppy joes over hot dogs or a baked potato
- Use leftover sloppy joe as a pasta sauce and serve over cooked pasta or rice
- Or simply freeze the leftover sloppy joes for another busy night
How long is leftover sloppy joe good for?
Leftover sloppy joe should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftover sloppy joe should be eaten within 5 days.
Can you freeze sloppy joe mix?
Yes. Sloppy joe mix makes a great freezer meal. Allow the sloppy joe mix to cool to room temperature then place in a freeze container or bag. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Tip: if you use a freezer bag, allow it to freeze laying flat then stand it up or stack bags to make more room in your freezer.
Gluten free sloppy joe recipe
This sloppy joe recipe is considered gluten free if the bun is left off or gluten-free buns are used.
High Altitude Sloppy Joe
Cooking at high altitude? No need to change any ingredients in this recipe when cooking at high altitude.
Try out these other delicious meals:
Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe – Make Ahead & Freeze
Dairy-Free Chicken Noodle Soup – Gluten-Free Option
Easy Cast Iron Pork Chops – Gluten and Dairy Free
Spicy Chinese Chicken 3 Ingredient Chili Garlic Sauce
Easy Grilled Chicken Alfredo Recipe – 3 Ingredients
Homemade Sloppy Joes – Old Fashion 1950s Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Cook the ground meat in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to break up the meat into pieces. Once the ground meat is cooked, drain any grease from the pan.
- Add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients (ketchup, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and brown sugar) into the skillet with the browned meat. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
- Let the sauce and meat mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine and the sauce to thicken up.
- Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto the buns of your choice. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations:
Celery seed – if you don't have any celery salt feel free to substitute celery seed. Simply add a little salt at the end if you feel like the sauce needs it. Slice of cheese or pickle – add a slice of cheese or pickles to your sandwich Green pepper, red pepper, celery, red onion – feel free to add a variety of fresh vegetables to your sauce. Sauté the vegetables in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 3-5 minutes before you add the ground meat.Sloppy Joe recipe for a crowd:
- 5 pounds of ground beef
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup mustard
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
If you make this delicious Sloppy Joe recipe leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out. If you have any questions, post them below and I would love to help you out.
