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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.

homemade sloppy joes sandwich with pickles

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:

containers of all the ingredients for homemade sloppy joes - old fashioned 1950's recipe

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

Easy Cast Iron Pork Chops

Spicy Chinese Chicken

Grilled Chicken Alfredo

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.

1 pound of cooked ground beef and  sauce ingredients in a large black skillet on the stove

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.

sloppy joe meat mixture in a black skillet

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!

homemade sloppy joes sandwich with pickles and tator tots on a white plate

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.

homemade sloppy joes sandwich with pickles and tator tots on a white plate

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

Strawberry fluff salad

a large dollop of strawberry fluff salad and homemade sloppy joes sandwich with pickles white plate

Serve a dessert after Homemade Sloppy Joes:

Rich and Fudgy Chocolate Espresso Brownies Recipe

Delicious Fudgy Chocolate Cookies with 3 Ingredients

High Altitude Pecan Pie

High Altitude Oatmeal Cookie

Best High Altitude Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

homemade sloppy joes sandwich with pickles and tator tots on a white plate

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.

homemade sloppy joes sandwich with pickles and tator tots on a white plate

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

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Homemade Sloppy Joes – Old Fashion 1950s Recipe

All you need is simple ingredients to make this tangy but slightly sweet Homemade Sloppy Joes – Old Fashion 1950s recipe. Classic sloppy joes sandwiches are the no-fuss, easy dinner you need for busy weeknights.
Print Pin Rate
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sloppy joe recipe from the 50’s
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 392kcal
Author: Rebekah S.

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

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 434mg | Sugar: 19g

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.

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