Easy Sloppy Joes Recipe
You only need four ingredients to make my deliciously quick and easy sloppy joes recipe. I promise that with one bite you’ll never look at canned sloppy joe sauce the same way again!
The first time I made this easy sloppy joe recipe for my husband, it was right after we got married (over two decades ago). My husband took one bite and his eyes got really big, then he took another, and his eyes got even bigger. They were almost inhaled after that. I’ve found the same reaction whenever I serve them so watch your family for those bulging eyes and you’ll know you’ve got a winner!
I call these Not Your Average Sloppy Joes. This is one of my favorite ways to make homemade sloppy joes, beginning with simple ingredients and taking that delicious canned sauce up a notch. All you need is ground beef, fried onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and Manwich sloppy joe sauce. When I say this is an easy sloppy joe recipe, I mean it. Just cook the beef, combine the ingredients, and then assemble your sloppy joes. It’s that easy and in no time at all, you’ll be devouring a delicious sloppy joe burger. I like the sound of that!
Trust me, one bite and you’ll never look at that can of sloppy joe sauce the same again. Ready to give it a go?
Recipe Ingredients
- Manwich sloppy joe sauce
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- French fried onions
- Browned ground beef
How to Make My Easy Sloppy Joes Recipe
Brown your ground beef in a large skillet and drain off any grease. I am using two pounds, even though the can says to use one pound.
Add the sloppy joe sauce…
Then add the cheddar cheese and french fried onions.
Stir that all up and make sure it is heated through.
Now we need to toast our buns! I just put mine in a skillet and turn the heat on medium-high. After a minute or so flip them over.
Toasted buns make the BEST sloppy joes!
For my fries, I prefer crinkle cut and usually get name brand if they aren’t too outrageously priced.
I like to bake mine but if you have an air fryer you may prefer that.
If you’re baking, lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Sprinkle fries liberally with seasoned salt.
I bake these at 425 for about 20 minutes or so, stirring once, until they are golden brown on the edges.
Put your sloppy joe mixture on the toasted bun and top with more french fried onions. The little crunch and flavor is so good with sloppy joes!
Serve your with lots of ketchup and sweet tea.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- I love to make double and then freeze leftovers, as they’ll last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave, on the stovetop, or even in the slow cooker.
Recipe Notes
- Now you know I normally don’t get specific with brands but I have to stick by my Manwich sloppy joe sauce. I have tried several generics and they don’t even come close (some are quite horrid). I really suggest you get this kind unless you already have a favorite out there.
- If you want to add some veggies to your meat mixture, add finely diced green bell pepper, carrot, or celery.
- Instead of hamburger buns, use brioche buns or pretzel buns. Another option is to swap the bun for a baked potato.
- For extra heat, stir in some green chiles or chopped jalapeños.
- If you like, swap the lean ground beef for ground turkey.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with sloppy joes?
Besides fries, I love to serve my sloppy joes sandwiches as a with pickles, potato chips, tater tots, baked mac and cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, and sometimes even grilled corn on the cob. Instead of crinkle-cut fries, try my parmesan oven fries or zucchini fries.
Can I cook my sloppy joes in the crockpot?
Yes, you can! Once you brown the beef in the skillet, add this and the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours. They will have a softer and saucier texture.
What is in Manwich sloppy joe sauce?
Here’s a copycat recipe, but Manwich sloppy joe sauce is made with tomato sauce, corn syrup, dehydrated bell pepper, spices like dried onion and garlic, and a hint of chili powder.
You may also like these scrumptious supper recipes:
Beef Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Delicious Hamburger Steak Recipe with Fried Onions (Oh Yum!)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 can Manwich sloppy joe sauce
- 2 cups french fried onions
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 packet hamburger buns
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and drain off any grease. Add the sloppy joe sauce, cheese, and 1 cup of french fried onions to the browned beef. Stir and heat until bubbly.2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained, 1 can Manwich sloppy joe sauce, 2 cups french fried onions, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Toast burger buns in a clean skillet over medium-high heat (about 1 minute on each side) and top each hamburger bun with sloppy joe meat. Sprinkle more onions on top. Serve with fries.1 packet hamburger buns
- Makes about 8 sloppy joes.
Nutrition
I originally published this recipe in 2009 and updated the photos and post in 2020.
Hi Christy, love your blog and the recipes. My family prefers genuine Manwich sauce too, after trying other brands. I like to add chopped bell pepper and onion to the mix.
On your precook method for freezing ground beef, do you store yours in measured cups or by weight? Just wondering how you know what amount to use when a recipe calls for an uncooked amount. For example, if a recipe says to brown 1 lb of ground beef, would you use 3/4 lb of precooked meat if it was the 75% lean kind?
Hey!
I measure mine by cupfuls. I usually put a cup in each bag and then grab one or two bags depending on what I’m cooking.
Spaghetti would be one bag, sloppy joes or tacos (which need more meat) would be two.
I hope this helps! thank you so much for reading!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Sounds yummy! I love all your recipes.
Thank you so much, Tina!
Well, instead of chedder, how about pepper jack?
I have never found another person who cooks as similarly as you do! I make my sloppy joes and fries exactly the same way!!!
That is just too stinking neat! You know, it seems like most of us Southern Platers all have the same taste (or awfully close) when it comes to cooking. We sure are lucky to have each other!!
Gratefully,
Christy
P.S. Wonder what else we cook the same…
The rest of my siblings came by for a Welcome Home/ New Years day party. They brought all the food.
We had baked country ham, butterbeans, black eyes, cabbage, cornbread and green onions.. so he was happy as a clam.
Sloppy Joes are great for breakfast.. I made Sausage Balls with sharp cheddar and Parmesan cheese for my breakfast/lunch. Better than cold pizza!
Okay, I gotta cry foul on the cold pizza thing ~giggles~. I saw my brother eat one slice too many for me to be able to stomach it! I’m still with ya on the sloppy joes though!
We love sloppy joes around my house. I always have to fix a big batch so there will be left overs. When my son was at home, the next mornin’ would find both of us sittin’ at the breakfast table havin’ a sloppy jo. So good.
Oh my!!! I’d join in that breakfast any day!!!
But surprisingly, I find raising a boy much easier than raising a girl, Bill! I know you brought your mother some precious moments in your time. I am trying not to laugh as we speak as I think back to the cast iron skillet incident you told me about!
After posting this, I used leftovers and had a sloppy joe for breakfast !lol. My kids had doughnuts but I gotta stay away from the sweet stuff like that. Oh, I have the BEST doughnut recipe to bring y’all. I’ll probably do that one tomorrow…
Hope you get a chance to try this! Its simple as simple can be, but those few added steps really make a blockbuster sloppy joe! How is your dad doing? Did you have him some cornbread waiting when he got home?
Gratefully,
Christy
Now ya hit a soft spot! I dearly love Sloppy Joes. Sloppy Joe day back in Elementary School was always anticipated. We were never allowed to buy our lunch except for that day.. I guess cause I warted the crud out of my mama until she gave up. Well.. It was either that or because I threw my Superman lunch box in the creek because.. well.. I was a boy.. it just happened. Little boys don’t really need a good reason for anything they do.