Easy 5-Ingredient Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes on a white plate with fries.

These 5-Ingredient Sloppy Joes are so good and make a super quick and easy weeknight dinner that your family is sure to love!

Sloppy Joes on a white plate with fries.

Easy 5-Ingredient Sloppy Joes

Growing up we never, EVER ate Sloppy Joes because my mom didn’t like them which lead me to believe that they weren’t good.

Then I got married and my mother-in-law started making them for me which made me realize what I’d been missing all those years.

I’ve never had the canned version, but I can imagine homemade is much better. I know our whole family loves this recipe and I love it too because it’s fast and easy. What mom doesn’t love a good quick and easy weeknight meal?

I normally purchase the bulk pack of ground beef and then cook it all at once using this method to stretch it and save money.

I love doing this because then I can pre-portion the cooked beef out and either freeze it for later or keep it in the fridge for any recipes that I’m making during the week. Having the beef already cooked makes these Homemade Sloppy Joes a super quick meal.

Be sure to check out my recipe for Instant Pot Sloppy Joes if you like diced tomatoes and a chunkier texture.

Ingredients for Easy Sloppy Joes:

  • ground beef or ground turkey
  • ketchup
  • mustard
  • brown sugar
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • hamburger buns
  • sliced cheese

How to make 5-Ingredient Sloppy Joes:

Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain grease.

Add all other ingredients to cooked beef and mix well.

Let the meat mixture simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve on toasted buns with sliced cheese (optional).

Cooking Notes:

  • While this recipe is really good using only five ingredients, you may want to add diced bell pepper, diced onion or dice tomatoes while cooking to bulk it up and add more flavor.
  • You may cook the mixture (after the ground beef is fully cooked) in the slow cooker or crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Alternatively, you can cook the beef in the Instant Pot on Saute and then add all other ingredients and set it to slow cooker for 4-6 hours.

Sloppy Joes on a white plate with fries.

What Should I Serve with Sloppy Joes?

  • potatoes, mashed, fried or baked
  • potato chips
  • coleslaw
  • fresh vegetables like baby carrots, celery or cucumber

Want more quick and easy weeknight meal ideas? Here are some of my favorites:

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Easy 5-Ingredient Sloppy Joes

These Sloppy Joes make the perfect quick weeknight dinner!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 423kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup mustard
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 8 count package hamburger buns
  • 8 slices cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain grease.
  • Add all other ingredients to cooked beef and mix well.
  • Let the meat mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Serve on toasted buns with sliced cheese (optional).

Notes

  • While this recipe is really good using only five ingredients, you may want to add diced bell pepper, diced onion or dice tomatoes while cooking to bulk it up and add more flavor.
  • You may cook the mixture (after the ground beef is fully cooked) in the slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Alternatively, you can cook the beef in the Instant Pot on Saute and then add all other ingredients and set it to slow cooker for 4-6 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 399IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 3mg

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21 Comments

  1. This recipe is delicious & easy. I used ground turkey. We enjoyed it very much!!! I served it on WW organic rolls. I served this with sweet potato fries and YOUR cole slaw. Hubby was happy w the meal. Thank you✌️.
  2. I'm Australian and have never before heard of Sloppy Joes. Sounds pretty good but does seem to lack any vegetables. I find quite a few American food/cooking terms either unfamiliar or plain amusing. Enjoy your blog.
    1. Hi Pam, I'm not sure where the name for Sloppy Joes came from, but it is kind of odd. You could always add pureed veggies or diced tomatoes to pump up the veggies in the dish.
    2. Usually these are served with a garden salad, french fries, potato chips and of course a bun. There is also a Spanish Hamburger in this vein. Very easy, very satisfying. Great for get together 's, kids parties, social gathering makes this simple, easy and delicious.
  3. Good if you want the main taste to be mustard. I made it with only 1 tablespoon of mustard and it comes out with a nice tangy, sweet flavor instead.
  4. Excellent recipe. I read a comment about there being too much mustard so I almost didn’t add as much but I’m glad I gave it a try as written, it is not at all too “mustardy” 😆. Adding this to my recipe book for sure.

    5 stars

  5. My kids loved how great it tasted! And was super easy for me. I'm not one to slap ingredients together. five star here
  6. Not a fan. Wayyy too much mustard and not enough other flavors (ie. garlic and onion) Recently tried taste of homes sloppy Joes recipe and so much better. Just as quick and easy to make.

    1 star

  7. I use fresh grated Colby Jack cheese & add into the meat sauce last [ keeps meat/sauce in the bun better this way, not quite so sloppy] & serve in hot dog buns... really good when making for just my husband & self... I sauté a chopped onion before adding remaining ingredients... his favorite way to have them,,,,

    4 stars

3.36 from 100 votes (97 ratings without comment)

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