Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe

This old fashioned sloppy joes recipe is one that will have everyone begging for more. The sweet and savory beefy flavors of the sloppy joes are perfect with the golden brown biscuits on top!

This homemade sloppy joe recipe is one of my favorites to make because it takes the zingy flavor of our favorite dish and makes it so much better! What makes this one a real winner is the addition of biscuits on top. So good!

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes

This was inspired by my other one pot chili with biscuits recipe on this site, and pairs well with these amazing cream cheese biscuits recipe. I love having extra biscuits for dipping and these biscuits are so good.

Why You Will Love this Recipe

• It's ready in less than 20 minutes with minimal prep.
• It's quick and easy to prepare in one pan for easy cleanup.
• It's easily customizable to suit different tastes and dietary needs.
• It's a great way to use up ground beef or leftovers in the fridge.
• It's a budget-friendly dish that uses affordable ingredients.
• It's a great way to sneak some veggies into your kids' meals without them even noticing!

Top Tip:

Do not overcook your beef! Stop cooking it directly in the skillet as soon as its no longer pink. Dried out ground beef is tasteless ground beef.

Ingredients

You'll only need simple ingredients to make this easy recipe, and you'll probably have most of them in your kitchen already.

The major flavors are listed here, but you'll find the complete list of ingredients along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Ground beef - 80/20 or 90/10
• Onion - white or yellow
• Green pepper - or red
• Garlic - mince your own or buy pre-minced
• Ketchup - any brand
• Brown sugar - omit if you don’t like yours sweet
• Tomato paste - adds more tomato flavor
• Worcestershire sauce - seasons the sloppy joes nicely
• Dijon mustard - more flavor
• Chili powder - add more if you like it spicy
• Biscuits - canned biscuits or make your own

Substitutions and Variations

• Ground Beef - Use ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, a blend or veggie crumbles may be substituted if you're vegetarian.
• More Vegetables - Add a can of drained corn, drained beans, mushrooms, and/or celery can be added with the onion and garlic when cooking the beef. Zucchini, diced , mushrooms, and/or celery can be added with the onion and garlic when cooking the beef or if frozen add in last minute of simmering.
• More Flavor - Spices such as paprika, cumin and oregano can also be added to enhance flavor.Use paprika, taco seasoning, cajun seasoning, and red pepper flakes, or add more chili powder if you like it spicy
• Add Heat - Add a teaspoon of chili pepper flakes, jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the mixture to imbue heat into the dish. I will also occasionally add a teaspoon of our homemade hot pepper sauce, sriracha, or use your favorite hot sauce, to the mixture.
• Onion - Use white, yellow, red, or purple onions, leek, green onions, or shallots instead.
• Sweet Peppers - Use any color of sweet pepper you like.
• Ketchup - Use barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, Heinz chili sauce, or tomato sauce instead.
• Worcestershire sauce - Use soy sauce instead.
• Mustard - Use yellow mustard, grainy mustard, or a combination in lace of dijon mustard.
• Refrigerated Biscuits - Use Bisquick to make your own biscuits, make homemade biscuits, use hamburger buns, serve Texas Toast to make Texas Toast Sloppy Joes, or top with french fries, tater tots, sweet potato fries instead, or a handful of potato chips at the time of serving.
• Add Cheese - Sprinkle grated cheddar, monterey jack, swiss, havarti, or your favorite cheese on top of your finished sloppy joes just before putting them in the oven or when serving
• Make it Heartier - Add cooked lentils, cooked rice, quinoa, rolled oats, chickpeas, or black beans into the Sloppy Joe mixture before serving.

Instructions

This easy recipe is all done in just a few minutes and a few simple steps. The highlights are listed here, but you'll find the full instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.

1: Cook the ground beef and vegetables.

2: Combine the remaining ingredients with the beef and top with biscuits.

3: Bake and serve.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container without biscuits for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Store in an air-tight, freezer-safe container without biscuits for up to 3 months.

Reheat: Place the sloppy joe mixture in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until heated through.

Make Ahead: You can make the sloppy joe mixture the day before you plan to serve the meal. Then, top with the biscuits and bake according to the recipe instructions.

What To Serve With Sloppy Joes

Serve with a side salad or other vegetable dish. Some great ideas include:

• Mixed vegetables
• Corn on the Cob
• Corn Casseroles
• White rice
• Brown rice
• Mashed potatoes

For a more comprehensive list, check out our most delicious sides for sloppy joes. I can tell you that you won't be disappointed! Also check out our Condiment Recipes for a variety of flavors that make an already delicious dish taste even better!

Tips

• Be sure to use a large oven-safe skillet for cooking the meat and vegetables.
• Before storing leftovers, make sure that all ingredients have been cooled down completely before sealing them in airtight containers to ensure maximum freshness while storing.
• Only simmer your sauce for a minute so y don't reduce your sauce too much or you'll end up with a dry sloppy joe and who wants that?

FAQ

More Ground Beef Recipes

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes

Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.