We have an Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe with only 3 ingredients. The main ingredient is one that can be found in almost every household. Sloppy Joes With Ketchup is a 20 minute dinner idea using ground beef, ketchup, onions, salt and pepper.
Sloppy Joes with Ketchup:
Ever stare at a pound of ground beef and realize you have no time or none of the right ingredients to make any of your favorite dishes?
We hate when that happens.
Well, this Sloppy Joes Sandwich recipe will save the day! Not only does it take ingredients you almost ALWAYS have on hand, but it also can be on the table in 20 minutes!
When we say this is an easy sloppy Joe Recipe, we aren’t joking. With only 3 ingredients, it doesn’t get any easier than this. And, nobody knows the difference.
Easy Sloppy Joes
The sloppy joe sauce in this “recipe” is only ketchup with onions, salt and pepper. Do you count the salt and pepper as ingredients? We think not. And the onions could technically be optional.
One of Barbara’s co-workers made this recently for a pitch-in. Barbara overheard her coworker bragging that it was the easiest sloppy joe recipe ever with only one ingredient….ketchup.
So, Barbara hit her coworker up and got the ingredient list and how she made it. Then she went right home to make it for her family.
And you know what, it is just as good as our other version that is much more effort. It was kid-approved, husband-approved AND Barbara-approved!
Ingredients for Simple Sloppy Joe Recipe:
Ground Beef
Onions, diced
Ketchup
Salt
Black Pepper
Notes About Sloppy Joes Recipe with Ketchup:
- This sloppy joe sandwich recipe is super easy. The sauce is made of ketchup. Onions are optional, but highly recommended.
- Substitute dried onion flakes for diced onion, if needed.
- Diced onions, salt and pepper is all it takes to season up the ground beef.
- Serve it in a bun, as an open sandwich on bread or eat it with tortilla chips. Then use the leftovers (if there are any) to make our Sloppy Joe Cups.
- This easy sloppy joe recipe tastes great served over baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
How to Make Simple Sloppy Joes
Full recipe steps and ingredient amounts for simple sloppy joes with ketchup, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Instructions:
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onions, and drain excess grease.
- Add ketchup, salt and pepper.
- Heat over low heat until warm and bubbly, approximately 10 minutes.
- Serve on a bun or bread as an open-faced sandwich or it tastes great served over a baked potato.
What goes with Sloppy Joes?
Sloppy Joe sandwiches are on regular rotation on the menu at our house. Here’s our favorite side dishes to serve with sloppy joes.
- Cheesy Potatoes
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Coleslaw
- Corn Casserole
- Cinnamon Apples
- Sweet and Sour Green Beans with Bacon
- Creamed Peas
- Macaroni and Tomatoes
- French Onion Rice Casserole
- Pickled Beets
What goes good on a sloppy joe?
Sloppy Joes are perfect just as they are served plain over bread or on a bun, but there’s also endless ways to shake it up with Sloppy Joe toppings. Here’s our top 15 Sloppy Joe Topping Ideas.
- Sliced Cheese
- Jalapenos or candied jalapenos
- Pickles
- Caramelized onions
- Raw onions
- Lettuce
- Siracha
- Banana Peppers
- Potato Chips (the crunch is amazing)
- Pickled Beets
- French Fried Onions
- Tomato Slices
- Coleslaw
- Avocado
- Giardiniera
How to serve Sloppy Joes without bread?
Bread and/or buns are not required for eating Sloppy Joes. Here’s five fun ways to eat sloppy joes without bread.
- Serve over baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
- Make sloppy joe nachos by eating with tortilla chips.
- Fill biscuit dough with sloppy joes to make Sloppy Joe Cups.
- Serve over scrambled eggs for a fun breakfast or brunch.
- Make sloppy joe tacos by filling tortilla shells.
Sloppy Joe Recipe Variations
We love messy, saucy sandwiches over here at These Old Cookbooks! Check out some other sloppy joe recipe variations:
Italian Joes from The Farmwife Feeds
Sloppy Joes With Ketchup - An Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small onion diced (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and onions together in a skillet; drain excess grease if needed.
- Add ketchup, salt and pepper.
- Heat over medium low heat until warm and bubbly, approximately 10 minutes.
- Serve on a bun or as an open faced sandwich on bread.
Notes
- This sloppy joe sandwich recipe is super easy. The sauce is made of ketchup. Onions are optional, but highly recommended.
- Substitute dried onion flakes for diced onion, if needed.
- Diced onions, salt and pepper is all it takes to season up the ground beef.
- Serve it in a bun, as an open sandwich on bread or eat it with tortilla chips. Then use the leftovers (if there are any) to make our Sloppy Joe Cups.
- This easy sloppy joe recipe tastes great served over baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
- Try our classic sloppy joe recipe!
Linking up to Meal Plan Monday.
Check out this and other great recipes at Weekend Potluck #307.
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