These Wimpies, or sloppy joes, are my grandma’s recipe. We’ve been enjoying this 30 minute recipe for years and they’re always a huge hit. They’re so much better than the canned version from the grocery store but just as easy to make.
My mom would make them for every party and get together and someone always ended up leaving the party with her recipe.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Sloppy Joe Recipe is a Keeper
- 20 Minute Meal: These easy sloppy joes only take 20 minutes to make. Perfect for a busy life.
- Easy Ingredients: All of the ingredients for these tender sandwiches can be found in your kitchen or local grocery store.
- Family Friendly: Homemade sloppy joes are a popular choice at cookouts and barbecues. They’re super simple, and are fun to eat.
If you’re browsing for more of the best sloppy joe recipes, try these: Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese, Sloppy Joe Puffs, and Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes.
Why Are they Called Wimpies?
While these ground beef sandwiches have lots of different names, they may be called “wimpies” in Pennsylvania. This may be because of the “wimpy” buns, which fall apart easily, or they may be named after the character Wimpy from the classic cartoon Popeye, who was known for eating hamburgers.
Ingredient Notes for Ground Beef Sandwiches
- Ground Beef: Ground beef makes up the sloppy joe patties. An 80-20% beef is recommended.
- Ketchup: You can use hot sauce in addition to ketchup when coating the wimpies to make the sloppy joe’s sauce.
- Green Peppers: The original recipe calls for a chopped green bell pepper. However, you can use any color of bell pepper you want.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Get 200 easy and delicious dinner recipes, so you'll never have to worry about what to make for dinner again.
Variations and Substitutions for this Wimpies Recipe
There are lots of different ways to make wimpies. Perhaps you want to make yours closer to your mom’s recipe or grandma’s. Here are some tips for changing them up to your liking:
- Use Ground Turkey: Instead of ground beef, you can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken instead. You can also use a can of Manwich.
- Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce can be used in place of ketchup in this hearty comfort food.
- Crock Pot: Instead of on the stove, you can also cook the meat in a crock pot, slow cooker, or instant pot. Alternatively, you can bake this recipe into a casserole, or fry the ground meat in an air fryer.
- Brown Sugar: Instead of granulated sugar, you can use brown sugar in this recipe for a sweeter taste.
Meat Pro Tip
When browning your ground beef and vegetables, make sure to get a good sear. This adds richness to the base of your sauce.
How to Make Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes
These are the basic steps for making sloppy joes from scratch. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions and nutrition information.
1. Cook the Beef
First, brown ground beef with onions and peppers in a large skillet on medium heat. Then, drain well and return the meat to the skillet.
2. Assemble Sloppy Joes and Add Seasoning
Add the vinegar, ketchup, celery seed, dry mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes to let the juices evaporate some, stirring often, then serve on your favorite sandwich roll or hamburger buns.
Best Sloppy Joe Recipe FAQs
Store the meat mixture in an airtight container in the fridge.
Reheat the beef mixture in the microwave or on the stovetop, then add to a bun.
If you’re looking for toppings, try onions, pickles, mushrooms, celery, barbecue sauce, or jalapenos.
Expert Tips for Making Easy Sloppy Joes
- Hot Sauce: Try putting a little hot sauce, chili powder, or jalapeno peppers into the wimpies for a spicy twist.
- Double: Double the recipe by increasing the ingredients in the directions proportionally.
- Flavor: For more yummy flavor, you can add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, or thicken the sauce mixture with chili sauce.
- Vegetables: If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat their veggies, try sneaking in some finely chopped vegetables to your sloppy joes. They will never know!
- Rice: If you are gluten-free, serve over tender rice or mashed potatoes.
- Soup: Heat some soup in a saucepan to serve along with the sloppy joes.
What to Serve with Sloppy Joes
If you liked this recipe, try these ones, and be sure to follow us on social media for more delicious recipes!
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Wimpies (Easy Sloppy Joes)
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 Onion, chopped
- ¾ cup Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Celery Seed
- 2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Brown beef with onions and peppers in a large skillet.
- Drain well and return to skillet.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve on your favorite sandwich roll.
Christina’s Notes
- Hot Sauce: Try putting a little hot sauce and some jalapeno peppers into the wimpies for a spicy twist.
- Vegetables: If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat their veggies, try sneaking in some finely chopped vegetables to your sloppy joes. They will never know!
- Rice: If you are gluten free, serve over rice, rice cauliflower or even mashed potatoes to make a hearty meal.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, scroll up on the page.
This is great ! You can taste all of the ingredients-nothing is over whelming.
Fun to see the comments from fellow Scrantonians.
Wimpies it is and Rocky Glen the best.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This was the first recipe I tried from this site and I immediately added it to my recipe book. I’ve used this recipe countless times over the years.
Love it, so easy
Fantastic I always make it this way
I looked on the web to the issue and discovered most people goes as well as with your web site.
I made this for my grandkids they loved these sloppy joes
I’m so glad they enjoyed them! 🙂
My kids love sloppy joes. I usually use ground turkey but that’s just our preference!
This sloppy Joe’s recipe is perfect for busy school nights. Can’t wait to try!
I made these sloppy joes for dinner dinner last night and they were a hit with the whole family! Even my picky eater ate the whole sandwich!! We’ll be making these again soon!
I like the fact that I can also use other types of meat, I often have chicken in my fridge and this would certainly be a good idea.
I especially like serving it with rice or even bulghur wheat.
Yum! I think this will become a new family favorite!