Homemade sloppy joes are perfect for busy weeknights! This copycat Manwich sauce recipe makes this family favorite a quick meal in 10 minutes. No need for a slow cooker; just blend up and add to browned ground beef!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- From scratch is better than a canned sauce and has that delicious sloppy joe flavor!
- Doubles, triples, and freezes well!
- Great way to have dinner on the table for your whole family in 10 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
- Barbecue Sauce - use whatever brand is your favorite!
- Ground Mustard - If you find you're out of ground mustard, a good squirt of regular yellow mustard will do in a pinch.
- Celery Seed - Please note celery seed is not the same as celery salt.
- Tomato Sauce - I used plain tomato sauce without extra flavors added.
- Variations - This is a pretty basic, kid-friendly sauce. For a more grown-up version, sauté minced green bell pepper and minced onion with the ground beef as you are browning it.
How to Make
- Measure out and add the tomato sauce and BBQ sauce to a blender cup (I love my bullet blender for this) or food processor.
- Add the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, ground mustard, and celery seeds.
- Put the blender lid or food processor top on and blend very well.
- This easy recipe makes enough sauce for 2 lb. of browned ground beef or 2 lbs of ground meat of your choice.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown 2 lbs of lean ground beef.
- Drain the excess grease.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the sauce into browned beef.
- Serve the sloppy joe mixture on buns with a slice of cheese!
- Store extra sloppy joe meat in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Pro Tip - The sauce freezes very well. Feel free to double or triple the amount. I generally only need 1 lb of sloppy joe, so I divide the sauce in half and freeze half for next time. Freeze sauce in an airtight container in portions of 1 cup sauce per pound of ground beef you plan to use.
- Thaw in the microwave or fridge to use.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Yes, please do! Unless there truly is a minuscule amount of grease from browning the beef, you're going to want to drain it. Excess grease thins the sauce and doesn't add to the flavor in a good way.
This recipe makes enough sauce for 2 lbs. of ground beef.
Yes! You can double or triple this recipe and freeze it! If your family is smaller, you can divide the sauce in half. Use one half for 1 lb. ground beef and freeze the other half of the sauce for another time!
If you're looking for more than chips and pickle spears, check out this Tangy Broccoli Salad or this make-ahead Layered Green Salad!
Need More Easy Dinner Recipes
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Sloppy Joe Sauce without Ketchup Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce 8 oz can
- 1 Cup Barbeque Sauce of your choice
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Celery Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Mustard
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients.
- Blend or process well.
- Mix into 2 lbs. of browned ground beef.
- Serve on buns!
Notes
- The sauce freezes very well. Feel free to double or triple the amount. I generally only need 1 lb of sloppy joe, so I divide the sauce in half and freeze half for next time. Freeze sauce in an airtight container in portions of 1 cup sauce per pound of ground beef you plan to use.
- Nutritional Disclaimer
Amanda
Okay, had to come back and leave an updated comment. We LOVE this sauce. We use it for many things other than just sloppy joe's. We love it on our BBQ chicken pizza and also for dipping chicken strips in. I like to mix it with a little mayo when I eat it with chicken strips. So, so good!
Mindee
Wow! That's so awesome! I haven't tried it as a dipping sauce but now I have to!!!
Amanda
Going to try this soon. I used to like the BBQ manwich too. I had been thinking maybe I had imagined that they ever really had a BBQ one. Good to know I'm not crazy!
G. T.
Love that the sauce freezes so well!