Who else was raised on Sloppy Joes? Here I am with my hand up. This homemade Sloppy Joe recipe without ketchup is even better than my childhood favorite.
Growing up, we always had the sloppy joe sauce in a can. However, when my husband and I got married, I found out he didn’t like the canned sloppy joe mix.
So I set off to figure out how we were going to make this sloppy goodness. After a lot of trial and error, I finally created a recipe for homemade Sloppy Joe sauce that made us both happy. Even better, these sandwiches can be on the table in less than thirty minutes, so this is on regular rotation for when I have to work nightshift or need dinner on the table quick.
Pin It For Later

How To Make The Sloppy Joe Recipe Without Ketchup
This is the only homemade Sloppy Joe recipe without ketchup that you will ever need.
First, in a large skillet or dutch oven add in a pound and a half of ground beef, a diced red pepper (I prefer red bell peppers, but any color will work) and a diced onion to the ground beef. Cook the meat and vegetable mixture on medium-high heat until the ground beef is cooked thoroughly and vegetables are tender.

Drain the grease well from the ground beef mixture then mix in the garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Now, add in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat and continue cooking until the mixture comes to a slow simmer.
Serve warm on hamburger buns or bread of choice.
This recipe is an easy Sloppy Joe recipe without ketchup homemade in less than 30 minutes. Serve it up on a bun or as a Sloppy Joe panini.
Good Side Dishes For The Sloppy Joe Recipe Without Ketchup
Sloppy joes are a comfort food staple for so many people. These messy sandwiches bring back fond childhood memories.
Traditional side dishes, such as roasted potatoes or Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese are perfect complements, but a light and healthy side dish such as an Asian Roasted Asparagus would provide a nice balance for these sandwiches.

Tips and Tricks
- For a healthier/lighter sandwich, substitute ground turkey in place of the ground beef.
- Can ketchup be used in place of tomato sauce? – It can, but I strongly recommend using tomato sauce. Ketchup will change the flavor of the homemade sloppy joes as it has a slightly sweet flavor. My family loves the taste of homemade sloppy joes without ketchup.

Homemade Sloppy Joes
A homestyle favorite, this Sloppy Joe recipe without ketchup is a quick and easy family-friendly dinner. This sloppy joe recipe is made without ketchup for a classic sloppy joe and is on the table in thirty minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 bell pepper (diced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 1/2 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 TBSP Dijon Mustard
- 1 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 6 buns
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a medium size pot with one diced bell pepper on one diced onion. Once the ground beef is thoroughly cooked, drain off all excess grease.
- Mix in the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder.
- Skim off any remaining grease.
- Add in brown sugar, Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce.
- Stir well and bring mixture to a slow simmer for five minutes.
- Serve on buns.
Notes
Top with cheese slices, pickles, mustards, or chopped onions.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 489Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 939mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 37g
All information and tools within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on swingshiftmom.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. The nutritional labels are a product of online calculators. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates.