Whether your family calls this a sloppy joe or the brand name most people know of, Manwich, we can all agree that it's a quick and easy way to make some ground beef taste a lot better!
Not only is this Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix recipe less expensive than purchasing a packet of McCormick's or a Manwich can but you are leaving out all the additives, preservatives, and you have control over the sodium. I think the Sloppy Joe Sauce tastes way better too!
As you are reviewing the recipe below, you can choose to 2x or 3x the recipe. It's no more work to make a double or triple batch of the seasoning mix and you won't use all the spices required for the mix. It's definitely a staple we keep on hand for weekly meal planning.
Homemade Sloppy Joe Seasoning
A long time ago, I began to make my own seasoning mixes for lots of pantry staples. This recipe uses basic seasonings we always have in the pantry. I consider it a McCormick's seasoning packet copycat. I don't remember the last time we purchased seasoning packets at the store.
Now, the seasoning mix alone doesn't make a Sloppy Joe. You'll need wet ingredients for the Sloppy Joe Sauce, and those are listed below. All of the ingredients combined will turn the seasoning mix and ground beef into that Manwich or Sloppy Joe.
Recipe for Sloppy Joe Mix
- 2 Tbsp, Paprika
- 1 Tbsp, Onion Flakes
- 1 tsp, Chili Powder
- 1 tsp, Dry Crushed Basil Leaves
- 1 tsp, Dry Mustard
- ½ tsp, Salt
- ½ tsp, Pepper
- ¼ tsp, Celery Salt or Seed
- 1 tsp, Cornstarch
How to Make Sloppy Joe Seasoning
- Combine all dry ingredients and stir well.
- Store in a glass container.
I mixed mine right in the container I was going to store it in.
The above measurements make one recipe, I usually triple or quadruple the recipe so I have enough for a month or so on hand.
Recipe for Sloppy Joe Sauce
To turn this into a homemade Manwich sauce, you'll need the sloppy joe seasoning mix above along with these ingredients:
- ½ cup, Water
- 1 Tbsp, Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cup, Ketchup
- 1/3 cup, Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix
Sloppy Joe Mix from Scratch
Stir the seasoning mix along with the wet ingredients together in a bowl. This makes the equivalent to one can of Manwich.
Add directly to pan with 1 pound browned ground beef. Let simmer until thickened.
What to add to Manwich to make it taste better?
With this homemade version, some people like chopped onions and bell peppers but my kids don't like those added so we don't add them. We just use the homemade seasoning mix and the sloppy joe sauce ingredients and that's it.
As I mentioned at the start, consider making a double or triple batch of the seasoning mix and you will still have plenty of the other spices remaining for other things. The cost for the spices and the wet ingredients for the Sloppy Joe Sauce is going to be a lot less than a can of Manwich at the store. Not to mention you don't need to run to the store and grab it when it's on the meal plan for the week!
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Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix and Sauce Recpe
- Author: Andrea Deckard
Ingredients
Scale
Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix
- 2 Tbsp, Paprika
- 1 Tbsp, Onion Flakes
- 1 tsp, Chili Powder
- 1 tsp, Dry Crushed Basil Leaves
- 1 tsp, Dry Mustard
- ½ tsp, Salt
- ½ tsp, Pepper
- ¼ tsp, Celery Salt or Seed
- 1 tsp, Cornstarch
- ½ cup, Water
Sloppy Joe Sauce
- 1 Tbsp, Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cup, Ketchup
- 1/3 cup, Seasoning Mix
Instructions
- Prepare the dry mix and store in a glass container.
- Combine all ingredients for the Sloppy Joe Sauce and mix together in a bowl.
Add sauce directly to pan with 1 pound browned ground beef.
Let simmer until thickened.
