Home Canned Sloppy Joes Recipe

Make mealtime simple and shelf-stable with this Home-Canned Sloppy Joes recipe. Perfect for busy families and long-term storage, this easy pressure canning recipe transforms ground beef, bell pepper, and tomato sauce into a hearty, ready-to-heat meal. Learn how to safely preserve Sloppy Joes in jars for convenient, homemade comfort food anytime.

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By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva® 
Last updated: October 4, 2025

Key Takeaways

• A classic American dish made shelf-stable through pressure canning.
• Easy to prepare and reheat for quick family dinners.
• Features tomato sauce, bell peppers, and Worcestershire for a rich, tangy flavor.

The History Behind Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are an all-American classic dating back to the early 20th century. While the dish’s exact origin is debated, most food historians trace it to Sioux City, Iowa, where a cook named Joe added tomato sauce to loose meat sandwiches in the 1930s. Others link its evolution to the Cuban-inspired “ropa vieja” served in Key West or the Depression-era trend of stretching ground meat with sauce to feed more people.

Over time, this simple sandwich became a staple of American home kitchens and school lunches—comforting, budget-friendly, and easy to prepare. The balance of protein, natural fats, and carbohydrates makes Sloppy Joes a filling meal, while ingredients like bell peppers, onions, and tomato sauce add vitamins A and C, lycopene, and dietary fiber.

Canning this family favorite brings together the convenience of modern preservation with old-fashioned, home-cooked flavor. Once pressure-canned, jars of Sloppy Joes offer a nutrient-dense, ready-to-heat meal perfect for quick weeknight dinners, road trips, and long-term food storage.

If you prefer a meatless Sloppy Joe recipe, my vegetarian section has a canning recipe for Jackfruit Sloppy Joes. For more meals in a jar canning recipes, be sure to pick up a copy of my book, The Canning Diva Presents Meals in a Jar, the ultimate guide to pressure canning ready-made meals.

Creative Ways to Use Your Sloppy Joes

Of course, nothing beats a classic Sloppy Joe sandwich piled high on a soft bun—but don’t stop there! These savory jars make it easy to get creative in the kitchen. Try one of these fun twists:

• Swiss & Mushroom Melt: Spoon the heated Sloppy Joes onto a toasted brioche bun, top with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, and broil until bubbly.
• Everything Bagel Sloppy Joe: Swap the traditional sesame seed bun for a toasted Everything bagel for a flavorful crunch and a hint of garlic.
• Loaded Baked Potato: Split open a baked potato and pour the hot mixture on top. Add shredded cheddar, sour cream, and green onions.
• Sloppy Joe Nachos or French Fries: Layer tortilla chips (or freshly baked French fries) with Sloppy Joe mix, shredded cheese, and jalapeños. Bake until melted and finish with sour cream, home canned salsa and guacamole.
• Stuffed Bell Peppers: Fill the par-cooked bell peppers with your canned mixture and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Top with mozzarella and chopped parsley, then serve.
• Breakfast Hash: Stir a spoonful into scrambled eggs or breakfast potatoes for a hearty morning twist.

These easy ideas prove that one jar can turn into multiple meals with minimal effort—making Meals in a Jar a true kitchen time-saver.

Sloppy Joes Pressure Canning Recipe

Makes approx. 5 quarts or 10 pints

Enjoy this all-American classic year-round, perfect for quick weeknight meals, camping trips, or emergency food storage. This easy pressure canning recipe uses ground beef, tomato sauce, and savory seasonings to create a hearty meal in a jar you can heat, eat, and enjoy anytime.

Ingredients

• 6 pounds ground beef
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped green (or red) bell pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups beef broth

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot, add the ground beef, salt (if using), and pepper. Cook the beef through on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Drain off the fat and return the cooked beef to a clean stockpot.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the beef and mix well. On medium-high heat, cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato sauce, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and beef broth. Mix well. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 5 minutes, stirring to avoid scorching.
4. Ladle the hot Sloppy Joes into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust as necessary to maintain the 1-inch headspace.
5. Wipe rims with a warm cloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place lids and rings on each jar and hand-tighten.
6. Place jars in a pressure canner, lock the lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. Close the vent and continue heating to achieve 11 PSI for a dial-gauge canner or 10 PSI for a weighted-gauge canner.
7. Process in a pressure canner at 10 PSI or according to your elevation and canner type. Process quart jars for 90 minutes and pint jars for 75 minutes.

Ingredient Tip: Ketchup is typically used when making Sloppy Joes on the stovetop. To give this recipe more depth, I substitute tomato sauce for a richer base. If you prefer ketchup’s sweetness, replace part of the tomato sauce with equal parts ketchup but omit the apple cider vinegar to prevent an excessive acidic flavor.

Home Canned Sloppy Joes Recipe

Recipe by The Canning Diva

5.0 from 1 vote

Servings

5 quarts or 10 pints

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Enjoy this all-American classic year-round, perfect for quick weeknight meals, camping trips, or emergency food storage. This easy pressure canning recipe uses ground beef, tomato sauce, and savory seasonings to create a hearty meal in a jar you can heat, eat, and enjoy anytime.

Ingredients

US Metric

• 6 pounds 6 ground beef

• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional)

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 cups 2 finely chopped onion

• 1 cup 1 finely chopped green (or red) bell pepper

• 6 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 tablespoons 3 Worcestershire sauce

• 4 cups 4 tomato sauce

• 1 tablespoon 1 yellow mustard

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

• 2 cups 2 beef broth

Instructions

• In a large stockpot, add the ground beef, salt (if using), and pepper. Cook the beef through on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Drain off the fat and return the cooked beef to a clean stockpot.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the beef and mix well. On medium-high heat, cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and beef broth. Mix well. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 5 minutes, stirring to avoid scorching.
• Ladle the hot Sloppy Joes into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust as necessary to maintain the 1-inch headspace.
• Wipe rims with a warm cloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place lids and rings on each jar and hand-tighten.
• Place jars in a pressure canner, lock the lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. Close the vent and continue heating to achieve 11 PSI for a dial-gauge canner or 10 PSI for a weighted-gauge canner.
• Process in a pressure canner at 10 PSI or according to your elevation and canner type. Process quart jars for 90 minutes and pint jars for 75 minutes.

Notes

• Ingredient Tip: Ketchup is typically used when making Sloppy Joes on the stovetop. To give this recipe more depth, I substitute tomato sauce for a richer base. If you prefer ketchup’s sweetness, replace part of the tomato sauce with equal parts ketchup but omit the apple cider vinegar to prevent an excessive acidic flavor.

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About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at CanningDiva.com.

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