To serve Homemade sloppy joes and really keep the guests let them build their own on a toasted bun and style their own food. Getting guests involved like this gets them talking as they build their own personal sloppy joe and therefore makes your large group interact more and ultimately enjoy the larger gathering or event more.
With our easy sloppy joes recipe, you can create a “sloppy joes bar” – see our article on a Taco Stand For A large crowd article and how we did it there and copy that.
Also see our chili recipe for a big crowd.
The key is the right condiments, and colorful add-ons like red pepper, or a side of potato salad.
TOP TIP FOR A SUCCESSFUL SLOPPY JOES BIG CROWD (Also Burger, Waffles, and Tacos) is to create a Facebook page or other social media page where guests can photograph their food creation at your event, or family reunion and have a competition for the best looking sloppy joe. This will get almost everyone involved, and encourage the younger members to help the older, or grandparents on how to take a photo and upload it – getting this guest interaction is key to breaking the ice at any event – especially a family reunion where maybe there has been some miscommunication in the past. This alone if promoted well will make a success of your event.
See Our Recipe for Carne Asada – great alternative to sloppy joes.
One of the best things I like about a homemade sloppy joes recipe is that this recipe can also be made ahead of time The sloppy joe mixture can be put in a slow cooker or an instant pot on warm and the sloppy joe sauce will not evaporate and the result as a perfectly fresh meat dish to put right on that hamburger bun.
Sloppy Joes for a Crowd
In this article, we will cover the How To Make Sloppy Joes For A Crowd of say 100, or 50, 20 or even 10 people, yes crock pot sloppy joes or however you make then can really solve your question of “what do I serve at my large gathering and they are even better for tailgating recipes at the local game.
Below we give you a fantastic sloppy joe for a crowd recipe also.
Sloppy Joes for a Crowd
To help you have an idea of the exact ingredients that you need, we have listed down the variety of ingredients and their corresponding quantities.
Lean Ground Beef
How much ground beef do you need, say for a crockpot sloppy joes for a crowd? Below we show you exactly the amount of ground beef for classic sloppy joes, but you can also use other sloppy joe meat like ground turkey, ground pork, or even a real gamey one of lean ground deer meat.
Here’s the list for the pounds of ground beef you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/4 pounds ground beef
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 5 pounds ground beef
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 6 3/4 pounds ground beef
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 8 1/4 pounds ground beef
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 10 pounds ground beef
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 11 pounds ground beef
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 13 1/4 pounds ground beef
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 15 pounds ground beef
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 16 3/4 pounds ground beef
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 24 pounds ground beef
Other Key Ingredients For Recipe for Sloppy Joes For a Crowd
Chopped onions
The number of chopped onions you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. Here’s the chart for chopped onions you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 3/4 cup finely chopped onions
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 1 3/4 cup finely chopped onions
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 2 cups finely chopped onions
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 2 cups finely chopped onions
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 4 cups finely chopped onions
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 4 1/4 cups finely chopped onions
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 6 cups finely chopped onions
Bell peppers
The number of chopped green bell peppers you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. Here’s the chart for chopped green bell peppers you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 3/4 cup chopped bell peppers
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 1 2/3 cup chopped bell peppers
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 2 cups chopped bell peppers
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 cups chopped bell peppers
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 2 3/4 cups chopped bell peppers
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/3 cups chopped bell peppers
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 3 3/4 cups chopped bell peppers
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 4 cups chopped bell peppers
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 6 cups chopped bell peppers
Brown sugar
The amount of brown sugar you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. Here’s the chart for the brown sugar you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 1/4 cup brown sugar
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 1/3 cup brown sugar
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 1/2 cup brown sugar
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 2/3 cup brown sugar
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 3/4 cup brown sugar
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 1 cup brown sugar
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/8 cup brown sugar
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 1 2/3 cup brown sugar
Yellow mustard
The amount of yellow mustard you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. This may require more than what is listed below since some of your guests may put more sauce on their sloppy joe. Here’s the chart for the yellow mustard you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/4 tablespoon yellow mustard
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/4 tablespoon yellow mustard
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/4 tablespoon yellow mustard
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 1/4 cup yellow mustard
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 1/2 cup yellow mustard
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 2 cups yellow mustard
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 cups yellow mustard
Ketchup
The amount of ketchup you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. This may require more than what is listed below since some of your guests may put more sauce on their sloppy joe. A good substitute for ketchup is tomato paste and tomato sauce, in case you do not have one in your pantry. Here’s the chart for the ketchup you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 cups ketchup
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 3 3/4 cups ketchup
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 5 cups ketchup
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 6 1/3 cups ketchup
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 7 1/2 cups ketchup
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 8 3/4 cups ketchup
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 10 cups of ketchup
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 11 1/3 cups ketchup
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 12 2/3 cups of ketchup
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 18 1/2 cups ketchup
Garlic powder
The amount of garlic powder you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. Here’s the chart for the garlic powder you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 1 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 1 3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 2 3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 4 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Ground black pepper
The amount of ground black pepper you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. Here’s the chart for the ground black pepper you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 1 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: 1 3/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 2 3/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 3 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 4 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
Salt
The amount of salt you need for a party will depend on the number of guests you have. Take note that it may be adjusted according to your taste of food. Here’s the chart for the salt you need and their corresponding group size and quantity:
Group size: 20 people
Needed quantity: 3 pinches of salt
Group size: 30 people
Needed quantity: 4 pinches of salt
Group size: 40 people
Needed quantity: 6 pinches of salt
Group size: 50 people
Needed quantity: 7 pinches of salt
Group size: 60 people
Needed quantity: half teaspoon salt
Group size: 70 people
Needed quantity: 3/4 teaspoon salt
Group size: 80 people
Needed quantity: 1 tablespoon salt
Group size: 90 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/4 tablespoon salt
Group size: 100 people
Needed quantity: 1 1/2 tablespoon salt
Group size: 150 people
Needed quantity: 2 1/4 tablespoon salt
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe Recipe for a Crowd Of 100 People
Here is a recipe that you can follow when cooking sloppy joe for a crowd of 100 people.
Serving: 100 servings
Prep and cook time: 3 hours
Ingredients
- 16 3/4 pounds ground beef
- 4 1/4 cups finely chopped onions
- 4 cups chopped bell peppers
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 12 2/3 cups of ketchup
- 3 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 100 hamburger buns
Directions
1. Prepare a large skillet and cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat. Cook and stir constantly until browned on all sides for about 10 minutes.
2. Mix and stir the bell peppers until softened or about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup water and stir. Scrap all sides of the skillet to dissolve the flavor bits.
4. Mix in ketchup, yellow mustard, and brown sugar. Also add in 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce (or bbq sauce) and 1 cup of water and leave to simmer.
5. Add the salt and black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
6. Stir occasionally for 40 minutes until evaporated and thickened.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste again.
8. Let it cool and put in the hamburger buns.
9. Serve.
This really is an easy sloppy joe recipe. Some people also use soy sauce in equal quantities with barbecue sauce
Other Additions you can add is finely diced celery, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon of tomato puree if it is too sweet,
What Goes With Sloppy Joes For a Crowd
Sloppy joes are more like your favorite hamburgers. To make your meal complete, here are the perfect pairs that you can serve to the crowd:
- Potato chips
- Tater tots
- Fish and chips
- Mac n cheese
- Dill pickles
- Coleslaw
- Onion rings
- Waffle fries
- French fries
- Refreshing soda
- Iced lemon tea
Making Sloppy Joes For A Crowd or Large Group – Need To Know How Much To Make?
How many servings is a pound of Sloppy Joes? One good rule is to allow about 2.5 ounces of raw meat per person when dealing with ground meat.
What can I make with sloppy joes?
One of the top side dishes is Grilled Corn on the Cob.
Others are Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
The best idea is to keep it simple.
Adding some green bell pepper or onion to the ground beef while cooking along with a pinch of chili powder really gives it an amazing flavor.
How to Save Time – is to use a food chopper or food processor to easily chop the onions.
How to freeze sloppy joes
The best and cheapest way is to freeze them in an air-tight zip lock freezer bag.
How to reheat frozen sloppy joes
Reheat using a crockpot or slow cooker. You can also use a big pan for a faster defrost.
How To Make Sloppy Joes For Halloween Group or Crowd
The best way is to make the sloppy joes look like blood -and to do this use sweet paprika to give a deep red color!