Maid Rite Recipe Loose Meat Sandwich + Video
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Use our Maid Rite recipe to create a loose meat sandwich that tastes just like the restaurant original! Each ground beef sandwich may look like a sloppy joe, but it tastes nothing like one. The flavor is so much better, and with our recipe, you can make them at home!!
This loose meat sandwich recipe may seem simple, but trust me — there’s something special about these sandwiches. They’re easy to make and irresistibly scrumptious!
Maid Rite Recipe
If you live in the Midwest, you may already be familiar with Iowa’s famous Maid-Rite restaurant franchise.
They’re best known for their loose meat sandwich — perfectly seasoned ground beef served on a warm, slightly sweet bun with pickles and diced onion.
My husband and his family grew up enjoying the Maid Rite sandwich, so I wanted to create a homemade version.
After a lot of trial and error, I came up with this crockpot loose meat sandwich recipe. Trust me, this one is a keeper!!
For a delicious twist on a ground beef sandwich, make a batch of burger bombs. They’re made with frozen dinner roll dough — the perfect game-day food!
How to Make a Maid Rite Sandwich
At the restaurant, the ground beef is prepared in very large pots. But for this recipe, you’ll be using a crock pot.
RECIPE VIDEO
Watch the video in this post to see us make this Maid Rite recipe from start to finish!
- Slow cook the ground beef.
Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker, then cover and cook on High for 1 hour.
Remove the lid, then continue cooking for 2-3 hours, or until most of the liquid is gone. - Assemble the sandwich.
The classic Maid Rite sandwich is served on a steamed bun. If you have a steamer, you can use that. Otherwise, warm or toast the buns.
Scoop the seasoned ground beef onto the bread. Use a slotted spoon, otherwise the liquid will make the buns too soggy. - Add your favorite toppings.
At Maid-Rite, you can order a “Cheese-Rite,” which is the original loose meat sandwich topped with cheddar cheese, onion, and pickles.
Other popular toppings at the restaurant are jalapenos, BBQ sauce, and cheddar cheese sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this Maid Rite recipe with any of your favorite cookout or picnic side dishes.
You can’t go wrong with a side of corn (which Iowa is also famous for) or a side of French fries.
If you’re feeding a crowd, skip the fries and whip up some potato salad or crockpot baked beans with bacon instead.
Loose Meat Sandwich Recipe FAQ
While both are made with seasoned ground beef, Sloppy Joes feature a rich tomato-based sauce.
The meat mixture is slightly sweet and often enjoyed without additional toppings.
Loose meat sandwiches like Maid Rites, on the other hand, have no sauce at all. The meat has a bold beefy flavor, and the sandwich comes with pickles and diced onion on top.
Allow the meat to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend storing the assembled sandwiches, because the buns will become soggy.
Reheat the meat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop, adding a splash of liquid as needed to keep the meat moist.
Prep Ahead Instructions
This Maid Rite recipe is perfect for meal prep! Toss everything in the crockpot and let it cook for a few hours while you go about your day.
If needed, you could also cook the meat ahead of time and reheat it later. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Easy Crockpot Sandwich Recipes
Maid Rite Recipe Loose Meat Sandwiches + Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon low sodium beef base, or a bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon low sodium chicken base, or a bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 pounds lean ground beef
For Serving
- 8 hamburger buns
Optional Toppings
- cheese
- pickles
- diced onion
- ketchup
Instructions
- Set slow cooker to high. Add all ingredients except ground beef and stir to combine. Add beef and stir again; be sure beef is completely coated.
- Cover slow cooker and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to break up ground beef. After 1 hour of cook time, remove lid and continue cooking on high for 2 ½ – 3 hours, until most of the liquid has cooked off. Continue to stir occasionally and break up any chunks of beef.
- Using a slotted spoon, serve a heaping spoonful on a warm bun and load it up with your favorite toppings. We love cheese, ketchup and pickles!
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
- To make this recipe JUST like the Maid Rite restaurant does, steam the hamburger buns before you load them up with loose meat.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2014, updated and republished June 2023
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The best Maid-Rite is in Rolla, Missouri. We have eaten at many different ones and none compare!!!
A big secret is to add a bit of water to the burger when you begin cooking it and cover with a lid. Also use a good dehydrated minced onion.
I was born and raised in Rolla so was my husband. And our children..my parents took me and my siblings to what was called Bill Smith's long before it became Maid rite.. we are there several times a week..and ice cream for treats after church on Sundays and Wednesdays. It was where all the high school kids hung out on the weekends after cruising the town..I miss my hometown Rolla.
We've been to many, but by far, the best Maid-Rite is in Rolla, Missouri.
Remember when cooking your meat , make sure you steam cook it! That's the one of the biggest differences in the taste of the burgers. Just add water and cook with lid on.
Also, try using minced bionic (dehydrated) onions instead of raw onion.
How much warm water???
There is a Maid-Rite in Lexington, Missouri and the sandwiches are delicious!
There is a Maid Rite in Rolla Missouri
I am 63 and it has been there as long as I can remember
We used to have one in Waukegan, IL when I was younger, like 50 yrs ago, lol. It closed though eons ago. Iowa is the home of Maid Rites though. Yum!
Love to try this, but NO WAY would an Iowan serve a Maid Rite with ketchup. The Iowa way is mustard, pickles, onion. Period.
I'm from Sioux City. I would have to agree in that ketchup should not be allowed. However, my son will only eat these WITH ketchup and mayonnaise. If I! But then again, he also dips his pizza in a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise. Eww..
I either eat my hamburgers with tartar sauce or by mixing ketchup and miracle whip together on a garlic bun! I also dip my fries in either tartar sauce or the ketchup and miracle whip mixture!
I used to work at Maid Rite and I can sau, unequivocally, that there is NO paprika, or any other spicy type of seasoning. I have been making the posted recipe for years and know that it is the correct one.
Ijust made these was so disappointed followed the recipe exactly it was not a copycat recipe I grew up in Newton Ia it needed alot more seasonings and I even added a few liquid never cooked off had to strain it, believe me I know what a maidrite should taste like and this didn't even come close!
I worked at one. The secret ingredient not listed here is beer
Even if the hamburger is lean, fat needs to be drained off, didn't see anything about doing that. Fat needs to be drained off after meat is browned and before other ingredients are added so that the other ingredient don't get thrown out with the grease.
No you never drain it; use 95/5 ground beef and the meat is never browned. It is slow cooked in liquid and crumbled.
I use to watch Roseanne on tv and she made this same sandwich and called it a loose meat sandwich at her café and it is very tasty. Marie Goodson
Chicken base and chicken bouillon in this recipe can be used interchangeably, can't them? I see that they are basically the same in every aspect (except for the shape and packaging)
The original Maid-Rite was made with bull meat. Very lean. Try asking your butcher for bull meat and see what kind of response you get after he stops laughing.
Our butcher actually has bull meat but I'm in Arizona now.
My dad ran a Maid-Rite for 50 years and I worked there 12 years and all it is is boiled hamburger no ingedances
BS
I worked for Maid rite and will tell u that this as close as it gets. People this is an amazing recipe.
Thanks so much!!
I grew up on maid rites and was told to use coca cola in the recipe. My mother swore by it. Anyone ever heard that?
In Wichita, KS, there is a chain of restaurants called Nu-Way, been around forever. They make a loose-meat sandwich that sounds identical! Does anyone know if the recipes would actually be similar? They sure are yummy,
I cooked all day in my 3-1 cooker. I left the steam vent open (the vent is for pressure cooker mode) it came out fantastic. Also, I used fresh Spanish onion and grated it before putting in the mixture.
We have a Maid Rite here in Rolla, Mo. It's been here forever. Nothing else tastes like a Maid Rite.
We have a similar loose meat sandwich here in Nebraska called Tastees. Ground beef, onion, water, ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper,worcestershire sauce and cream style horseradish. Served on a bun with a pickle and mustard. I've made it a lot over the years but never in a crockpot.
Had to try it. I have to say, even the olfactory memories came rushing back while it was cooking. Loved it!!!
I have to comment that KETCHUP is wonderful on a Maid Rite. I've from Peoria IL and although we used to have Maid Rite a local place that serves "loosey burgers" drove them out of business. So try out "The 50's Diner" if you want the best one in central, IL.
I plan to veganize the recipe, so I will be replacing the beef with a TVP product that's already cooked. I'm assuming the first hour is not only to flavor but to cook the beef. If my protein is already cooked, would you first cook it an hour for the flavor or cook it for a shorter time, maybe 30 min.? Thanks! Bob
I can't find a link for the video anywhere on this page. What am I doing wrong?
(Yes, I *AM* partially blind.)
How much hamburger do you use for this recipe.