Maid Rite Recipe Loose Meat Sandwiches + 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!!

maid rites loose meat sandwich with ketchup and pickles


 

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! 

There’s nothing like homemade maid-rite sandwiches. That brown ground beef, in between soft hamburger buns, will dill pickle slices…so good!

This recipe is perfect for busy nights and a great way to bring a fun and unique flavor to your kitchen. 

raw meat in crockpot

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!

You can also cut down on some of the fat content of this loose ground beef recipe, and use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or even ground chicken.

All will create a great recipe that will pair perfectly with your favorite buns. 

cooking ground beef in crock pot

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!

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
ground beef in crockpot

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

What is the difference between a Sloppy Joe and a loose meat sandwich? 

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.

Can I add other toppings for a fun twist?

You should totally add your favorite burger toppings! I’ll sometimes add a slice of American cheese, and extra dill pickle chips to mine, because why not? The more toppings means that you’re adding tons of flavor. 

A slice of cheese might not be typical of the Maid Rite name, but that’s fine—it’s your recipe. You can also change up this copycat recipe by adding diced yellow or white onions, soy sauce or yellow mustard, or sweet pickles instead of dill pickles—the sky is the limit. 

How do you reheat Maid Rite sandwiches? 

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.

2 maid rites loose meat sandwiches on serving tray with ketchup

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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close up: ground beef, pickles, ketchup on toasted bun

Other Easy Crockpot Sandwich Recipes

maid rite sandwich with pickles onion and ketchup

Maid Rite Recipe Loose Meat Sandwiches + Video

Donna Elick
Use our Maid Rite recipe to create a loose meat sandwich that tastes just like the restaurant original! Maid Rites are a childhood favorite.
5 stars from 8 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Method Slow Cooker
Servings 8

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

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 373cal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 574mg | Sugar: 7g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 6mg

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.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
titled image (and shown): maid rites loose meat sandwich close up

Originally published April 2014, updated and republished June 2024

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233 Comments

  1. 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.

    1. 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.

  2. 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.

    1. 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!

  3. Love to try this, but NO WAY would an Iowan serve a Maid Rite with ketchup. The Iowa way is mustard, pickles, onion. Period.

    1. 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..

    2. 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!

  4. 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.

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

    1. No you never drain it; use 95/5 ground beef and the meat is never browned. It is slow cooked in liquid and crumbled.

  7. 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

  8. 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)

  9. 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.

  10. My dad ran a Maid-Rite for 50 years and I worked there 12 years and all it is is boiled hamburger no ingedances

  11. 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?

  12. 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,

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. Had to try it. I have to say, even the olfactory memories came rushing back while it was cooking. Loved it!!!

  16. 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.

  17. 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

  18. I can't find a link for the video anywhere on this page. What am I doing wrong?

    (Yes, I *AM* partially blind.)

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