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The most popular item on the Maid-Rite menu, these Loose Meat Sandwiches taste as good as the Iowa-famous diner classic. This easy ground beef recipe cooks in just 10 minutes!
Not quite as sloppy as a sloppy Joe, but still firmly in the category of “messy,” a Loose Meat Sandwich is the ultimate, all-American road food feast. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to try one at Tastee, Maid-Rite in Muscatine, Iowa, or even at Canteen Lunch in the Alley, you already know what all the fuss is about. If not, well then consider this recipe the next best thing.
Depending on where you are in the Midwest, the sandwich can be called a Nu-Way, Steamer, Big T, loose hamburger sandwich, tavern sandwich, or just a Maid Rite. Since the 1920s, it has been made with sautéed (sometimes steamed) ground beef and onions, served on a bun and dressed up with ketchup, mustard, and pickles.
If you love Sloppy Joes and hamburgers, then you need to add a tavern sandwich to your culinary bucket list.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Ground beef: I prefer a ground beef blend of 85% lean, 15% fat, for the best flavor.
- Onions: Yellow onions, white onions, or even shallots will do. I add them after the meat is cooked so they’re still a bit raw in the beef, just like a traditional Maid-Rite sandwich. Brown them in the skillet before browning the beef if you like them a little softer and milder in flavor.
- Hamburger buns: I love a good quality soft burger bun, toasted, buttered, and ready to go. But you can even make these slightly smaller soft dinner rolls for a buffet-style meal or a tailgate menu.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large skillet, combine beef, water, mustard, and sugar. Simmer over medium heat until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes, breaking up clumps of meat with a spoon.
- Drain the fat if desired (I don’t, and it is closer to the original recipe if you don’t, but you can if you want). Stir in onion and season to taste with salt and pepper; I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Serve meat on buns with toppings on the side, such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and pickles.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Maid-Rite recipe makes 4 delightfully sloppy sandwiches.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Feel free to make the meat up to 3 days in advance, then store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm, then pile inside hamburger buns.
- Freezer: Make the loose meat portion, then divvy it up in single-size or family-size servings in freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Slow cooker: To make Loose Meat Sandwiches in a slow cooker, brown ground beef in a skillet, then add to a slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients except buns to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours. Serve in buns.
- Optional seasonings: Some cooks swear by a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to amp up the flavor.
- Take your Maid-Rite over the top: Any burger toppings you like will be a hit atop a Loose Meat Sandwich, too. Try dill pickle slices, red onion, tomato slices, a splash of barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, and/or mustard.
Best sides for Maid-Rites
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Appetizer Recipes
Homemade Potato Chips
Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
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Loose Meat Sandwich (Maid-Rite Copycat)
The most popular item on the Maid-Rite menu, these Loose Meat Sandwiches taste as good as the Iowa-famous diner classic. This easy ground beef recipe cooks in just 10 minutes!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (85/15 recommended, see note 1)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped, plus more for topping (see note 2)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 hamburger buns split, for serving
- Toppings such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine beef, water, mustard, and sugar. Simmer over medium heat until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes, breaking up clumps of meat with a spoon.
- Drain the fat if desired (I don't, and it is closer to the original recipe if you don't, but you can if you want). Stir in onion and season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
- Serve meat on buns with toppings on the side such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and pickles.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Ground beef: I prefer a ground beef blend of 85% lean, 15% fat, for the best flavor.
- Onions: Yellow onions, white onions, or even shallots will do. I add them after the meat is cooked so they’re still a bit raw in the beef, just like a traditional Maid-Rite sandwich. Brown them in the skillet before browning the beef if you like them a little softer and milder in flavor.
- Hamburger buns: I love a good quality soft burger bun, toasted, buttered, and ready to go. But you can even make these slightly smaller soft dinner rolls for a buffet-style meal or a tailgate menu.
- Yield: This Maid-Rite recipe makes 4 delightfully sloppy sandwiches.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Feel free to make the meat up to 3 days in advance, then store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm, then pile inside hamburger buns.
- Freezer: Make the loose meat portion, then divvy it up in single-size or family-size servings in freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Slow cooker: To make Loose Meat Sandwiches in a slow cooker, brown ground beef in a skillet, then add to a slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients except buns to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours. Serve in buns.
- Optional seasonings: Some cooks swear by a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to amp up the flavor.
- Take your Maid-Rite over the top: Any burger toppings you like will be a hit atop a Loose Meat Sandwich, too. Try dill pickle slices, red onion, tomato slices, a splash of barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, and/or mustard.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 20gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 335mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 2mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Do you ship your sandwiches to Georgia? Thanks in advance for your answer.
Tracey Rutherford
Hi Tracey, thank you for writing! Unfortunately, we don’t ship sandwiches, just share the recipes we develop so you can make them in your own home. Sorry about that! I hope you try this recipe. Please let me know if you have any questions about it! – Meggan
I am from marshalltown Iowa and home to Taylors maid rites.The original, sign on the wall read Go around the world but come back for a maid rite. place never had tables or booth’s just a counter and stools.There the best not filled full of additives.
In Missouri, we call it crumbly burger or loose meat.
Thanks, Chris! Take care! – Meggan
I do belive that this sandwuch originated in a bar in South Dakota. I’ve never had a Maderite but I have had what is known as a loosemeat or tavern sandwich at Miles Inn and Tastee In and Out in Sioux City, IA. I don’t recall them having brown sugar in then nor do I belive they had soy and/or whorstshire sauce. Ground beef, lots of onion, garlic and a serious dose of pepper. A real gut bomb. I make them from that best guess recipe and they are as good as Mom’s. But I will say, those at miles are thicker than mine. I belive it may be do to the long slow stew mentioned in another post.
The Maid RIte Sandwich recipe is wrong. I am a long time fan and i still love it. Tried making at home for years, they were good but not quite the same. Something was missing. I steamed the meat and buns, everything but my hamburger always seemed firmer. My family raises purebred Black Angus so i have eaten a lot of hamburger in my life,the taste and texture of the Maid rite was always smoother. Then one day when i was starving from a drive back from WI i pulled in to my favorite fast food. I ordered 3, never had 3 before usually 2. First one just slid down so nice and delicious. During the second one i got a whiff and taste of what i thought was pepper. The meat was so nice with an almost creamy texture. I started on the third and was pretty full so i could taste everything. I realized it was not pepper, it was liver. The more i ate i was convinced. I love liver by the way, but that was what was giving the creamy texture and that little bit of bite. Then i remembered my uncle (who also was a cattleman )used to have the butcher mix in liver in their hamburger because his kids would not eat it on it’s own. I have eaten at other locations and they all have that taste.I can imagine that Maid Rite does not want it to get out because it might turn some people off, but i wanted you to know. If you want to try it for your own personal use i would grind maybe a quarter pound of liver with 3 lbs of beef.
Hi Bob, thank you so much for sharing! I appreciate it! – Meggan
This is very similar to how we made these. I’m diabetic, so now I’ll eat this on low carb toasted bread instead of the delicious buns, but small price to pay. 🙂 I do add the worchestershire sauce with the water and a couple drops (literally) of liquid smoke, I also like my onions cooked. We move the meat to one side and brown the onion lightly in the meat/water liquid.
Hi Dodie, thank you so much for your tips! Take care! – Meggan
You’ll get much closer to the otlriginal if you let the meat stew on the lowest setting for a couple hours after cooking.
Thanks for the tip, Jeffrey! – Meggan
Freaking awesomeness, tastes just like the original made-rite.
I’m so glad you loved it, Roy! Take care! – Meggan
we did a comparison of this recipe with the other one noted that uses acv and brownsugar… we think this more represent the NuWay that we remember. Very easy and a fun go to meal.
Thank you for trying my recipe! I’m glad it tasted similar to what you remember. Take care! – Meggan
Sorry, but I have been eating the Original Maid-Rites from the Muscatine area for 70+ years and they never-ever use ketchup, just saying.
Hi Mary, thank you for sharing your experience! – Meggan
This recipe doesn’t have ketchup in it. It’s only listed as an optional condiment you can put on your sandwich if you want to. This recipe sounds very close to the Nu-Ways I grew up eating in Wichita, KS. and I plan on trying it soon!
I added a tablespoon of dill pickle juice to the hamburger mixture.. we also topped with a little more mustard and fast food style pickles. These were amazing, and spot on for Greenville, Ohio maidrites! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Britt! So glad you loved it! – Meggan
Best Maid Rite knock off I have found!
Added bonus…my apartment smells really good. haha
I love it, Cynthia! Glad you loved it! – Meggan
I haven’t tried this recipe yet and I’ve only eaten at one Maid Rite restaurant, located in Greenville, OH. However, I think one thing that makes the Maid Rite sandwich great besides the hamburger is the buns. They have a certain sweetness to them. It will be interesting to see how this recipe works with store bought hamburger buns.
I made my first batch in February and I’m in heaven. I can’t say for certain that the recipe tastes exactly like what I’ve eaten at the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe in Greenville, OH, but if not, they’re pretty close. Thank you so much Meggan for sharing this recipe. You’ve made this older guy so happy.
Kurt,
Try using brioche buns. They are sweet!
This may be the most BLAND recipe I have ever made. Absolutely nothing like the made rites I’ve had. Not good!
Hi William, sorry you didn’t care for it. Hope you are able to try it again and adjust the seasonings to your taste. – Meggan
One of the chefs on Triple G, Guy Fierri’s show, Guy’s Grocery Games, made a ‘loose meat sandwich’ and Guy said he never heard of such a thing, that the meat fell apart and she made that up, but she said it was a real thing in Iowa where she’s from! Maybe you can clear it up with him, but I have no clue how you will get in contact with him? I love his shows, all of them lol, I’m from Ohio! j justice
Try using an old fashioned a potato masher (wire type) to break up ground meats. It works beautifully. If you try it you will love it. No more stabbing with a wooden spoon or spatula. Denny
Been in Texas 30 years and craving some good old Midwest Maid Rites. Doubled your recipe but had to add 2 tablespoons of Worchestershire “Powder”. Game changer in my opinion, much like there made in Greenville OH.
You’re so welcome, William! I bet the powder gave it an even deeper umami taste! Take care! – Meggan
So glad you posted this review! I’m from right across the Ohio line and Greenville’s MaidRites are the best! Been trying to find a good replica. Thanks for the recipe Meggan!!
You’re so welcome, Katie! I hope you have a nice day, take care! – Meggan
I’ve only had Maid Rite sandwiches from the Greenville, OH restaurant. One of the best hamburgers available in my opinion. I’d take a Greenville, OH Maid Rite sandwich over McDonald’s any day.
Saw them make these on Roseanne in the lunchbox and always was intrigued by what it would taste like thankful that I finally got a chance to make it these are awesome.
Hi Andrew! I’m glad you liked them! I never knew they were on Roseanne! Awesome! -Meggan
I’m watching that arc of Roseanne this very moment, when they buy The Lunch Box (specializing in loose meat sandwiches that Jackie raved about). Came here to refresh my memory of the recipe. I bet they would be good on sweet Kings Hawaiian rolls.
I’m a misplaced Iowan and grew up with Maid-Rites in Davenport. Although I’ll try your recipe, the taste of mustard would have turned me off. I have been making these for 40 years in California. Steam the hamburger meat in a double boiler and add one packet of dry Lipton onion soup. Delicious. The upper pan has holes in it so juices drip through as the meat steams. Try it, you’ll like it-no need to add anything else.
So tasty & easy to make!!!
Hi Angela, thank you! So glad you loved thises loose meat sandwiches! – Meggan
I used to get these when I lived in Iowa and always wanted to try making them. These turned out great!!! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Sue, glad you liked it! – Meggan
Drained the grease and added beef bouillon, Worcestershire, and onion powder. Very good and would make again.
Sounds great Shelby, thanks for sharing! – Meggan
I make mine the same except use 1/4 c water and 1/4 c beef broth (I use better then bouillon).
Sounds great, Rdrakester. Thanks! – Meggan
Holy yummeroni!! My wife always called everything this, “made right” snafooey and, likely, because she is also a, “native Midwesterner”, “corn husker”, so I googled it and selected yours as usually I find the, “copycat” recipes quite earnest efforts to duplicate everything about what makes these classic and successful restaurant favorites so enticing. This was really a shocker because it’s a pretty simple recipe overall. I added a minced chili pepper, a minced serrano, and a 1/3 of a green bell pepper, minced. I forgot both bouillon cubes and I believe the soy sauce was full salt, so inadvertently I made a low salt version that was still out of this world yummy! I’m pinning it as we speak! Just a wonderful recipe! Thanks!👍👍👍👍👍
I GREW UP ON MAID RITES IN MACQUOKETA, IOWA AND IT WAS OUR GROUPS LUNCH TIME STAPLE SANDWICH AND OFTEN WITH A DELICIOUS BOWL OF CHILI TO ACCOMPANY IT. YOUR RECIPE TO ME IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY AND MY SON AGREES WITH MY ASSESSMENT. WE TOPPED IT WITH THE USUAL MUSTARD, KETCHUP, AND DILL PICKLES, AND TRULY ENJOYED OUR LUNCH. MY WIFE EATS GLUTEN FREE AND PUT HERS OVER HER BOWL OF RICE AND SHE TOO LOVED THE FLAVOR AND HOW EASY THE RECIPE WAS. THE MAID RITE THERE IS LONG GONE BUT MY MEMORIES OF RUNNING DOWN THERE FROM SCHOOL FOR OUR MAID RITE SANDWICHES IS STILL FRESH IN MY MIND, AND BETTER YET THEY WERE AFFORDABLE FOR A SCHOOL STUDENT WITH A LIMITED BUDGET. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS RECIPE.
Maid rites use 100% ground beef. They are very lean. You will not find chopped or minced onions in the original recipe. Only raw onion.
Onion, dill pickle slices and mustard are the original toppings. No ketchup. Been raised on them for 50 yrs, in Iowa (the original state of creation)
A double-boiler is a quicker alternative to a slow cooker that doesn’t dry out the hamburger like frying often does. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for sharing Patrick! – Meggan
I grew up in the Midwest and spent most of my life in Des Moines, Iowa. Maid Rite’s were everywhere, in about every small town, and I loved them. Nothing like them out here in California where I live now. This recipe tastes almost exactly like the Maid Rites I remember. Thanks for sharing. We used to drive to Marshaltown, Iowa to eat at Taylors Maid Rite. They were so good we’d buy a big sack of them and put them in the freezer! I frequented a Maid Rite In Johnston and watched them prepare and serve the meat. The meat was slowly steamed in large rectangular steamers that let the fat drip down through holes in the steamer into the steamer water below. They scraped and stirred the meat frequently and the only seasoning used appeared to be salt and pepper. The cooked ready to serve meat ended up on the left side of the steamer, and the right side had raw or partially cooked meat. As it cooked they would scrape it to the left to the cooked meat area. This commingling of cooked and uncooked hamburger inside one steamer was eventually deemed to be in violation of safe meat handling procedures and was prohibited. Maid Rites were never quite the same after that.
Thank you for sharing David, I am so glad this recipe lived up to your expectations! – Meggan
I agree with David. I grew up in Moline,Illinois and my Mom worked there for over 25 years. It was my very first job making a whopping $1.00 an hour. this one is about as close as you’ll get without visiting a local Maidrite.
I grew up in Clinton, Iowa and I remember the same thing. They were delicious. :^)
Oh my gosh I waited years to get this taste again I never could get it right I tried I tried but I never added the mustard and the sugar oh my goodness they are so good I just bought 15 lb of ground beef and I bet you 14 lb of it is going to go to making these sandwiches I’m going to share them with my friends and I know they’re going to love them as much as I do there’s so good thank you so much for sharing this recipe I am so happy now that’s a shame it’s 69 that up that’s the only thing that’s making me happy love it again thank you so much.
Hi Cindy, how thoughtful! You’re so welcome! – Meggan
Excellent! Don’t change a thing. Easy to make bigger batches. We love this!
Thanks Michelle, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
Excellent and easy.
Thank you Michelle! – Meggan
Maid rite chops it’s meat up with no clumps. It’s absolutely finely chopped. Their sandwiches are probably some of thr best on the planet.
Made these for dinner and they taste delicious and just like the Maid Rite knock off I missed from my home town1
Thanks Jenny, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
My original Maidrite sandwich came from The Maidrite in Quincy, Il, the one and only maidrite in my world! There is no ketchup allowed on a true maidrite. Mustard, pickle and onion. That’s it! YUM!
My husband is from Iowa and he had dreams about the Tastee Made-Rite sandwiches. He says this recipe is like the real thing! I do add 2 healthy dashes of Worcester sauce to mine!
Thanks for the quick, easy, soul-filling recipe!
Thank you Robin! So glad you both enjoyed! -Meggan
MaidRite or on the farm. Brown ground beef and immer in chicken broth for a few hours until grainy. Serve with mustard, onions and pickles. Kinda German.
I was born and raised in Iowa, but I now live out of state. This past weekend I returned for a funeral and I had to stop by Maid Rite in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Occasionally I think about trying to find the recipe, but I honestly would rather make it treat to enjoy the real thing.
I like to bring the meat back in styrofoam cups to make sandwiches at home. I also stop by Jaarsma Bakery (pronounced: Yarsma) in either Oskaloosa or Pella to bring back Dutch pastries. Their Dutch Letters along with a Maid Rite burger are a true treat from Heaven.
Loved reading your comment Todd! My mother was 100% Dutch and raised in Pella. When we visited, Jaarsma Bakery was always one of the first stops. Dutch letters & almond macaroons were our favorites. Although I’ve never been to a Maid-Rite place I grew up eating them the way my mother made them. It was my favorite food! Anytime I was asked what I wanted my answer was always Maid-Rites! Unfortunately I never watched closely how she made them so my attempts have fallen short for decades. But this recipe changed all that! I didn’t put mustard in it because she didn’t. But happy to say this recipe brought back the taste I’ve been so longing for! I now eat it on shredded romaine lettuce because I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2019 and stay away from all grains (by choice). But gotta say I think I like it better on the lettuce! I add some mustard & mayo and mix it all together. So happy to have the taste I grew up loving back in my life again!
Thank you so much for sharing Joy! That is the exact feeling I set out to create with these recipes. I am so glad you enjoyed. – Meggan
Chris Kimble does pretty good, but, being from Ottumwa, Iowa…nobody beats the Canteen!!!!! Heck, Roseanne Arnold tried to open a similar place somewhere around Ottumwa…it sadly did not stack up to the Canteen!
Geez, I need a Canteen now!! Lol!!!
It’s Ohio.. not Iowa
Hi Molly, Fred Angell was a butcher from Muscatine, Iowa. He opened his first Maid-Rite there. The first franchise was opened in Durant, Iowa. The headquarters of Maid-Rite are in Des Moines, Iowa. Thanks! -Meggan
Nah, it’s def. Iowa.
This recipe is a pretty good dupe. We usually get them in Lamont, IA, en route from KC to my Illinois hometown.
I worked at a locally owned, branch of the real Maid RIte as a cook for many years in the 90’s in Ft Dodge, Iowa, called Ray’s Maid RIte. The seasoning came in big envelopes that did not have the ingredients listed on them, but we mixed it with 1 gallon of warm water, and it was added to 20 lbs of 80/20 ground beef. My boss, the owner did not even know what was in the seasoning. The maid rites were served with only mustard, pickle & onion on the bun. Ketchup was on the tables for people to add if they wanted. To make it a cheese rite, we had a liquid cheese sauce, that was kept in squirt bottles, that were kept in a warmer. The cheese sauce came in gallon cans too.
Hi Lori…just want to say thank-you for the yummy Maid Rites that you cooked for Ray’s!! I had many while living in Ft. Dodge. Good times. 🙂
This is my go-to recipe and I have tried plenty! Simplicity is where it is at! I am making another batch as I post this comment! There are so many loose meat sandwich recipes out there but this is the only one I consider to be close to the real deal. Thank you so much! Pickles mustard and onions yep!
Hi, we grew up in Peoria area. Loved maidrite sandwiches. Got a pkg of ground beef in freezer, trying to decide what to do with it and remembered these sandwiches. Going to make some, and thanks Megan.
Made this for my wife as a surprise. She was born in Iowa and remembers going to Maid-Rite as a treat with her Dad. She liked it very much!
This recipe is like the loose meat sandwich I got in Greenville, Ohio. Name of Restaurant, Maid Rite!
No ketchup!
Megan, you’re a doll, and I thank you for this recipe. I am a Central Illinois native, and these sandwiches were popular with the blue-collar crowd (like my father) as a kid. We’d eat them, and I’d usually wish we just went for an actual cheeseburger. I never understood the point of the loose meat, and saying “loose meat sandwich” made me want to go to confession or take a shower — not sure which. Why does the meat have to be loose? Why not an actual burger? It’s a mystery to this kid from Peoria. Anyway, when nostalgia hits me for those awkward days with Dad at his favorite lunch counter, the Maid-Rite, I’ll whip this recipe up, and toss a slice of American cheese on top, because it holds those ridiculous delicious and pointless crumbles together. Thank you.
Bon appetit!
Hi Jack, you really cracked me up. I think in older versions of this post, I mentioned my aversion to the term “loose meat sandwich.” But I looked and I didn’t see it there anymore, probably because so many readers complain about story-telling on food blogs. In any case, I know! Confession or shower, LOL. I first learned about loose meat sandwiches from my sister-in-law’s mother and I was just like… what is happening here? Is this food? What in the world? You take care, enjoy Illinois! -Meggan
I only read the recipe, but I tend to disagree with part of the recipe. While I believe yours is tasty, I have eaten Maid-Rites all of my life. I even helped make them when my daughter worked at a Maid-Rite. The key to a Maid-Rite is low and slow with consistent stirring until a fairly large amount of water is mostly cooked away. This is what helps to insure tender, flavorful meat. Also, no spices are added. It is served with minced onions and mustard.
Note: It is rumored that the original Maid-Rites were made with root beer. I have not found this to be factual however.
The whole family loved it. Will make over and over. Just like the real thing back home!
Perfect! Thanks for the recipe!!
A true Maid Rite would not have Onions that size. More like onion Juice. No mustard in meat.. True is Salt, Pepper, onion juice and hamburger meat. Maybe some pickle juice
Interesting. What can go wrong?
I am another misplaced from Iowa person. Loved these growing up and my mom made them at home. We would ad a slice of American cheese when it was hot and it melted a little into the meat (made it not quite as messy). You just brought up great memories by posting this recipe! THANKS!
I love this recipe! But instead of water I use pickle juice! It really ads a ton of flavor 😋
This looks amazing. Im on a low salt diet so how could I lower the sodium in the recipe?
Hi Kim, I changed the recipe to take the added salt out (basically just suggesting that people add salt and pepper to taste rather than dictating how the recipe is seasoned). I think that’s how it should be anyway. So, that will help you control the sodium a little better (the sodium in the nutrition label now shows how much sodium there is in the recipe without any added salt or pepper). The other biggest factor in the sodium here is the rolls that you eat the meat on. If you choose a low-sodium option, that will cut out a lot more (about 10% maybe, but it depends on which one you choose so I can’t say for sure). Those are my recommendations (although I should point out I’m not a registered dietician). If you have any other questions please let me know! Thanks. -Meggan
I am from Iowa. We had an original Made-Rite
on Main Street. Ate there often & I knew the people that worked there.
I use a stainless steel saucepan. One lb. ground beef 80/20. A little water, sugar, or a little brown sugar, & mustard & about half a diced onion & a little
garlic powder “opt”.
I use a potato masher to get the meat to a fine consistency. Serve on a bun with whatever you like. YUMMO
A GAL FROM WEBSTER CITY, IOWA
Hello…I remember these from Jr high school back in the 70’s. ..I’m so wanting to try this recipe…Would you know how to figure the carb count without the bun.. I’m guessing only a few…I’m on a very strict low diet to control my T2 diabetes. .Thanks so much…
Hi Theresa, happy to help. If you remove the buns, the carbs are 3.5g per serving including 0.6g dietary fiber and 1.9g sugar. Since you are T2 I also grabbed the information without the added 1 teaspoon sugar (in case you want to leave it out). Then it is 2.5g total carbs with 0.6g dietary fiber and 0.9g sugar. If you want any other info, just let me know. I use a nutrition label calculator and I’m not a registered dietician so these numbers might not be perfect, but it’s the best I can do. Thank you! -Meggan
Just to be clear… do you drain off the excess fat after browning the beef? I didn’t see that mentioned anywhere in the recipe.
Hi Wendy, no, I don’t drain off the excess fat here. However, you certainly could if that was your preference. I’ll update the recipe to explain this very clearly. Thanks! -Meggan
I grew up on Taverns or loose meats
Have had everything from Tastes, Maid Rites & the like!
Never put ketchup on a loose meats, just onions & mustered. I also use a little Lip tins Union Soup mix for flavor. Best ever
Yes on this. We no longer live in Iowa but my dad still stops in Marshalltown twice a year for these. I distinctly remember that asking for ketchup in a Maid-Rite establishment was a major faux paus.
This was fantastic! I had a maid rite maybe 15 years ago, and don’t really remember it. I can’t say whether or not this recipe is accurate but I do know that it was delicious and we will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Cortney! I’m glad you enjoyed it! -Meggan
My father ran the maid-rite in Kewanee Illinois for
50 years starting with the opening in 1926 it was only boiled ground beef salt and pepper I worked there 8 years
Love in the area where maid-rite originated. My mother worked for the company that mixed their chain recipe together. She told me she couldn’t remember exactly what all was in it, but did say they used minced beef, and beef tongue…maybe that’s the secret thought I would let you know, maybe try that see if it gets closer.
The Minnesoda Fountain in Park Rapids, Minnesota has a similar sandwich called the Beefy Burger. Absolutely the best!
I spoke with a Maid-Rite manager and even she was not allowed to know the original recipe. The meat gets delivered to the restaurants in clear plastic bags ready to be heated. While the mustard, chopped onions, etc. are probably on point, a friend once who had never had a Maid-Rite noted that there is clearly some vinegar involved in the recipe.
This is incorrect. I know people that know the recipe so it’s not that no one knows,they’re just not going to tell. I lived right next door to the original owner of the very first Maid rite in Muscatine Iowa’s, Daughter. Saw the Owner often. I recently say the grandchildren (who know the recipe) but they wouldn’t tell me!
Sorry for the confusion, OBVIOUSLY somebody knows, yes. That isn’t what I meant, LOL. I meant no one who knows is telling. But yes, you’re technically right.
Grew up with a Maid-Rite down the road, in Bettendorf, Iowa. We don’t have them where I live now but even if we did, apparently things have changed (not for the better). This is a great, comparable sandwich. Won’t be exact but it’s close enough and the food get snarfed down very quickly. I find that I do prefer cooking the mustard in the meat this way, even if that isn’t how the restaurants did it. It allows a subtle mustard flavor without having to douse the bun in cold mustard. My husband doesn’t normally rave about food but he could not shut up about these and said they’re definitely a menu staple. Quick, easy, yummy.
Hi Joy, thank you so much!! You’re right, it’s impossible for me to make an EXACT copycat. But I’m glad you liked this version, I do too. I also genuinely appreciate your use of the verb “snarf” because I do too, and I really feel like not enough people in the world talk about snarfing down food. Maybe it’s a Midwest thing! I’m grateful to you husband too, that’s really always what seals the deal (approval by The Husband). Thanks again, take care, and I appreciate you! -Meggan
Joy , I just moved away from Bettendorf. IA and they closed the old Maid Rite and opened a new one and they are not as good as they used to be, but if you ever go back you have to ask for a wet one. That is as good as the original.
Add in a dash of Root Beer syrup…it tastes amazing! I have always put mustard in the meat…served on buns with mustard and onion. Maid Rite was taken over by another company a few years ago and while the sandwiches are close, they’re not the same. When I was a kid, we used to go to the original Maid-Rite restaurant in Muscatine. There’s nothing like a Maid-Rite and a cold mug of root beer!
Our Maid-rite was in down town Fort Dodge, Iowa. The meat was kept in a big heated box like an old Coke Machine. It was heated and filled in advance of noon lunch. Realy good and realy busy!!
So instead of water you used beef broth?
Yum
They are called Nu Ways in Wichita Kansas. When ever I go home I head to Wichita several times to my Nu Way Sandwich. Yum!
Dale, I use to live in Wichita and YES!!! They’re sandwiches are amazing! I’m sure you’ve tried the root beer! SOOOOO good!
I grew up on Marshalltown, Iowa. I love going to Taylor’s Maid-Rite when I go back. One of the first things I asked my sister after the tornadoes hit a couple of weeks ago was if Taylor’s was okay. I wasn’t the only one. Even the locals said it could have been worse. At least Taylor’s is still standing. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Wow! Talk about easy and good…this was a hit! Thank you Meggan! I will certainly make it again. Oh, I added 1T of dill pickle juice…yum
I remember Maid-Rite when I was a kid in Illinois My daughter lives in Nebraska and every time we drive through Iowa we go past a Maid-Rite restaurant. It just always happens to be closed when we go by, darn it. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Even though I haven’t made it yet 5 stars for helping me bring back my childhood!
we have a Maidrites in Ohio. I’m told the secret ingredient is steaming it in beer. I never make it without it. I still use mustard, salt, pepper and a tad of sugar.
This recipe was easy to make and so delicious 🤤. In MN we have a Maid-Rite in St. Cloud that my husband went to when he was younger. He loved this when I made it for him tonight. Brought back lots of memories he had with his family when they would visit relatives in the St. Cloud area.
I’m jealous. I live in the Caribbean and that doesn’t make it here. I really wanted to bring some back here, but wouldn’t you know, the places I saw it were all out of it the night before I left. Bison is much healthier!
I live in a “one horse town” and I can get Bison in one pound packages at Walmart! It costs me $9.00 but it is worth it!
Because I am in a squabble with ground beef…I am subbing in Bison! I may never go back to ground beef!!
It says at the very beginning…..”inspired by”……it’s not even claiming to be a copykat recipe….get a grip people!
True maid rites are not made with mustard or any sauce at all. Please do not compare this recipe to “iowa maid rite”.
I worked at the maid when I was in high school, my uncle Joe Vershaw ran the business for years, we never used any sauce , only salt pepper The hamburger was was boiled slowly in a huge kettle and ocassionly we would stir it. That was it, delicious!!!!
There is no sauce in this recipe. Just a little mustard. Not sure what sauce you are referring to?
Love these! Not only do they taste great on a sandwich but also great on a hot dog! A place in NW Iowa does it and it tastes AMAZING! Whenever you’re in NW Iowa go to Bobs Hot Dogs and then go to the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor!
Daniel, I live about 30 miles from LeMars! Bob’s is great and who doesn’t love Blue Bunny icecream? Hello from NW Iowa!
true maid rites are served without ketchup!
We LIVE in Iowa and have a Maid Rite near us. Originally they weren’t served with ketchup but they do now. I just ask them to not put it on ours.
Love this recipe. So simple and so delicious!!
Thank you so much Jean! I completely agree… I could just eat the meat plain out of the pot! 😀 Take care and thanks again!
I loved reading this. I am from Iowa and familiar with Maid Riite, but being from Ottumwa, there is a small place called the Canteen. They make a similar type sandwich and homemade pies. I love to go there when I get back, it I’m so far away now, not sure it will happen, so this is a very bitter sweet memory.
Hi Cathy, thank you so much for the comment with your story. I love how food is always tied to our most important memories… bittersweet or otherwise. I appreciate your support so much. Thanks again and I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
I make these for our Youth Group at church. I simmer the crumbled beef in beef broth, it adds a nice richness to the meat. We use Pita pockets instead of buns, it cuts down on spillage with the kids!
My husband is from Iowa and whenever we go back to visit family, I have to get Maid-Rites multiple times.
I love the idea of pita pockets, Tracy! That’s genius. I’m such a sloppy eater, I need that for ME, not even just my kids! Ha ha. I will definitely try your beef broth tip next time too. Great idea. Thanks for the comment and take care!
I’m pretty excited about this recipe. Maid-Rites are a fond childhood memory. It was a special treat to have a Maid-Rite when we “went into town”! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
I didn’t realize that Maid-Rite is a chain. I know Maid-Rite from their location in Greenville, OH. They are famous for their alley wall of bubble gum. Gross, but hey. People talk about it 🙂 I had heard that another ingredient is beer. I’m excited to try your recipe, though, and see how it stands up to what I remember. 🙂
Sarah… I only knew them from Greenville Ohio too since I lived in Englewood! When I had to work on Saturdays I got off work around noon and my husband would take me to the Maid-Rite In Greenville. I was from out of state so it was a huge treat for me! This recipe is awesome thanks so much for sharing! Pickles and onion only! Although the one in Greenville also started serving them with cheese if desired.
Hi Sarah! I’m from Greenville originally, and love my Maid Rites!!! I was just driving through Iowa last week and drove past a sign that I swore said “Maid Rite”! I almost slammed on my brakes, highway and all!!! I thought I would turn around on the next exit, but there it was!! It was in a truck stop (very nice and very expensive). The truck stop was called Wings America Travel Centre in Avoca, IA. Maid Rite was just one of about 6 eating places to choose from. First, I almost fainted when I saw the price. One sandwich was $4.30 plus tax…$4.70!!! But I had always read about the rivalry between Greenville, OH and Iowa Maid Rites…which tasted better!! I never thought I would EVER say this, but it was very, very similar (without Iowa’s ketsup). And in the end, I gotta say that I liked Iowa’s version better! The sandwich was huge, so it made the $4.70 a little more palatable! So no, the Maid Rite in Greenville is stand alone, and the Iowa version is a chain! And yea, I get it. Maid Rites are just a sandwich, but a great sandwich it is!