Finally, a Sloppy Joe Recipe that I can honestly say is the best I’ve ever tasted. It is the perfect balance of a sweet, savory, and zesty Sloppy Joe in a Crock Pot. Forget about the sauce in a can. Try this easy recipe in your slow cooker for a home-cooked Sloppy Joe dinner.
The Best Crock Pot Sloppy Joe Recipe
This is so good. I went back for seconds and couldn’t wait to reheat the leftovers for lunch the next day. This is such a great recipe for busy nights which is probably almost every night, right?! I took a break from making Sloppy Joes from a can because my taste buds really weren’t jiving with the canned version. The kids really didn’t care for them either. Thankfully, this recipe came into our busy lives. I know that my family is excited to have Sloppy Joes back on the menu…finally!
If you are looking for Slow Cooker Recipes then you might like my recipes for Slow Cooker Barbecue Ham, The Best French Dip Sandwich in a Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Table of contents
What I love about this recipe
- It has such a great flavor
- Homemade sloppy joes are so much better than the sauce mix out of the can
- Slow cooker sloppy joes and slow cooked so they take on the flavors so much better than sloppy joes in a skillet
Ingredients
- sirloin ground beef – I like to use sirloin because it has a delicious flavor and very little fat content
- sweet onion – like Vidalia. I love cooking with Vidalia onion. The flavor lends an almost carmelized taste to dishes
- minced garlic – If you can’t find minced garlic then you can use garlic powder just use the same amount of teaspoons as you would for minced garlic
- ketchup – what would Sloppy Joes be without ketchup?
- red and yellow bell peppers – this is an unusual ingredient for a sloppy joe in crock pot recipe, but I think you’ll really enjoy the texture and sweetness the peppers lend to this recipe
- Worcestershire sauce – this provides a deep salty flavor and enhances the other flavors
- light brown sugar – you can use dark brown if that is all you have on hand
- yellow mustard – I love the flavor that mustard adds to this crockpot sloppy joe. Mustard is usually considered a spicy condiment, but also has some tartness to it, as well
- apple cider vinegar – this is a staple in sauces. It pulls all of the flavors together and balances them out
- chili powder – don’t worry this is not enough to make the dish spicy. It just enhances the flavors
- Hamburger buns – You can get as fancy or keep it simple with whatever buns you want to use
How Do You Make Sloppy Joes?
Instructions
Step One
Cook ground beef, onions, and garlic until tender
Drain the meat
In the slow cooker, combine, ketchup, peppers, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and chili powder
Step Two
Add the cooked meat
Step Three
Place the lid on a slow cooker
Cook on low for 6-8 hours
Expert Tips
*In a hurry? Forget the slow cooker and make it all in one large skillet on the stove. After draining the meat, return the meat to the skillet. Add everything from step 3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. This should cut the time down to about 20 minutes – total
I like to use Sirloin ground beef. There is little fat and you won’t have to drain much – if any grease from the cooked meat
Don’t forget to cook the onions with ground beef. It adds flavor and takes some of the bitterness out of the onion
You can cook this on the stovetop too. After draining the beef, add the rest of the ingredients to the cooked meat and onion mixture. Cover and cook for about 2o minutes
FAQs
You can make sloppy joes up to 3 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator. To reheat, place on the stovetop (with the lid on) and cook on low/medium until heated through.
They will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Cover and store in an airtight container
Yes! Sloppy Joes are great for freezing. Allow to cool and then place in an airtight container that is freezer-safe for up to 3 months.
No. You can make it over the stove, in a large skillet.
Sloppy Joes are typically made with ground beef. Ground beef is a great source of protein, but it is also a source of saturated fats. Substitute ground turkey or chicken for a healthier version.
Some say the credit for the Sloppy Joe name came from a cook named Joe in Floyd Angell’s Cafe. Apparently, he added tomato sauce to a loose ground beef sandwich and people called it the Sloppy Joe.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can freeze sloppy joes, so making ahead is a great idea
You can also keep sloppy joes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in advance
Thawing: Thaw frozen sloppy joes in the fridge – overnight
Reheating: Either microwave or reheat on the stovetop
What side dishes are good with Sloppy Joes?
- Corn on the cob
- Glazed carrots
- Potato Salad
- Potato chips
- Pasta salad
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
More Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe Recipes
Serving Size
This recipe serves about 8 people
You can double this recipe for more
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If you’re ready to give this Homemade Sloppy Joe recipe a try, here’s the recipe for you:
The Best Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes I’ve Ever Had! – Easy Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. sirloin ground beef
- 1 cup onion like Vidalia
- 3 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup red and yellow bell peppers chopped
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 8 Hamburger buns
Instructions
- Cook ground beef with onion and garlic until beef is browned and onion is tender
- drain fat
- In slow cooker – combine, ketchup, peppers, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and chili powder – mix will
- Add the cooked and drained beef mixture
- Stir everything until beef is coated with liquid mixture
- Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours
- Serve on hamburger buns
Loved this recipe after adding 1T Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 t red pepper flakes & 1/2 T chili powder too!!!!! So simple & so good. Thanks so much.