These Crockpot Sloppy Joes are a hands-off twist on a classic favorite!
Making sloppy joes in the Crock Pot means they’re ready when you are! Ground beef in a quick zesty sauce is a favorite piled high on rolls. Bring lots of napkins for all that sloppy goodness!
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Skip the can of Manwich, homemade Sloppy Joes are sweet, spicy, and tangy, with the perfect texture of ground beef and aromatic veggies.
- Skill Level: This recipe is so easy to prepare! Mix the browned beef with all the other ingredients in the crockpot, cover, and let it simmer all day so it’s ready when you are.
- Recommended Tools: A crockpot or slow cooker is an invaluable must-have for everything from easy family meals to large gatherings.
- Budget Tip: Add cooked rice or beans to stretch the recipe further.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve crock pot sloppy joes with homemade potato salad or coleslaw. Either on the side (or on the top)!
Ingredient Tips for Sloppy Joes
- Ground Beef: Use ground beef, turkey, chicken, or add some chorizo or sausage to the ground beef in Step 1 to make spicy joes!
- Sauce: Homemade sloppy joe sauce has a base a of ketchup, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Vinegar adds tang, and chili sauce is the secret to a bold, zesty finish.
- Veggies: Onion, bell pepper, and celery add flavor and texture. Short on time? Skip the chopping and use a mirepoix (carrot, celery, onion) mix from the produce section.
- Buns: Choose hamburger buns or other hearty rolls to hold up to the sloppy filling. A crusty baguette can be divided into sections and sliced in half.
Change It Up!
- Flavor Boosters: Add extras like sliced mushrooms, hot sauce, black olives, chopped green chilis, or jalapenos.
- Keep it Clean: Make Tidy Josephs by poking a hole in dinner rolls and filling the cavity with sloppy joe mixture.
- Get Toasty: Add some extra flavor, toast the buns with a bit of garlic butter.
Leftover Love
Store leftover sloppy joes in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat portions on the stove or in the microwave.
Freeze in zippered bags and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Use leftover sloppy joe sauce in a sloppy joe casserole, as a topping for baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream, or on nachos.
More Crock Pot Crowd Pleasers
Did your family love these Crock Pot Sloppy Joes? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup chili sauce
- 1 ½ cups diced green bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- rolls or buns, for serving
Instructions
- In a skillet on the stovetop, brown the ground beef with onion and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Place beef mixture in a 4 qt slow cooker. Add ketchup, chili sauce, bell pepper, celery, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire. and chili powder and stir to combine.
- Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours.
- Serve over rolls or slider buns.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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Had a family get together as we cleaned out our childhood home. Wanted something easy quick and tasty when I came across your sloppy joe recipe. Fabulous! Everyone loved them and wanted the recipe. Tastiest and most satisfying “joes” ever.
I’m so glad your family loved them, sloppy joes is one of my husband’s all time favorites!
I was reluctant to get hooked on this recipe because there are SO many ingredients but it is worth it. The best sloppy joes you will ever make!
So glad you loved them Diane!
I had family from out of town visiting and I wanted to make something in the crockpot that everyone would like. Came across your sloppy joe recipe. It was very delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Shari! Glad you loved the recipe!
OMG! WOW this is a wonderful recipe Holly!!! My husband and I have gave up Sloppy Joe’s for over a year now. Tried so many other recipe’s and they just never met our taste. Came across your website 2 weeks ago and tried one of your other recipe’s, ( Taco Tater Tot Casserole) my husband and I were very pleased with that dish. So when I found you had a Sloppy Joe recipe I just had to try it. We now have found the taste we have been looking for. There’s only the two of us but made the recipe exactly as shown. So glad I did, now we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. We’ll never miss having Sloppy Joe’s again. Thank you Molly!
Yay, I’m so glad you loved them, my husband LOVES this recipe too! :)
Served at a ladies luncheon today and it was delicious!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
I made this for a crowd, doubled the recipe. Everyone loved it! Has a little kick to it but super nice favor. Thanks for the recipe!
I used to make chili with these ingredients a long time ago, i lost the recipe… so to try to do it again should i use a tomato paste or sauce ? I know i used diced tomatoes and i believe i added some garlic powed or onion powder.. maybe both lol along with beans of course . Does this sound about right to convert sloppy Joes to chili ? My kids like the sloppy joe taste with the added cozy feeling of a chili type !!! I dont remeber the measurements of them either . Do you have any thoughts.
I’ve only made the recipe as written with tomato paste, to make a chili you’d want to add tomato sauce or pasta sauce (less tart). Let us know how it goes for you!!
Best sloppy joes ever!! Husband ate four and never eats more than two. This is my new go to recipe for joes. Changed one thing – used equal amounts of poblano and green pepper for the 1-1/2 cups. Very good, gave it a little kick. Thank you
How many does this serve? Ditto on your Best Cole Slaw recipe. Your recipes don’t include number of servings.
Thanks.
The number of servings is listed just below the recipe image. This recipe makes 10 servings.
I love this meal too!! So yummy & amazing delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe.
I made a modified version of this last night. Because I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand, I halved the recipe (only three of us). 1 lb hamburger browned, half onion chopped, 3/4 yellow pepper chopped, 1 cup catchup, a splash of apple cider vinegar, a splash of Worcestershire, dumped in some garlic powder and chili powder.
Honestly, it didn’t need more than that. My daughter loved it. My husband came home late for work and gobbled down two sandwiches. I am making this again!
Thank you for the suggestions, glad it worked for you so well.
How does this freeze once prepared?
This sounds delicious! I’m cooking for just my husband and myself so I would cut the recipe in half and was wondering if I would still cook it for 6 hrs on low.
Delish! Hubby said please make this again! I didn’t have chile sauce so I just left it out and this was very tangy and flavorful!
Awesome! Glad that you and your husband liked it!
Can I use regular white vinegar ? I have everything else but the cider vinegar. Would love to get it started today. Thhanks
White vinegar should work fine.
I love not special foods for special occasions, my wife requested a pork pie instead of a birthday cake 8 years ago and it is a tradition that has stuck ever since ;) These sloppy Joes look awesome, They are nor something we see in Europe so gotta give them a try.
I love that pork pie is your birthday tradition! :) Enjoy Brian… we love these!
Sounds like a perfect meal for this weekend. I love sloppy Joes and do the kids!
We love them too! Enjoy your weekend!
I love set it and forget it type of slow cooker recipes and this looks delicious!
I’m all about the “prep ahead” too! :)
Okay– I know what’s going on my menu!! Gotta make these for the fam ASAP.
Nothing beats a good sloppy joe for dinner! I love them in the crock pot!
I agree, the slow cooker just makes them so flavorful!