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 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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Sounds great! Do you think this would freeze well? Thinking of pre made easy meals.
It freezes great! I also love using silicone muffin pan to freeze individual portions. Once frozen you can pop them out and store them in a zippered freezer bag.
Hello and Thank you for this Wonderful recipe,
I Made these over the weekend, My Husband
is Extremly piki and has never eaten one, well he does
Now cause he loved them and eat four, Will double
the next batch when my kids come over !!!!
So happy these were a hit in your house, Donna!
I’ve made this multiple times. Hands down the best sloppy joe recipe!
Absolutely delicious. Tripled the recipe for a crowd. Made it just as the recipe required except omitted green bell peppers because I didn’t have any. It was a hit!!
What type of prepared mustard? Yellow, Dijon. Which do you normally use?
I use yellow mustard.
Going to make this tonite and wondering which prepared mustered you used?
Any prepared yellow mustard will work just fine in this recipe Tami!
This has become my families go to sloppy Joe recipe. So easy and so good. If I don’t have celery I just use celery salt. Either way it’s awesome. Thank you!
I need some simple nutrition meals 4 breakfast, lunch & dinner
Theresa,
You can search our recipes here.
You can find healthier choices here and low carb recipes here.
This is my 2nd time making these. They are so tasty and delicous!
This came out perfect!! Instead of green peppers I used a couple diced jalapeño peppers (we like it spicy). I have been looking for a home made sloppy joe sauce recipe and I am so glad I found your recipe!!! Thank you
Alternative to the chili sauce? it can be hard to find!
We love to make our own, Jackie! You can follow this easy chili sauce recipe to make your own version too!
Excellent! I tripled the recipe for my 8 quart crockpot and a large group that was coming for dinner. We thoroughly enjoyed it & my guests even took some home because it was so delicious!
That is awesome Lisa! So happy you all enjoyed it!
Made this for supper tonight…so delicious…will definitely make this again
Easy to make
Thank you
You’re welcome Carole!
When doubling this recipe everything is doubled? Including vinegar? 4 Tbs seems like a lot. Thank you.
I would double all ingredients, but feel free to add less vinegar if you prefer. You can always add a tiny bit more later. Enjoy Cynthia!
Unfortunately my husband and I found this recipe sickingly salty
I’m sorry to hear that Connie. There is no added salt, but a few of the ingredients seem to add just the right amount of salt for us. Is it possible that your chili powder had salt in it?
excellent and easy
Can’t wait to try these recipes!!
Made these sloppy joes about 2 weeks ago and they were delicious! Heading to a secret santa party and am making them again! Would HIGHLY suggest trying these even thou they do take a little extra time and ingredients than your canned version!
I wouldn’t make any changes to this recipe because while it was good, it wasn’t good enough to want leftovers. I had to leave out tomato paste, celery and replace Worcestershire with a little soy sauce and liquid smoke. I thought it was very good initially, just wasn’t enthused with the leftovers. Stick to the recipe, don’t be like me. ;)
Thanks for sharing LL!
hello Holly and happy new year! how to make this recipe on the stove top? Dying to try it and don’t own a slow cooker.
Many thanks
You can make this on the stove top as well. After browning meat, onion and garlic, mix together all sauce ingredients and add to the mixture. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Let bubble approximately 7-9 minutes or until thickened. Enjoy!