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This kid-friendly recipe for homemade Sloppy Joes is a classic weeknight dinner that’s easy to prepare in the slow cooker. Made with ground beef, tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and plenty of spices for extra flavor these fall-apart sandwiches are ones you’ll make over and over.
Why This Recipe Works
Whether you ate them in the school lunchroom or had them for dinner as a child these simple Sloppy Joe’s are not only kid-friendly they’re a family favorite. This is why they’re easily considered a classic.
This delicious version combines ground beef, tomato sauce, and ketchup for a classic taste, but also adds in brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and flavorful spices. Everything is dumped into your slow cooker to simmer the flavors together and is ready when you need it.
You can also sneak in some vegetables such as riced cauliflower or zucchini into this recipe and your kids and family will never know, which makes this extremely mom-approved.
There’s so much flavor in this homemade version and it’s extremely easy to make. Not much has changed over the years for this recipe. Try this version instead of using the canned option from the grocery store.
Dinner sandwiches are an easy and tasty option for weeknight meals. If you love this recipe then you might also like to try this blackened fish sandwich.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Beef: for this recipe I prefer to use a lean ground beef that’s not too fatty. The grease from the fat tends to make the sloppy joe mixture too runny.
- White Onion: adding the onions to this mixture brings a delicious flavor, but they are optional.
- Ketchup: any version of ketchup will work, but you can also make this recipe without ketchup. If you choose to make it without then replace it with additional tomato sauce.
Additional Add-ins
- Bacon
- Vegetables: bell peppers, zucchini, pickled onions, or hot peppers.
- Sauces: sweet chili sauce, sriacha, or even gochugang.
- Herbs
- Cheese: top it off with a slice of cheese, cheddar is a great option.
- Pickles: add in a small jar of pickle relish for a delicious flavor, or top it with some dill or sweet pickles.
Other Types of Seasoning
The spices in this sloppy joe recipe are simple, but can easily be changed. Try some of these combinations below instead of what’s in my recipe here.
- The Standard: Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Salt
- Old Fashioned: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, Dry Mustard, Celery Seed, Chili Powder
- Southern: Swap the ketchup for barbecue sauce, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, thyme, onion powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the ground beef. Use a spatula to break the beef apart into small crumbles as it browns.
- Add the onion and minced garlic to the skillet and let it cook for a minute, stirring it into the beef mixture.
- If there’s any grease in the skillet drain it before adding the beef to the slow cooker. Place the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worechestershire sauce, dijon mustard, and cumin on top of the ground beef.
- Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and set it to low and cooke for 4 to 6 hours. The longer you cook the mixture the richer the flavor.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Use lean ground beef for this recipe to avoid the grease, which if not drained can cause them to be too runny.
- To take your sloppy joe’s to the next level try topping them off with some sweet coleslaw or drizzling some Alabama white sauce on top.
- To keep the buns from getting soggy toast them first before adding the sloppy joe mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! If you’d like to make a lighter version of Sloppy Joe’s then swap the ground beef for ground chicken or ground turkey.
Yes. In order to create a perfectly crumbled sloppy joe mixture, you need to brown the meat and break it apart as it browns.
Of course! What’s great about making these in the Instant Pot is that you can brown the meat and sausages directly in the Instant Pot truly making it a one-pot meal.
With this simple dinner, you’ll likely want to prepare an equally easy side dish such as roasted red potatoes or make something very healthy like this cucumber tomato salad.
If you made these Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes I want to hear all about it! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars so I can see your beautiful work. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Equipment
- Skillet
- Wooden Spatula
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Sloppy Joe Filling
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 medium White Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 15-ounce Tomato Sauce Can
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 8 Hamburger Buns
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Break beef apart using a spatula and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the meat starts to brown.
- Add the onion and minced garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the meat has browned.
- Place the beef mixture into a slow cooker and add the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, and cumin. Set to low for 4 to 6 hours.
- Toast the buns in a toaster oven or the oven. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the meat onto the hamburger buns.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef for this recipe to avoid the grease, which if not drained can cause them to be too runny.
- To take your sloppy joe’s to the next level try topping them off with some sweet coleslaw or drizzling some Alabama white sauce on top.
- To keep the buns from getting soggy toast them first before adding the sloppy joe mixture.
Reminds me of my own childhood… and my kids loved it as much as I used to!