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Crock Pot Sloppy Joes are the messy, nostalgic meal that never goes out of style! Made with a homemade sauce (it’s tangy, sweet, and easy) and tossed in the crockpot for busy weeknights!
Grab a napkin. You’re gonna need it.
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes = Weeknight Happiness
It’s no secret that I looooove a good sloppy joe. I mean, that sauce is to die for.
Sweet. Tangy. Saucy. <— Heaven.
The stuff in the can is fine. I certainly won’t turn my nose up at it.
But homemade sloppy joes will just always be better and they only take an extra couple of minutes to measure, pour, and stir together the sauce.
I love to take our homemade sloppy joes and toss them in the slow cooker for an easy weeknight meal. Things get extra tender and saucy in the best way after cooking all day!
♥ 3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Set it and forget it. Let the slow cooker handle dinner while you tackle your to-do list.
- Kid-approved. Sweet, tangy, and just messy enough to be fun.
- Versatile. Serve on buns, over baked potatoes, or even spooned over our mac and cheese casserole.
What is a sloppy joe?!
Okay, okay. My guess is that the vast majority of you grew up eating sloppy joes and know exactly what they are.
However, we lived in WI for a bit and it seemed that no one knew what a sloppy joe was. Instead, they called these BBQ! So we’d get excited and expect pulled pork and out would come a sloppy joe. So funny!
Anyway, a sloppy joe is basically a loose meat sandwich that has tomato sauce added to it. That tomato sauce is usually doctored up to be a bit sweet and tangy.
They’re messy to eat, but so much fun!
Swaps & Tips
- Meat options: Ground turkey or chicken work great if you’re looking to lighten things up.
- Veggie variations: Feel free to add diced carrots or celery for extra crunch and nutrition.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for some heat.
- Picky kid tip: Buzz the onions in a food processor or blender for 20 seconds or so to form a puree. You’ll still get the flavor but none of the texture, which seems to be where the problem lays for most people.
Crockpot Recommendation!
In the market for a new slow cooker? We love this 7 quart Crockpot. It’s simple to use, cooks evenly, and is very budget friendly. Plus, it has a 4 1/2 star rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon!
Storage:
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
More Sloppy Joe Recipes:
Don’t want to use your crockpot? My homemade sloppy joes are ready in less than 30 minutes.
My sloppy joe tater tot casserole and sloppy joe shepherd’s pie are always a hit with the kids. Same goes for my sloppy joe dip!
You can’t go wrong with a sloppy joe grilled cheese, but it’s also fun to mix things up and make chili sloppy joes!
Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ sweet onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 sandwich rolls for serving
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
- When beef is partially cooked through, add the onion, pepper, and garlic to the pan and continue cooking and stirring until meat is fully cooked and vegetables have softened. Drain grease.
- Pour the beef mixture into a crockpot and add all of the remaining ingredients aside from the sandwich rolls. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- To serve, spoon meat evenly between the sandwich rolls.
Kelly S says
I have made this so many times, it is a go to favorite in my house. I have to tell you that if I need a recipe I come to your site automatically, you usually have what I need, and my guys love it every time.
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Karly says
Thank you so much, Kelly! I’m so happy to hear that!
Tom says
sound like a great Sloppy Joe Recipe–Has anyone tried complete cooking in the crock pot? Once I’ve done everything in the skillet–I’m inclined to leave it there–I get the slow and stays warm all day without burning concept (I use my crock pot often) I just prefer to not “cook a recipe twice” if I can avoid it.
Stacey Downs Smith says
Love this! Making it tonight. Hold the buns ! I’m going to make sourdough buns when I make this recipe again! I don’t eat processed bread unless it’s on vacation. ?
Kevin F says
I haven’t had Sloppy Joe’s in over 20 years. Decided on a whim to make this tonight (a chilly night in NYC with snow on the ground) and it’s perfect for the weather. Absolutely delicious!
Karly says
Thanks, Kevin!
Ginger says
This was a quick and easy dish. I-served the sloppy joes with mustard and pickles on buns. My family loved them, delish!
Karly says
Yum – love sloppy joes with pickles and mustard! 🙂
Mary says
This sloppy joe recipe is a hit with my family. I grew up eating sloppy joes but love your recipe better. It is delicious.
Karly says
Thanks, Mary!
Candice L Clay says
It is me again. I am allergic to many sauces and foods. I cannot have Worcestshire sauce or wine.
What can I use instead. Thank You
Karly says
Hi Candice! There are tons of options for subbing Worcestershire – you might just google and see which one would work best for you.
Sandi says
It would be great if you would put a link to Pinerest on your recipes to allow people an easy way to save them.
Vickie says
Love Sloppy Joes! But my favorite way to eat them is as a hot dip, eaten with Fritos Scoops instead of on a bun! Weird but delicious! Sounds like Super Bowl food to me!
Karly says
We like them as a dip too! We use Ruffles though. 🙂
Mark Kleeblatt says
Just an FYI I know you like your crockpot version but have tried RedGold sloppy joe sauce in a can it is fantastic no comparison to manwhich
Karly says
No, I haven’t. I’ll have to check it out! 🙂