These slow cooker sloppy joes are made with ground beef, tomato sauce, brown sugar and spices, all cooked to savory perfection. An easy crock pot meal that’s kid friendly and perfect for serving a crowd.
Once you’ve tried homemade sloppy joes, you’ll never go back to the kind that comes in a can. This slow cooker sloppy joe recipe takes just 10 minutes to assemble. Let your meat simmer all day long, then serve on buns for a meal that the kids will love.
I don’t think there’s a better feeling than sitting down with classic comfort food like these slow cooker sloppy joes. Not only are they simple to make, but you can easily double the recipe and have leftovers. It’s one of my favorite meals and I know my family will agree.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES?
These crock pot sloppy joes are extremely easy and quick to throw together. They’re made with ground beef, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and spices, cooked to a savory perfection in the crock pot. The simmering really draws out the flavor and makes the meat super tender. I guarantee these will be a family favorite!
I suggest using a leaner beef such as 90% lean ground beef, in your crock pot sloppy joes. It’s still got a lot of flavor, but without all the grease. Ground turkey can be used instead of beef but make sure you use 93% lean ground turkey and not the 99% lean turkey breast.
If you want to mix up this dish and make it your own, you can add other ingredients such as bell peppers, herbs, bacon or sriracha. It’s also popular to add a slice of cheese to your sloppy joe sandwich – we typically use cheddar cheese. Make sure to use a sturdy hamburger bun and toast it before serving so that your bread won’t get soggy under all that saucy meat.
WHERE DID THE SLOPPY JOE COME FROM?
It’s not quite certain exactly who created the sloppy joe, but the creation is largely attributed to a cook name Joe. He added some tomato sauce to some loose meat he had and thus the sloppy joe was born. However, there’s also two other versions of the story. One story says sloppy joes were created in Havana at a saloon, and the other says it was in Florida at a famous bar.
WHAT IS THE ORIGINAL SLOPPY JOE RECIPE?
The original sloppy joe recipe hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s such a basic and easy mixture that there wasn’t much to switch around. However, the original mixture includes ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sugar, salt, and pepper.
With school starting back up, I’ve really been making sure I have some recipes planned that the whole family will happily eat. However, they have to be easy and something I can toss together in just minutes. I love crock pot sloppy joes because I can literally dump it and go–the perfect dinner for a busy night.
MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes Video
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef I use 90% lean
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 hamburger buns
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Place the ground beef in the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
- Add the onion and cook for an addition 4-5 minutes.
- Place the beef and onion mixture in the slow cooker along with the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- Spoon the meat onto the hamburger buns then serve.
Jenn says
Does the recipe call for two 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce (16oz total) or 28oz can of sauce?
I think I know which but it was a little questioned when reading the recipe.
Thanks
Sara says
2 cans, 8 ounces each can. So 16 ounces total!
Josh says
Do you take the beef straight from the pan to the slow cooker or do you design the grease first?
Sara says
If there’s excess grease drain it first, I typically use 90% lean which doesn’t require draining.
Gail Spriestersbach says
I have made this multiple times now and shared this recipe. It’s really good! Thanks for posting this one!
Sharon says
This came out so awesome! We all loved it!
Sue W says
This worked great for one of our family camping trip dinners. Wasn’t too zesty for my young grandkids, in fact they enjoyed it without the bun. Adjusted the serving size to 12 (for 8 people) and 4 of us enjoyed it for an easy lunch two days later. Thanks for the recipe!
Lori says
Holy cow. I made this for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. I was planning on leftovers (nachos with the sloppy joe meat!) but there’s nothing left. So good. Thank you!
Cathy says
Thank you ! My husband and I both love it. Will be making it often.
Julie DOBRYMAN says
Doubled this for a football game watch party. Great recipe!
Veronica says
I’d love to make 3 lbs of beef! Should I double the sauce or same? Thanks!
Sara says
Yes you would double the sauce!
Jo says
Made it again, and it never disappoints! Grrrrreat recipe! Thank you very much!
Jess says
Easy and delicious! Left overs are perfect for the kids Zoom lunch
marisa varela says
Wow so good! Subbed with ground turkey and going to double the recipe next time for leftovers!
Cami says
Absolutely amazing. My family loved it. My husband came in and could only comment on how good it smelled in the house. Even my 3 picky kids gobbled it up. It’s hard to impress every member of a family of 6 but this recipe did it!
Michel6 says
Can I add green pepper, and if so, when?
Sara says
Yes, stir it into the cooked ground beef right before it goes into the slow cooker.
Leigh says
This recipe is sooooo very good. Not only does the aroma smell divine throughout the entire house but the Joes’ tasted equally as pleasing. I will be making this many times. Follow to the T, it is so worth it. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Laura says
Can I ask why we are cooking the meat first? I was planning to throw the meat and veggies in for several hours till browned while I ran errands, etc., then add sauces later. I don’t like the idea of having to stand over the meat and veggies at the stove. That’s an extra pan to wash and defeats the reason I am using a slow cooker in the first place. Thoughts?
Sara says
You pre-cook the meat so that it doesn’t cook up in one giant clump in the slow cooker, it needs to be broken up first.
Lorna Gajewski says
You also cook the meat to drain the fat. Otherwise your food comes out really greasy. I even sear roasts before I cook them in a slow cooker.
Deb says
My kids love these so I make them a few times a month now! I’ve even frozen the meat mixture
John latino says
Want to make the Sloppy Joe recipe on Sunday for a football watch party. Do you think substituting chili sauce for ketchup would work? Thanks
Sara says
Yes that is fine!
Vicki Powell says
I do it with chili sauce all the time…..2 pounds of meat to 1 jar chili sauce. Comes out beautifully every time!
Bea says
My grandkids always ask me to make this! Easy recipe to feed a crowd!