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Home » Slow Cooker » Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

August 13, 2018 By Sara 42 Comments

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

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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.

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Slow cooker sloppy joes on a bun served with fries and pickles.

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!

Ground beef, onions, tomato sauce, brown sugar and spices in a slow cooker.

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.

Slow cooker sloppy joe meat with a serving spoon.

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.

A slow cooker full of sloppy joe 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.

A crock pot sloppy joe on a hamburger bun served with french fries.

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 joe on a bun served with fries and pickles.
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4.94 from 16 votes

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

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.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword sloppy joes, slow cooker sloppy joes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 376kcal
Author Sara Welch

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 4.2mg

Filed Under: Dinner, Slow Cooker Tagged With: Beef, Hamburger, Sandwich

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Comments

  1. Amanda Kaye Morris says

    August 6, 2019 at 2:57 pm

    5 stars
    So should I drain the grease from hamburger or not???

    Reply
    • Sara says

      August 6, 2019 at 11:00 pm

      Yes, drain any excess grease. When I use 90% lean beef I find there’s not really any grease remaining.

      Reply
  2. Mark says

    July 11, 2019 at 1:56 pm

    I substitute ground turkey for the ground beef. This recipe is absolutely delicious. It’s easy and I’m going to make it for a large party next week.

    Reply
  3. Diane Hudson HARRIS says

    July 9, 2019 at 1:22 am

    I want to double or triple the batch of Sloppy Joes. How does the cooking time change?
    Heading for a big picnic – looks like a life saver! THANKS

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 9, 2019 at 3:36 pm

      Just make sure to use a large crockpot, at least 6 quart, if the crock pot is big enough the cooking time shouldn’t change. If you have a smaller slow cooker, then add one hour to the cook time.

      Reply
    • Charlotte says

      August 20, 2019 at 3:19 am

      5 stars
      Very yummy! I used bison meat, browned it with onion AND garlic, and added a little HP sauce! Crowd pleaser for sure!

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    June 4, 2019 at 5:50 am

    Life hack if mornings are hectic: Use the removable stoneware liner of the slow cooker to cook the meat and onions in the microwave. Then put the meat filled liner in the base, add the sauce, cover and cook. I even do this the night before and store the liner in the fridge covered until morning.

    Reply
  5. K says

    April 18, 2019 at 6:32 pm

    Does the cook time change if changing the servings from 6 to 8? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 18, 2019 at 10:28 pm

      No the cook time stays the same!

      Reply
  6. Danielle says

    August 21, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    5 stars
    These look so yummy! We love sloppy joes!

    Reply
  7. Debbie says

    August 19, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    School has just started here and my kids would love to come home to these sloppy Joes!

    Reply
  8. Travel Quest says

    August 17, 2018 at 7:41 am

    5 stars
    This is so mouthwatering I was thinking of making this tonight. Friday dinner with family is always fun esp. when we do it at home.

    Reply
  9. Danielle says

    August 17, 2018 at 3:04 am

    We are using our slow cooker loads at the moment and this looks like something new for us to try.

    Reply
  10. Shannon Gurnee says

    August 16, 2018 at 6:00 pm

    I’ve been loving using my crockpot lately and am on the lookout for more recipes! This one sounds like a yummy one!

    Reply
  11. Suzanne Melton says

    August 16, 2018 at 5:23 pm

    We do a monthly roleplaying game in our house – a dish such as this would be a big hit for the players. This looks like a yummy recipe.

    Reply
  12. Princess Quinn says

    August 15, 2018 at 11:17 am

    5 stars
    Wow, this is such a nice meal and mouth watering meal to try. Honestly, I like how easy it is to prepare. I am sure my friends and loved ones will like it.

    Reply
  13. What Corinne Did says

    August 15, 2018 at 10:40 am

    I had never heard of sloppy joes before but it looks so so good! The whole burger looks so tasty! I am hungry now!

    Reply
  14. Becca Wilson says

    August 15, 2018 at 7:51 am

    Sloppy joes are one of our favorite meals. I will definitely have to give this slow cooker version a try.

    Reply
  15. Merrideth @ Build and Bite says

    August 15, 2018 at 7:16 am

    This looks fantastic! My mom used to make sloppy joes all the time when I was little, but it’s been years! I’m not a fan of canned meat though, so I’ll have to give this homemade version a try. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  16. Flyingkids says

    August 15, 2018 at 5:51 am

    This looks very delicious. Nice shots you have there.

    Reply
  17. Maria Magdalena says

    August 14, 2018 at 11:50 pm

    4 stars
    I don’t have a slow cooker, but I think I have to buy one! This looks very delicious.

    Reply
  18. Gemille Sleweon says

    August 14, 2018 at 2:45 pm

    Cool recipe. I would love to try to make a vegan alternative for myself.

    Reply
  19. Tara Pittman says

    August 14, 2018 at 12:59 pm

    I need to start using my slow cooker more. This is a dish that I know my boys would like.

    Reply
  20. Ricky says

    August 13, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    5 stars
    Sloppy joes are my ultimate comfort food! I’ve loved sloppy joes since I was a kid. These look amazing.

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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