Slow cooker sloppy joes are one of the easiest ways to put a hot, kid-friendly dinner on the table on a busy day. You brown the ground beef with onion and bell pepper, stir together a quick homemade sauce, and let the crockpot do the rest while you get on with your afternoon. By dinnertime the filling is thick, tangy and a little sweet, and everyone builds their own sandwich.
The short version: Brown 2 pounds of lean ground beef with onion, green pepper and garlic, drain the fat, then cook it in the slow cooker with tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar and a few spices for 4 to 6 hours on LOW or 2 to 3 hours on HIGH. It makes about 8 sandwiches, keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well.
This recipe makes the sauce from pantry staples instead of a can of sloppy joe mix, so you control the sweetness, the salt and the spice level.
In This Recipe
- Why this crockpot sloppy joe recipe works
- Ingredients
- How to make slow cooker sloppy joes
- Tips for the best homemade sloppy joes
- Easy variations
- What to serve with sloppy joes
- Storing, freezing and reheating
- Sloppy joe FAQs
Why This Crockpot Sloppy Joe Recipe Works
- Hands-off cooking. About 15 minutes at the stove, then the slow cooker takes over. It’s a good fit for sports nights, school pickups and work-from-home days.
- Better flavor than a can. A few hours of gentle heat softens the peppers and onions and lets the sweet, tangy sauce soak into the beef.
- Budget friendly. Two pounds of ground beef and a handful of pantry ingredients feed a family of four with leftovers for lunch, and the recipe is easy to stretch with beans or lentils.
- Freezer friendly. The cooked filling freezes well, so you can make a double batch and save half for a night when cooking isn’t happening.
Ingredients
Makes about 8 sandwiches. Prep time: 15 minutes. Slow cooker time: 4 to 6 hours on LOW or 2 to 3 hours on HIGH. You’ll need a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
For the filling
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (85% to 90% lean)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the homemade sloppy joe sauce
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For serving
- 8 hamburger buns, toasted
- Optional toppings: sliced cheddar, dill pickle chips, coleslaw or sliced red onion
How to Make Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- Brown the beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, for 5 to 7 minutes until no pink remains. Ground beef is done at an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Soften the vegetables. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
- Drain the fat. Tip the skillet and spoon off the fat, or pour the mixture into a colander set over a bowl. Let the fat cool and throw it away rather than pouring it down the drain.
- Mix the sauce. In the slow cooker crock, whisk together the tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Combine and cook. Add the beef mixture and stir until it’s evenly coated. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended.
- Thicken if needed. If the filling looks too loose, remove the lid and cook on HIGH for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Taste and serve. Adjust the salt, sweetness or vinegar to your liking, then pile the filling onto toasted buns and add your favorite toppings.
Tips for the Best Homemade Sloppy Joes
Brown the meat first
Browning builds flavor, lets you drain the fat so the sauce isn’t greasy, and keeps the beef in fine crumbles instead of one big clump. It also means the beef is fully cooked before it goes into the crock, so the slow cooker time is all about flavor.
Always start with thawed beef
USDA advises always thawing meat or poultry before it goes into a slow cooker. Thaw ground beef in the refrigerator overnight.
Dice the vegetables small
Small pieces of onion and pepper melt into the sauce, which matters if you’re feeding picky eaters. A box grater works well for the onion if you want it to disappear completely.
Keep the lid on
Lifting the lid lets heat escape and slows cooking. Leave it in place until the last half hour, unless you’re thickening the sauce.
Balance the sauce at the end
Taste before serving. If it’s too sweet, add a splash more vinegar or mustard. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt. If your family likes it sweeter, stir in another teaspoon of brown sugar.
Easy Variations
- Ground turkey sloppy joes: Swap in 2 pounds of ground turkey. Cook it to 165°F, the safe minimum for ground poultry, and add a teaspoon of extra Worcestershire for depth.
- Stretch it further: Stir in a 15-ounce can of drained, rinsed pinto beans or about 1 1/2 cups of cooked lentils with the sauce. You’ll get 10 or more servings from the same 2 pounds of beef.
- Hidden veggies: Add a finely grated carrot or a small diced zucchini with the onion and pepper.
- A little heat: Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or a diced jalapeño with the bell pepper.
- Smaller batch: Halve everything and use a 2- to 3-quart slow cooker. Cooking times stay about the same.
What to Serve With Sloppy Joes
Toasted buns keep the bread from going soggy, and slider rolls are great for parties. Beyond the bun, try the filling spooned over baked potatoes, over a bowl of rice, or on toasted garlic bread.
For easy sides, set out coleslaw, pickles, corn on the cob or a tray of oven-roasted frozen vegetables, which cook in the time it takes to toast the buns. If you cook a pot of rice for serving, our guide to how long cooked rice is good for in the fridge explains how to store the extra safely.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating Sloppy Joes
| Where | How long |
|---|---|
| Slow cooker on WARM | While serving, kept at 140°F or warmer |
| Countertop | No more than 2 hours |
| Fridge, 40°F or below | 3 to 4 days |
| Freezer, 0°F | Best within 2 to 3 months; safe indefinitely while frozen |
In the fridge
Move leftover filling into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours after cooking finishes. Eat it within 3 to 4 days, the USDA guideline for cooked meat leftovers. Keep the buns at room temperature in their bag so they don’t get soggy. For more storage times, see our food-by-food guide to how long leftovers last in the fridge.
How to freeze sloppy joes
- Cool the filling quickly in shallow containers in the refrigerator.
- Spoon it into freezer bags or airtight containers in family-size or single portions.
- Press the bags flat, squeeze out the air and label them with the date.
- Freeze at 0°F. For the best texture and flavor, use it within 2 to 3 months.
Make-ahead freezer meal
To prep a freezer meal, brown and drain the beef with the vegetables, cool it in the fridge, then freeze it in a bag with the sauce ingredients. Thaw the bag in the refrigerator overnight, then empty it into the slow cooker and cook as directed. Don’t put the frozen block straight into the crock, since USDA recommends thawing meat before slow cooking.
How to reheat sloppy joes
Reheat leftovers in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave, covered and stirred halfway, until the filling reaches 165°F. USDA doesn’t recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker. Once the filling is hot, you can move it to a preheated slow cooker on WARM to hold it for a party.
Making Sloppy Joes Fit a Grocery Budget
Sloppy joes are a classic budget dinner because most of the sauce comes from pantry staples you probably already have: ketchup, mustard, tomato sauce and brown sugar. Ground beef is the main cost, so buying the family pack when it’s on sale and freezing it in 2-pound portions makes this recipe even cheaper. Adding beans or lentils, as in the variation above, makes the meat go further.
Planning one or two slow cooker meals a week, and building in a leftovers night, is a simple way to keep a grocery budget for a family of 4 on track.
Sloppy Joe FAQs
Can you put raw ground beef in the slow cooker for sloppy joes?
You can, as long as the beef is fully thawed and cooks to 160°F, but we don’t recommend it for sloppy joes. Raw beef cooked in sauce tends to clump, and you can’t drain the fat, so the filling ends up greasy. Browning first takes about 10 minutes and gives a much better result.
How long do sloppy joes last in the fridge?
Cooked sloppy joe filling lasts 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking.
Can you freeze sloppy joes?
Yes. Freeze the filling without the buns in airtight bags or containers. It stays safe indefinitely at 0°F and tastes best within 2 to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.
How do you thicken sloppy joes in a crockpot?
Take the lid off and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes so the extra liquid evaporates. Stirring in another tablespoon of tomato paste also helps.
How many people does this recipe feed?
Two pounds of beef makes about 8 sandwiches, enough for a family of four with leftovers. For a crowd, double the recipe in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, and check your cooker’s manual for its maximum fill level.
What’s the difference between sloppy joes and Manwich?
Manwich is a brand of canned sloppy joe sauce. This homemade version uses ingredients you can adjust, so you can make it less sweet, less salty or spicier than a canned sauce.
References
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Slow Cookers and Food Safety. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/slow-cookers-and-food-safety
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety
- FoodSafety.gov. Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures. https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures
- FoodSafety.gov. Cold Food Storage Chart. https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts
