Crockpot Sloppy Joes make a family-favorite recipe even easier thanks to the slow cooker. Now, these saucy, sweet, tangy sandwiches are ready when you are!
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The crockpot makes these sloppy joes perfect for hectic days!
I love my Crockpot Greek Sloppy Joes, but I wanted to make a more traditional version for our upcoming game day entertaining plans. You know, a classic Sloppy Joes Recipe, but in the slow cooker instead of the stovetop.
Enter: these crockpot sloppy joes!
They’ve got that irresistible sweet-and-tangy flavor, the fantastic sauciness (for a less messy version, there’s always Sloppy Joe Casserole), but now you can get them started in the morning and they’re done in time for dinner. Hooray!
Let’s talk about what makes this recipe a win:
- Perfect for Meal Prep. The leftovers store and reheat well, and for families that like to switch things up, you can serve the sloppy joe filling over fries, baked potatoes, or even make it into nachos!
- Mostly Hands-Off Cooking. You’ll need to brown the beef and soften the veggies first (trust me, it’s worth it), but after that, the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting. Another one-pan sloppy joes winner is Sloppy Joes Casserole.
- Classic Flavor, With a Well Plated Twist. A mix of ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, and vinegar creates that traditional sweet-and-tangy base, but I add some extra veggies to bulk it up and sneak in some nutrition.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Ground Beef. I use 90/10, which is lean enough to avoid having to drain off excess grease, but still flavorful and tender.
- Veggies. Carrots, onion, and red bell pepper add flavor and nutrition. I always make my sloppy joes with extra veggies! Picky eaters won’t even notice.
- Garlic. A lot of recipes use garlic powder, but I like the sharper flavor of fresh in these crockpot sloppy joes.
- Chili Powder. Adds gentle heat without making these sloppy joes spicy.
- Tomato Paste. To help bring out more tomato flavor than you’d get with ketchup alone.
- Dijon mustard. Sharpens the sauce and balances sweetness.
- Ketchup. I’ve tested sloppy joe recipes with and without ketchup and you know what? The ketchup just works. It delivers that classic sloppy Joe flavor better than tomato sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce. Adds umami and depth.
- Brown Sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Red Wine Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice also work.
- Beef Broth. Use low-sodium beef broth to keep the salt level in check.
- For Serving. Kaiser rolls, plus toppings like cheddar cheese and pickles, if desired.
How to Make Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Cook the Beef. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, season lightly, and transfer to the slow cooker.
Soften the Veggies (photo 2). Sauté the carrots, onion, and bell pepper until softened; add garlic and chili powder.
Assemble (photo 3). Transfer vegetables to the slow cooker, then stir in remaining sauce ingredients.
Cook (photo 4). Slow cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. Serve your crockpot sloppy joes on rolls with your desired toppings and ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Use Ground Turkey. Swap the ground beef for lean ground turkey.
- Make Them Meatless. Use your favorite plant-based ground meat or crumbled tempeh for a more natural option.
- Make Them Spicy. Add cayenne pepper or stir in diced jalapeño with the veggies.
What to Serve with Crockpot Sloppy Joes
- Fries. Air Fryer Potato Wedges for those who like a substantive fry, or these Homemade Fries for a more classic (but still not fried!) version. Or Zucchini Fries for something even healthier!
- Chips. I love these Air Fryer Potato Chips, but for busy weeknights, I just grab a handful of chips from a store-bought bag.
- Salad. Kids love sloppy joes with a side of Fruit Salad! This Healthy Potato Salad is an awesome pairing too.
Crockpot Sloppy Joes
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90/10
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 2 medium carrots ¼-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 small red bell pepper ¼-inch diced (about 1½ cups)
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup low-sodium beef broth
- 4 Kaiser rolls or rolls of choice
- Optional for serving: Sliced cheddar cheese, pickles
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, undisturbed, until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Break the beef into small crumbles and continue to cook until no longer pink, about 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Transfer to a 4-to 6-quart slow cooker.
- To the now-empty skillet, add the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring periodically, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the tomato paste, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, broth, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours or high heat for 2 hours, until the vegetables have softened.
- Serve on Kaiser rolls with toppings of choice.
Notes
- For the vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice also work.
- TO STORE: Transfer the leftover filling to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm in a skillet set over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze flat in a freezer bag with the air pressed out or in an airtight container. The filling will keep up to 3 months in the freezer; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Dear Erin, thank you for this version of Sloppy Jones: definitely worth of trying. I wish you have a pleasant day !
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
who would have thought – this is just brilliant!
Thanks so much, Dixya!
I adore me some sloppy joes, but this updated version is on point!! LOVE!!
Thanks Lauren! :)
These look incredible! I’ve never had a sloppy Joe—my mom never made them when I was growing up, but I was such a picky eater I doubt I would have touched them even if she had. If this is my first sloppy Joe experience, I think I’ll be ruined for the normal ones (totally ok with that)!
Speaking of meatloaf, Corndance in Mishawaka has a fantastic bison meatloaf as a special sometimes. Meatloaf has never appealed to me, but that was a darn good meal.
Thank you, Katie! These will *definitely* ruin you for the normal ones. ;) And thanks for the tip about that bison meatloaf!
Wow, Erin – these Sloppy Joes look fabulous!!! I love the different ingredients you used that make these look so tasty! I know my family would devour these! xo
I love chickpeas! This looks good.
These sound so yummy and hearty! What a perfect weeknight meal. I love the addition of chickpeas!
Sloppy Joes with chickpeas – these look fantastic
This is DEFINITELY a chance for redemption for sloppy joes! These look amazing, Erin! :)
Wow that is a revelation for sloppy joes (:
These were great and my husband loved them! The only thing i would change next time is i would double the spices because the flavour was hard to notice.
Whoooo hoooo! Thanks so much Angela. I’m so glad you loved the recipe. And yes, you can definitely add more spice if you’d like to kick it up a notch.
I made these last night …..delicious!!! Rather than using my crock pot, I used my stove-top for the entire recipe. I had a bottle of Marina sauce on hand so used it rather than the tomato sauce. This will be a dish I’ll make again. Thanks Erin!!!!!
I am so happy to hear that Teresa! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and for taking time to stop back by and leave this review. It means so much to me and is really helpful to others too!
I made these tonight and they were SO delicious! Such great flavor and so simple. We served it over quinoa. This recipe is definitely going into the weeknight dinner rotation! ?
Thank you so much, Erin! Quinoa is a great idea. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
Very good recipe! Simple and filling. I always find anything made in the slow cooker a little too liquid-y to have as a sandwich. Ended up eating my leftovers (which are even better) over roasted sweet potato with feta.
Thanks, Alison! Serving this over sweet potatos sounds DELICIOUS. Thank you for taking the time to leave this review!
This was amazing! I loaned out my slow cooker so I had to make it on the stove top and let it simmer for about an hour, but it was delicious! I served it over quinoa and sprinkled just a little feta on top = perfection. Adding to my rotation!
Awesome, Stef! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for stopping by to share your feedback!
Definitely one of my most favorite meals now!
THANK YOU Annick! I am so happy and excited to hear it. Thanks for taking time to leave this kind review. I appreciate it more than I can say!
Erin, would you have any recs on trying this in the instant pot?
Hi Victoria, I haven’t tried this in the Instant Pot myself, but I would definitely brown the meat first using the sauté setting. Similar recipes I found cooked for between 5 to 10 minutes on high pressure—I’m not sure of the exact timing since I haven’t done it myself, but I definitely think it’s doable!
Awesome recipe. I am going to try this soon with my wife. Thanks for sharing
I hope you love it James!
I made this on a whim tonight after searching your site for a ground turkey recipe. It was a hit with all 3 of us (picky 2 year old and skeptical husband included). Thanks so much for being a reliable website for great family weeknight recipes!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Erin! Thank you for sharing this kind review!