Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

Ground beef is simmered in a zesty, brown sugar chili sauce with onions, peppers, and celery then piled high on rolls. Bring lots of napkins for all that sloppy goodness!

close up of Crock Pot Sloppy Joes on a plate

Flavor: Homemade Sloppy Joes are sweet, spicy, and tangy, with the perfect texture of ground beef and aromatic veggies.
Skill Level: This recipe is so easy to prepare! Mix the browned beef with all the other ingredients in the crockpot, cover, and let it simmer all day so it’s ready when you are.
Recommended Tools: A crockpot or slow cooker is an invaluable must-have for everything from easy family meals to large gatherings.
Budget Tip: Add cooked rice or beans to stretch the recipe further.
Serving Suggestion: Serve crock pot sloppy joes with homemade potato salad or coleslaw. Either on the side (or on the top)!

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes on plates with crock pot in the back

Ingredient Tips for Sloppy Joes

Ground Beef: Use ground beef, turkey, chicken, or add some chorizo to the ground beef in Step 1 to make spicy joes!
Sauce: You can use a can of Manwich, but with a few pantry basics, you can make a sauce everyone will rave about! The secret ingredient is a zesty chili sauce made with tomato sauce and slow-cooked with ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce (which can be switched out for soy sauce if desired). Adjust the sweetness to taste, or make it extra spicy and increase the chili powder, cayenne, or a few shots of Tabasco.
Veggies: Onions, peppers, and celery add tasty texture. Short on time? Use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the cloves, and skip the veggie prep in favor of a frozen bag of peas and carrots or corn.
Buns: Choose hearty buns to hold up to the juicy filling! Burger buns, hoagie rolls, or garlic cheese toast are good options. A crusty homemade baguette can be divided into sections and sliced in half to soak up the sauce for tender bites.

Change It Up!

Add extras like sliced mushrooms, black olives, chopped green chilis, or jalapenos.
Make Tidy Josephs by poking a hole in dinner rolls and filling the cavity with sloppy joe mixture.
Add some extra flavor and toast the insides of the buns, and rub them with a clove of fresh garlic.

Crock Pot sloppy joes on a sesame seed bun

Leftover Love!

Store leftover sloppy joes in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat portions on the stove or in the microwave.

Freeze in zippered bags and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Use leftover sloppy joe sauce as a topping for baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream, or on nachos.

More Crock Pot Crowd Pleasers

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes served on a bun on a tray with chips

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Crock Pot Sloppy Joes are perfect for feeding a crowd. Ground beef, onions, and peppers are slow simmered in a zesty homemade sauce, then piled onto hamburger buns.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

In a skillet on the stovetop, brown the ground beef with onion and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
Place beef mixture in a 4 qt slow cooker. Add ketchup, chili sauce, bell pepper, celery, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire. and chili powder and stir to combine.
Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours.
Serve over rolls or slider buns.

Nutrition information does not include rolls or buns.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

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