Description
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes is a comforting, hearty sandwich recipe featuring ground beef cooked slowly with onions, bell peppers, ketchup, and spices. This easy-to-make meal is perfect for busy days and delivers a rich, tangy flavor that pairs wonderfully with toasted buns and optional toppings like cheese and pickles.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef (7% fat preferred)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup ketchup
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce (NOT paste)
- 2 Tbsp. mustard
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Instructions
- Brown the Beef and Vegetables: Set a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, diced onion, and diced bell pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef and stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and the veggies are tender. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker and Add Ingredients: Place the browned beef mixture into the slow cooker. Add ketchup, tomato sauce, mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and brown sugar. Stir everything thoroughly to combine.
- Cook Slowly: Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 3 hours. Stir occasionally, especially if the edges start to stick or burn.
- Prepare Buns and Serve: Toast your sandwich buns using your toaster or broiler for best results. Spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture onto the toasted buns. Add optional toppings such as cheese and pickles if desired, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition values noted do not include buns or toppings.
- Always toast your buns for extra texture and flavor using a toaster’s bagel setting or broiler.
- Toppings like cheese, pickles, or raw chopped onion enhance the flavor profile.
- Serve with oven fries, fresh fruit, or carrot sticks for a complete meal.
- Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted, but the flavor will differ from classic beef sloppy joes.
- To make vegetarian, replace ground beef with one pound of meatless crumbles. No need to brown them, just add directly to the slow cooker.
- Recipe can be doubled without changing cook time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich filling portion (without bun or toppings)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
