Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes: This homemade sloppy joes recipe is super flavorful and cooks up easy in the Crock-Pot. I guarantee you’ll get asked for the recipe!
Homemade Sloppy Joes
I think my mom makes the best homemade sloppy joes around.
And do you want to know her secret?
It’s all about the tomato juice. Mom cans it herself, preserving all the sweetness of her garden’s fresh tomatoes.
While I’ve never canned my own tomatoes, I have to say that this recipe for Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes is dang good. It has become a favorite meal amongst our family and friends. I often hear, “Hey Brenda, I just made your sloppy joes again!” And no wonder. These homemade sloppy joes are super flavorful, can feed a crowd, and are easy to make in a Crock-Pot!
sloppy joes to feed a crowd
Since we bought this multi-cooker/slow cooker many years ago, following a recommendation from my sister Jessica, I started playing around with perfecting a crock pot sloppy joes recipe for our family. I love that I can brown the meat right in the multi-cooker, then add all the other ingredients, switch the setting to slow cook, and let it finish on its own.
AND. The multi-cooker is a cinch to clean up. LOVE!
Another thing I love about this kitchen appliance is its large capacity. Even though this recipe for sloppy joes yields a good amount of servings, I can still make a double batch using this multi-cooker.
I like to double this easy sloppy joes recipe when we need to feed a crowd. We made these sandwiches for our daughter Hatti’s confirmation party and for many other casual gatherings over the years. I also like to double the recipe and simply stash half of it away in the freezer. It’s hardly any more work, and gifts you an easy homemade meal down the road.
What to serve with sloppy joes
Sloppy joes are the classic messy sandwich, total comfort food.
And one of its best attributes is that it makes for some of the most wonderful leftovers. Which makes me hugely happy.
Serve the sloppy joes mixture on large or small buns, with a few different kinds of pickled things (I like to serve dill pickle chips, Pickled Red Onions, and Mom’s Refrigerator Sweet Pickles) and some thick rippled potato chips. I oftentimes don’t even utilize buns myself, and simply scoop up the sloppy joes mixture with potato chips.
Do whatever makes you happy. It’s ALL good!
And if you’re wondering about a couple side dishes to serve with these sloppy joes… How about an easy coleslaw salad using my mom’s Sweet Onion Coleslaw Dressing? Or this German Potato Salad, with a tangy vinegar/mustard dressing? Both, so good!
Here are a few more slow cooker sandwich recipes you might enjoy: Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches from Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts, Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches from Melanie Makes, and Slow Cooker Shredded Barbecue Beef Sandwiches from Boulder Locavore.
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
These classic messy sandwiches are super flavorful and cook up easy in the slow cooker. They're great for feeding a crowd. Be prepared to get asked for the recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lean ground beef (I also do a combination of ground beef and turkey, usually 2 lbs. beef & 1 lb. turkey)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1.5 cups finely chopped celery
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chili sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon medium chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- additional salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef and onion together until beef is cooked, breaking up beef with a spatula. (Or just use this awesome multi-cooker, where I simply brown the meat right in the cooker!) Drain off fat and transfer to slow cooker. Break up any remaining larger pieces of meat.
- Add all remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. A longer cook time will give a deeper flavor.
- Serve sloppy joes on buns. I like to offer regular size buns and smaller dinner roll size buns. Pickles are a must (I recommend these easy refrigerator pickles), as well as thick ripple potato chips. I personally like to eat sloppy joes without buns, using sturdy potato chips as my "scoops". Pickled red onions are also great with this meal!
Notes
Calories do not include buns, chips, or condiments.
from a farmgirl's dabbles
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 25g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
This post was originally published September 2012 and has been a popular reader favorite. Photographs and some of the text were updated November 2017.
I’ll be trying this recipe for our holiday potluck at work–these look awesome!
Thanks!
I’m totally making these!!!
Yay! ;)
I have several types of chili powder…which would you consider “medium”?
It all depends on how much heat you like. My family, mostly due to the tastebuds of our girls, likes a medium to lower level of heat. So if your chili powder doesn’t say “medium” or “hot”, etc., just use whatever you like.
It’s weird, but I’ve never had sloppy joes before. I love meat and I love burgers, and sloppy joes are basically crumbled burgers… but these look really delicious, and pretty much everything that comes out of a slow cookie is going to taste magical.
You have been missing out, Becca!! ;)
My household of hungry male roomates is going to be thanking you when I make this recipe! These sloppy joes look amazing, and I love your mother’s secret of using fresh homemade canned tomato juice. They look delicious and I love that I can throw it all in the crock pot in the morning and come home from work to a ready-made meal!
That Cuisinart multi/slow cooker is one lovely looking machine and your perfected sloppy joes look great. What a great meal to have waiting after coming in from the cold.
Oh Brenda, I have been craving sloppy joes! These look incredible!
This sounds fantastic – thanks for sharing!
I love sloppy joes, your recipe looks great!
saving to try soon!
my kids & i love sloppy joes! i’m sure your recipe tastes a million times better than the can! lol
thanks!
kellie
Oh goodness…yes, WAY better than the can!! ;)
I just felt a bit of summer time warmth after looking at these photos! Those look wonderful! My hubby never eats sloppy joes because of all of the onion and peppers in the mix, but if I can make it from scratch and leave those out, he can finally enjoy a sloppy joe! yay!
This would be perfect for supper TONIGHT! YUM!
What a great weeknight meal
I love sloppy joes! But I never thought to put them in the slow cooker, great idea!!!
Oh Brenda, I haven’t had a sloppy joe in YEARS. It’s totally time! Looks delicious.
Sloppy Joe Night is always a happy night in our house!
So enjoyed these Sloppy Joes the evening before Thanksgiving, Brenda.
Yummy recipe!
Sloppy joes are the quintessential kid food – and I love kid food nights – I just never have neough of those and now that Ben and I have bought a bunch of ground beast, I gotta put it to good use! Thanks for the idea :)
Sloppy Joes are a personal favorite and I don’t feel that they get the love they deserve! Way to make them pretty!
So true, Keane. Sloppy Joes are way overlooked. Some of the best comfort food around! :)
I always forget about good ole sloppy joes! My little guy would gobble this up!