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 LOVE that you made sloppy joes even easier by using the slow cooker! Most definitely need to try this for dinner soon!
Can I substitute all ground turkey, no ground beef, in this recipe? Would I need to adjust any of the other ingredient amounts?
These do look darn good!
hey girl- these sloppy joes look so yummy!
Hi- probably a dumb question but if you slow cook the meat do you eat til it’s brown to add ingredients and drain it before? Do you even skillet brown it and then dump it and ingredients in the slow cook?
Thanks!!
I have made these multiple times now for potluck type parties. These are a huge hit, such a yummy recipe! Thank you!!!
Really enjoyed these last weekend. And the fact that Tessa and Blake made them made them even better.
omg yum!
Thanks Mary!
hey girl this looks amazing! I have always loved sloppy Joe’s! I grew up eating these! Yummy!
I just made these and they were phenomenal!
THANK YOU! I made these for a ladies dinner last night that we usually have weekly on Wednesdays.
You are so welcome! I just love this recipe, one of my regulars. :)
I added your fabulous recipe to my article:
27 Super Bowl Cocktails, Appetizers & Sweet Treats to Eat: Winning Recipes for Super Bowl Sunday
http://www.examiner.com/article/27-super-bowl-cocktails-appetizers-treats-to-eat-winning-super-bowl-recipes
I made these for a food day at work and they were a HUGE hit!!! I love this recipe because it’s totally unexpected with the layers of flavor and variety of textures.
Yay! So glad you liked this recipe. It’s really one of my favorite home cooked meals. Thanks for coming back to let me know, I appreciate it!
I have to tell you that without once ounce of doubt…these were the best sloppy joes I’ve ever eaten. THANK YOU! I made these for a ladies dinner last night that we usually have weekly on Wednesdays. I think every woman there at 2 of them. I brought the leftovers home and 2 of my boys each loved them! I am eating a leftover one as I type this. I forgot the garlic – purely accidental – but they were still amazing.
I think I will make these for the big game!
Awesome! I hope you like them!
Hi Brenda. I’ve never used chili sauce. Can you tell me more about it or a brand to use?
Hi! There are many different kinds of chili sauce. I used Heinz, found by the ketchup at the grocery store.
I loved these!!! The only thing I would change is to chop up the fire roasted tomatoes more…personal preference though!! Yummy
I’m so glad you liked these, Debbie. And now, since I’ve read your comment, I’m craving sloppy Joes!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know – have a great day!
I just shared this recipe on my FB page, What’s for dinner? With baseball season in full “swing”, I’m always hunting quick dinner ideas, thanks for sharing!!!
Can you make this without the brown sugar? My husband is not allowed to have sugar or a lot of carbs.
Absolutely! I just like a little sweetness. My mom always taught me to cut some of the tomato’s acidity with a little brown sugar. :)
Merci beaucoup d’avoir partagé cette recette! Toute ma famille l’a beaucoup aimé!