Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Bursting with tomato flavor and seasonings, who can say no to juicy and tender slow cooker sloppy joes? Not me and my family!
Homemade sloppy joes were one of my Mama’s favorite weeknight suppers for busy days and I’ve always loved them. I have my skillet sloppy joe recipe on here already (click here) but this slow cooker sloppy joes recipe is what I use on those days when I don’t have time to brown my beef so I just throw it all in the slow cooker. Yup, you don’t even have to cook the beef (as long as you use lean ground chuck). Toss it in and turn it on. Supper is ready when you are.
Another thing I love about this easy crock pot sloppy joes recipe is that it’s so simple to customize. If you want to add a wee little kick (like me), drop in a tablespoon of diced jalapeno peppers. If your family is anti-mustard, don’t add it. On the other hand, if you want to add chopped onion and some minced garlic for added flavor, go right ahead. Make these sloppy joes your own.
The end result will always be the same: juicy, tender, and saucy sloppy joes bursting with tomato flavor. Pop the meat on buns and dinner will be ready in a flash! If you love classic comfort food, you’re going to love this main dish.
Now, let’s make some slow cooker sloppy joes!
Recipe Ingredients
- Diced tomatoes
- Ketchup
- Mustard (maybe)
- BBQ sauce
- Sweet relish
- Lean ground chuck
- Buns for serving
How to Make Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Okay, so the beauty of this is that you can put your ground beef in the slow cooker uncooked.
Add ground chuck to the slow cooker and chop it up a bit.
Add all of your remaining ingredients on top of your beef.
Stir that up good.
Put the lid on and place this on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
DIG IN!
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- You can also store leftovers in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- Using lean ground chuck is crucial in this recipe because your meat will be terribly greasy cooking it this way if you use regular ground beef. However, if all you have is regular ground beef, simply brown it in a skillet ahead of time, add it to the slow cooker with all the other ingredients, and cut the cooking time in half.
- You can substitute the lean ground beef for lean ground turkey or ground chicken if you like.
- Customize your crock pot sloppy joes to suit you and your family:
- Add vegetables, like 1 red or green bell pepper, 1 celery stalk, and/or 1 diced yellow onion.
- Add heat via a tablespoon of sriracha, diced jalapeno peppers, or chili powder.
- For more flavor, add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, , minced garlic, and/or Worcestershire sauce.
- If you like more sweet than savory, add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to your .
Recipe FAQs
How do you serve slow cooker sloppy joes?
The classic way to serve sloppy joes is on a toasted hamburger bun with toppings like pickles, cheddar cheese slices, and onion. Popular sides include fries, coleslaw, potato salad, and mac and cheese.
Can I double this sloppy joes recipe?
Yes, it’s so easy to double this sloppy joes recipe, especially if you have a large crockpot. Double the ingredients and the cooking instructions remain the same. It’s a great recipe for when you need to feed a crowd!
Can I put raw ground beef in the slow cooker?
Yes, I promise you can put raw ground beef in the slow cooker to make sloppy joes!
Check out these other slow cooker supper ideas:
How to Make Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Easy Crock Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crockpot Fiesta Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pounds lean ground chuck*
- 1 can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard optional
- 1-2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno peppers optional
- 8 hamburger buns for serving
Instructions
- Place the raw* beef in the slow cooker and break it up with a beef chopper or large spoon. Pour all the other ingredients over the beef. Stir well to combine.2 pounds pounds lean ground chuck*, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 cup ketchup, 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1-2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno peppers
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
- Scoop out with a slotted spoon onto hamburger buns. Serve hot and enjoy!8 hamburger buns
Notes
Nutrition
“A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn’t see the clouds at all — he’s walking on them.”
~Leonard Louis Levinson
Submitted by Bonny (thanks, Bonny!)
Christy, can you tell me what you call the tool that you used to break up the meat with? Would like to have one but have not been able to find one in the store.
It’s from Pampered Chef, Chop n Stir, or something like that.
I got mine from WalMart, Betty Crocker brand. Really great for chopping sloppy joe meat.
I had no idea what sloppy joes were, so for tonight I am going to try this!
My mama called those dirt necklaces “tater ridges” when we were little! LO
your recipes are so easy! i made this yesterday. used 1 1/2 lbs. 80/20 ground chuck frozen in a chunk. dropped it into a sprayed (i never use canola anything) 4 Qt. crock pot. Added stuff to empty out my fridge….1 cup hunts ketchup, 1/2 bottle bullseye bbq sauce, 1/2 bottle texas pete honey mustard, 1 Tbsp kraft tartar sauce, 2 heaping Tbsp hot chow chow, 2 Tbsp kraft blue cheese anything goes dressing…….just pour it in out of the bottles and don’t bother to mix it. i put 1/4 cup water in the ketchup bottle and shook it to get every last drop then poured it into the empty bbq bottle and shook it and so on down the line to “clean” out the bottles. so, if ya don’t have bottles to clean out just add 1/4 cup water to the pot. cover with the lid. I let it cook on low for 6 hours then broke up the meat, I wish I had that meat breaking thing you have…Where did you get it? I remember you telling but cant find it. THAT’S AN IDEA FOR A WHOLE BLOG! “Christy’s Kitchen Gadgets and Treasures.” any way i stirred it up and turned it on high and left the lid cracked ever so slightly so it would boil and the liquid would cook down. this idea of yours is fantastic! it was soo good Ed ate the last of it for breakfast this morning!
Hmm, am I the only one wondering if I could just paint my crock-pot up all cute like that? I just bought a new one and they didn’t have cute ones! : )
MMmmmm, sloppy joes! A great easy weekend food, right? We’ll have to give this a shot.
I thought the standards for fat in various ground beef types were Hamburger 30%, Chuck 20%, Round 15%, and sirloin 10%. What is “lean” chuck?
So could you use this same technique to cook up a batch of taco meat for a crowd?
I don’t see why not Debbie, I think it would totally work!