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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

By Sarah On   |  Updated:

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These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

Throwing a little extra ease into a weeknight favorite! All hail the slow cooker and all the magic its working today.

I know, sloppy joes are generally considered one of those dinners that you really can’t mess up since it’s typically made in minutes on the stovetop, but I’m here you tell you that while that’s delicious, you’re missing out on a better way.

Slow cooking sloppy joe sauce not only tenderizes the ground beef SO much but it also gives the sauce time to build tons of incredible flavor.

These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

And it gives YOU time to do whatever the heck you want cause dinner’s basically making itself for you tonight.

This recipe also doubles or triples very easily so don’t be afraid to make extra for leftovers or for the freezer!

These Sloppy Joes feature…

  • Tender ground beef
  • A flavorful ketchup-based sauce with sweet brown sugar, Worcestershire, and spices
  • Only minutes to prep and the slow cooker does most of the work
These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

Making the Sloppy Joes

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

  • Ground beef
  • Yellow onion
  • Garlic
  • Brown sugar
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Tomato paste
  • Ketchup
  • Paprika
  • Chili powder
  • Buns

Storing and Freezing Sauce

This sauce stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days and reheats great either on stovetop or in microwave.

To freeze sauce, allow to cool completely, store in a freezer-safe container, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw sauce completely in refrigerator and reheat before serving.

These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

Tips for Perfect Sloppy Joes

  1. Brown ground beef and onion – this breaks up the ground beef into bite-sized pieces and infuses it with onion flavor.
  2. Use ketchup as sauce base – ketchup serves as a great base with its smooth texture and sweet vinegar-y flavor.
  3. Use brown sugar to sweeten – brown sugar softens the acidity from the tomatoes and gives the sauce a subtle sweetness.
  4. Cook sloppy joes on either low or high – if you’ve got extra time, I highly recommend cooking the sauce on low 3-4 hours for the best flavor. You can also cook it on high 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these sloppy joes.

  • Make it spicy – used smoked paprika or add your favorite hot sauce to taste for a spicy version.
  • Use a different meat – try using ground turkey, chicken, or pork in place of the beef.
  • Add a slaw or pickles – top sandwiches with a creamy slaw or dill pickle slices for an extra-loaded sandwich.

Stovetop Version

You can easily convert this recipe to a stovetop version instead of slow cooker! It won’t have quite as much flavor, but it will still be delicious.

Follow step 1 of browning the ground beef, drain grease, and add remaining ingredients to pan. Allow sloppy joe sauce to simmer over medium heat 5-10 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened.

These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

I never would have thought that sloppy joes could be a top-tier dinner, but here we are. The beef is SO incredibly tender and absolutely smothered in all that incredible brown sugar tomato sauce.

You’ve got a new dinner favorite staring ya straight in the face.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

More slow cooker dinner favorites!

These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.
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5 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

These slow cooker sloppy joes are cooked low and slow resulting in perfectly tender beef and a super flavorful tomato sauce.

This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 150kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • Buns for serving

Instructions

  • Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion and season with salt and pepper. Brown over medium-high heat, breaking up beef until no longer pink. Drain grease from pan and discard.
  • Combine ground beef/onions, garlic, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, tomato paste, ketchup, paprika, and chili powder in a slow cooker.
  • Cook sloppy joes on low heat 3-4 hours or on high 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed and serve warm over buns. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing Instructions
Store sloppy joe sauce in refrigerator up to 6 days. Sauce may also be frozen up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 4 oz sloppy joe sauce (calculated without buns) | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.2g | Protein: 8.2g | Fat: 4.5g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 17.5g | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below. Feel free to share a picture on Instagram and tag @wholeandheavenlyoven or hashtag it #wholeandheavenlyoven

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 10/3/24.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Louisa [Living Lou] says

    I love sloppy joes! It’s been ages since I’ve had one and I’ve never made them in the slow cooker, I think I’ll have to give this a try. I just got a new slow cooker, so it will be the best inaugural recipe!

    Reply

  7. Danielle says

    I’ve tried my hand at homemade sloppy joes and it’s never been too great. I always resort back to Manwich #foodbloggerfail. But, the next time I make sloppy joes this recipe is going to be made!

    I really think the slower cooker does make everything better too, low and slow is the only way to go! Pinning 🙂

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Oh, I’ve totally been there. It took me a few tries to get this recipe right so I can sympathize with you! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these sloppy joes, Danielle! Thanks for the pin. 🙂

      Reply

  8. Tash says

    Can you believe I’ve NEVER had a sloppy joe?! They just aren’t a thing over here in England…I’ve been craving one ever since I first watched “It takes two” (I was about 6?!) though!
    This looks so good!

    Reply

  10. Isadora says

    I don’t think I’ve ever made sloppy joes before and I don’t own a slow cooker! Two things that I need to change asap!! I think I always hated the idea of sloppy joes because they reminded me of school lunch, but now I don’t see why I ever hated them because these look amazing and I love all the flavors in them! I could definitely go for one of these as a midnight snack 🙂

    Reply

  14. LaVerta Morris says

    5 stars
    My granny used to shred a couple of carrots in her sloppy joes. Thy took some of the acid from the tomato sauce, added some natural sweetness, and stretched the dish like they had to do during the Depression. She also put about half Barbeque sauce and half tomato sauce in hers. YUMMY comfort food!

    Reply
5 from 2 votes

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