Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

These Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are easy to make and quick to throw together. The sauce and the meat slow cook to become a wonderful sweet and tangy mixture. Serve on your favorite buns!

I’ve mentioned before on the blog that we celebrate birthdays with the birthday person choosing their meals for the day.  Typically, when the girls were younger, breakfast and dinner were made at home and lunch was out at their favorite restaurant.  These days, it varies as they are both adults but we still stick to at least dinner out with family and friends.

My husband and I have our favorites for these at home birthday meals – I enjoy someone cooking me breakfast (I love all breakfast foods so it’s easy) and then dinner I definitely choose to go out! My husband is very easy – his favorite dinner to have on his birthday is Sloppy Joes and Tator Tots.  He’s a simple man. Over the years, I’ve migrated him from the canned Sloppy Joe sauces to my own slow-cooked recipe for his favorite sandwich.

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

These Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe sandwiches are scrumptious, tangy, sweet, hearty, and satisfying and will take you back to your childhood. One thing I like is that I always have every ingredient on hand for the meat filling.  Another is that it makes enough for our dinner and then lunch or dinner the next day.  

I think the BEST feature of these retro sandwiches is that you make them in the crockpot! You do have to brown the ground beef and saute the onion on the stove, but if you have this slow cooker you don’t have to dirty a frying pan! I will admit I tend to forget I can brown the meat in mine and use a skillet. 

Growing up we called the sandwiches steamers or Manwich. Whether you call them steamers, sloppy joes, or loose meat sandwiches, they are good. Plus, this recipe can be easily doubled to feed a crowd!

Easy sandwich recipes are perfect to have ready for dinner when life gets busy. We also love these Buffalo Turkey Sandwiches and Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches – both made in the slow cooker!

What to Serve with Sloppy Joes

We like to serve the sloppy joe mixture on toasted buns, with or without a slice of cheese. Plus, Tator Tots are a must for us. However, creamy coleslaw goes well, too. Of course, pickles and potato chips are an easy second favorite to serve alongside these sandwiches. We also enjoy this healthier mac and cheese as a side.

Do I have to Brown the Ground Beef First?

For best results, yes, you do have to brown the ground beef first. Browning the beef first gives it a beefy caramelized flavor. It’s also a good idea to use lean ground beef and to drain off any excess fat before adding the sauce ingredients.

Can I use Ground Turkey or Chicken?

Yes, you can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey or chicken. Just be sure it’s lean meat. For a meatless version, use your favorite brand of meatless crumbles.

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Ingredients

• lean ground beef
• small onion
• tomato sauce
• garlic
• ketchup
• apple cider vinegar
• yellow mustard
• Worcestershire sauce
• water
• brown sugar
• chili powder
• flour
• salt & pepper
• Sandwich Buns

Directions

Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and brown the ground beef. When it’s nearly done, add the finely diced onion. Cook a few minutes more, until the onion is softened. Drain excess grease.

In your crockpot, add the tomato sauce, minced garlic, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, water, brown sugar, chili powder, and flour. Whisk till smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add the cooked ground beef mixture to the crockpot and give it all a good stir.

Cover and let it cook for 4 – 5 hours on low. Spoon filling onto sandwich buns and serve!

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

These Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are easy to make and quick to throw together. The sauce and the meat slow cook to become a wonderful sweet and tangy mixture.

4.12 from 17 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crock pot, manwich, sloppy joes, Slow cooker, slow cooker sloppy joes, steamers

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 391kcal

Author: Lisa Kerhin

Equipment

• slow cooker
• skillet

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 clove garlic minced
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup brown sugar packed
• 1 tablespoo chili powder
• ¼ cup flour
• salt & pepper to taste
• 8 Sandwich Buns

Instructions

• Spray your crockpot with non-stick spray. This will help with clean-up.
• In a large pan, brown the ground beef and when it’s nearly done, add the finely diced onion. Cook a few minutes more, until the onion is softened. Drain excess grease. I find when I use Laura’s Lean Ground Beef, I don’t need to drain the meat, but it’s your choice.
• In your crockpot, add the tomato sauce, minced garlic, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, Worchestershire sauce, water, brown sugar, chili powder, and flour. Whisk till smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Add the cooked ground beef mixture to the crockpot and give it all a good stir.
• Cover and let it cook for 4 – 5 hours on low.
• Spoon filling onto sandwich buns and serve!

Notes

Toast your buns and add a slice of cheese, if desired.

Can substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.

Nutrition

Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Tried this recipe?I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this one! I hope you try it, enjoy it, comment and rate it, and share it with your friends and family!

Enjoy these Recipes to Celebrate #NationalSlowCookerMonth!

• Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes from Jen Around the World
• Slow Cooker Rajmafrom Magical Ingredients
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos from Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
• Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes from Blogghetti
• Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich with Au Jus from The Spiffy Cookie
• Cream Cheese and Potato Chowder from Palatable Pastime
• Terriyaki Ribs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken from The Fresh Cooky
• Slow Cooker Italian Sunday Gravy from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Crockpot Cheddar Broccoli Soup from Life Love and Good Food
• Easy Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole from Devour Dinner
• Dutch Oven or Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs from Art of Natural Living
• Slow Cooker Spaghetti from Our Good Life

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