Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
A saucy sloppy joe is a satisfying sandwich to sit down with, especially when the filling is warm and tangy. The beef and vegetables soften together in their sweet tomato sauce. Spoon it over a bun and enjoy a familiar dinner with plenty of sauce.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 195 min
- Total
- 205 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Brown before transferring
Cook the ground beef, onion and pepper until the meat browns and onion turns translucent before moving the mixture to the cooker.
2. Keep the cooker on low
The directions advise low heat because the sauce's sugars can burn on high during the three-to-four-hour cooking stage.
3. Taste the cooked filling
Check the seasoning once the vegetables are tender and the sauce has cooked together, then adjust before filling buns.
Get to know the ingredients
Lean ground beef
Brown the lean beef with the vegetables first. Draining excess fat is optional in the directions before transferring to the slow cooker.
Vinegar choice
Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar are both listed. Add your choice with the sauce ingredients after browning the beef.
Garlic option
Use minced garlic or the listed half-teaspoon of garlic powder, adding it to the slow cooker with the sauce and seasonings.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Spoon over buns
Serve the seasoned filling over buns or as desired once its vegetables are tender and the sweet-tangy sauce has cooked together.
A little more help as you go
A smaller slow cooker
The recipe uses a three-to-four-quart slow cooker for the browned beef mixture and sauce ingredients during the low cooking stage.
Choose pepper color
Red or green bell pepper are both listed. Dice it before browning with the onion and beef in the skillet.
A few questions you might have
Can I use another ground meat?
You can swap the ground beef for another ground meat, keeping the skillet browning stage before slow cooking.
Can I adjust the vegetables?
You can leave out the onion or pepper, or change the vegetables to suit your preference.
Can I change the ketchup base?
You can reduce the ketchup or replace some with barbecue sauce or additional mustard, according to the flavor you prefer.
How long can leftovers stay refrigerated?
Keep the cooked sloppy joe filling in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can I freeze extra filling?
You can freeze the cooked sloppy joe filling for up to three months, useful for saving another portion.
Any more cooking tips?
Ingredients and Substitutions: Ground beef: you can swap the ground beef for any other ground meat. Vegetables: I like to add onion and bell pepper, but you can omit one or both of these or add in different vegetables according to your tastes. Ketchup: Yes, it’s a lot of ketchup, but I like my sloppy joes saucy and ketchup provides the perfect sweet and tangy base. You can reduce or swap with barbecue sauce or additional mustard if you prefer. Seasonings: feel free to increase or omit any of the seasonings according to your preferences. Storage You can refrigerate leftover sloppy joes up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
