Easy Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes Recipe
There is not a kid on the planet who wouldn’t clean their plates on sloppy joe night. The only thing that could make that better is an easy recipe. Our easy slow cooker sloppy joes recipe is not only easy but also cheap, and kids love ‘em.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe – There really is nothing to this recipe. The hardest part is mincing garlic.
- Cheap Meal – This recipe can be made very cheaply. You can splurge on better-quality ingredients if you want.
- Kids Love it – Parents know that cooking dinner isn’t the hard part; getting kids to clear their plates is another story.
Easy Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes Recipe
Make our easy slow cooker sloppy joes recipe for an easy dinner the whole family will enjoy, without breaking the bank. This dish came about exactly how you think it did.
A cook named Joe in Iowa apparently added a jar of tomato sauce to a sandwich they called the “loose meat” sandwich. Sounds like the tomato sauce was meant to cover up the flavor of the “loose meat.”
This, of course, is not a cover-up recipe. Instead, this is a flavorful recipe that includes ground beef, onions, and a sweet, delicious tomato sauce. It is simple, it is tasty, it is a sloppy joe, and this recipe gives options.
What is the Secret to a Good Sloppy Joe
Sure, we could get a can of sloppy joe mix from the local grocery store and mix it with ground beef to call it a day. However, those sloppy joes are not on the level of a true sloppy joe.
In fact, one of the top searched questions about sloppy joes is “how to make sloppy joe mix better.” The trick is to make it without a mix. This allows us to make ingredient customizations and use better-tasting ingredients to get the job done.
Don’t forget, those mixes are made cheaply to maximize profits. Why not use top-notch ingredients to increase flavor instead? Save the canned mix for when you have zero time.
Below, you’ll find a list of ingredients, along with why they’re here and whether they can be customized.
Easy Sloppy Joes Ingredients
- Ground Beef – Ground beef is the star of the show. However, you can swap this out for ground turkey, ground chicken, or any sort of plant-based ground meat.
- Onion – The onion adds some flavor to the dish, though it is not an essential ingredient. Feel free to leave out if you aren’t a fan of onions.
- Green Pepper – Green pepper adds some flavor, but not much. They are here for moisture, flavor, and color.
- Garlic – Garlic adds spice and flavor to the mix; this should not be removed or adjusted in any way. Points to those who mince their own garlic. Those who don’t might want to double up.
- Ketchup – Ketchup is the base of the sloppy joe sauce. It is important, however, that flavored ketchups are available. Imagine ghost pepper ketchup and sloppy joes.
- Brown Sugar – Here is where all of the sweetness comes from in this recipe. Brown sugar should not be adjusted in any way.
- Ground Mustard – Mustard adds a tanginess to the sauce. It isn’t very obviousbut it is there. You can replace ground mustard with Dijon or regular mustard, just increase the amount by a full teaspoon.
- Worcestershire Sauce – The secret weapon in this recipe. We want to find a balance between sweet and tangy; this tips the scale in the right direction.
- Tomato Sauce – We already have ketchup, but ketchup isn’t just tomato sauce.
- Hamburger Buns – We like to use different types of bread with our sloppy joes. Feel free to use whichever type of hamburger buns you enjoy most.
How to Make Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- Brown ground beef with onion & bell pepper. Add garlic in the last couple of minutes of cooking. The meat does not need to cook all the way through since it will be going into the crockpot.
- Spray the crockpot with cooking spray.
- Dump tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, ground mustard, Worcestershire, and salt & pepper into the crockpot, whisking until combined.
- Add the meat mixture and stir it into the sauce.
- Turn on high for approximately 2 hours.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Easy Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Ground Beef
- 1/2 Cup Onion
- 1 Green Pepper or Pepper of Your Choice, Diced
- 1 Tsp Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Ground Mustard
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 15 Oz Tomato Sauce
- Brioche or Hamburger Buns
Instructions
- Brown ground beef with onion & bell pepper. Add garlic the last couple minutes of cooking. The meat does not need to cook all the way through since it will be going into the crockpot.
- Spray crockpot with cooking spray.
- Dump tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, ground mustard, Worcestershire, and salt & pepper to crockpot and whisk until combined.
- Add meat mixture and mix it up with sauce.
- Turn on high for approximately 2 hours.
- Serve and Enjoy!
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