Crock Pot Sloppy Joes are an easy family dinner made with ground beef, onion, red bell pepper, and a homemade sweet and tangy sloppy joe sauce. The beef mixture cooks low and slow until everything is hot, saucy, and ready to pile onto soft buns.
I love making sloppy joes in the Crock Pot when I need an easy dinner that can feed everyone without a lot of work. I can get everything into the slow cooker earlier in the day, and by dinnertime all I need to do is set out the buns and let everyone make their own sandwich.
Why I Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients ⭐
- Ground Beef: Brown and drain the beef before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Onion & Red Bell Pepper: Finely chop them so they soften as the sloppy joes cook.
- Ketchup: Creates the tomato base for the homemade sloppy joe sauce.
- Brown Sugar & Yellow Mustard: Add the classic sweet and tangy flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds savory flavor to the sauce.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika season the beef.
- Buns: Use your favorite soft hamburger buns or rolls for serving.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
Brown the Beef: Cook the ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain the excess grease and transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
Add the Ingredients: Add the onion, red bell pepper, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir until combined.
Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours.
Serve: Stir the sloppy joe mixture and spoon it onto buns or rolls.
Tips I Found Helpful
- Drain the Beef: Drain the excess grease before adding the beef to the slow cooker.
- Chop the Veggies Small: Finely chopped onion and pepper will soften and blend into the sauce.
- Thicken if Needed: If the mixture is too thin, remove the lid near the end of cooking.
- For Parties: Keep the finished sloppy joes on the Warm setting until ready to serve.
Questions Readers Ask Most
More Slow Cooker Recipes I Love
Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
Crock Pot Sloppy Joes are an easy family dinner made with ground beef, onion, red bell pepper, and a homemade sweet and tangy sloppy joe sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Buns or rolls for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease and transfer the cooked beef to the slow cooker.
Add the finely chopped onion and red bell pepper to the slow cooker with the beef.
Add the ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
Stir until everything is well combined and the ground beef is evenly coated with the sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours.
When the cooking time is complete, stir the sloppy joe mixture well.
Spoon the warm sloppy joe filling onto buns or rolls and serve.
Notes
Brown and drain the ground beef before adding it to the slow cooker to prevent the sloppy joe mixture from becoming greasy.
Finely chop the onion and red bell pepper so they soften and blend into the sauce as they cook.
There is no need to stir during cooking. Keep the slow cooker covered and give everything a good stir before serving.
If the sloppy joe mixture is thinner than you prefer, remove the lid near the end of cooking and allow some of the excess moisture to evaporate.
For parties or gatherings, keep the finished sloppy joes on the Warm setting until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 447mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 32g
