Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
 this classic sandwich is perfect for large crowds or just one on game day or any night of the week!
(Affiliate links are provided for your convenience. These are products I use and/or recommend. If you make a purchase we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog. See full disclosure here.)
Whether you are looking for something delicious, yet easy for game day, or a yummy AND healthy-ish no-fuss dinner, these Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes have you covered!
Now I could also say that you can make this classic sandwich in just one pot too, (or slow cooker) too. Which, of course, you can.
But the one or two additional steps I’ve added give these sloppy joes SO much more flavor. It’s definitely worth the few extra minutes to do them.
To get started let’s pull out that crockpot or slow cooker that’s hiding WAY in the back of your kitchen cupboard!
Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone it’s collected a bit more dust than usual. After all, there are plenty of new appliances out there to take their place. Am I right? ( I see you Mr. Airfryer)
 seriously, your slow cooker is still your best friend and I’m going to show you how with today’s recipe!
But before I do let’s get started with those one or two quick steps I was talking about.
what you’ll need for slow cooker sloppy joes(besides the slow-cooker)
- Medium fry pan
- Hamburger (lean ground beef)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Ketchup
- Barbecue Sauce
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Dry Mustard
- Tomato sauce
- Brown Sugar
how to make sloppy joes
- Saute the onions and celery until slightly tender. (About 3-4 minutes). Then add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. ***This will release the flavor of the onions and garlic and add SO much more to the sloppy joes!
2. Spoon the veggies and garlic into the crockpot and add the ground beef to the pan. You don’t need to cook the ground beef completely. Just brown it up and then drain off any excess grease and place it in the slow cooker too!
That’s it for the two steps! See I told you it wouldn’t take long! But now you’ll have that ‘extra’ flavor AND you won’t have all that ‘extra’ grease! YUCK! Who wants that in their sloppy joes?
Now all you have to do is throw all the rest of your ingredients into that slow cooker-turn it to low and W-A-L-K A-W-A-Y!
Go read a book. Or go for a walk. Take a long bath or do your nails.
Whatever you do. DON’T OPEN THE LID ON YOUR SLOW COOKER! Just let all that yumminess simmer slowly.
Then pile all that yummy goodness onto your favorite bun and serve it alone with chips, homemade fries, or even a salad! Oh, and don’t forget a pickle! And a fork. Cause you’re going to need one. I guarantee it.
They don’t call these “Sloppy” Joes for nothin’!
Our favorite bun choices- Kaiser Rolls, Brioche Buns, Pretzel Buns,
Here’s the full recipe!
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Ground Beef, onion, garlic, & seasonings in a zesty sauce slow-cooked to perfection!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14.5 ounce tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Barbecue Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
-
Add olive oil to a medium saute pan. Add in celery and onion. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic. Saute for 1 minute more. Spoon mixture into slow cooker. Place ground beef in saute pan (no need to wash). Cook over medium-low heat until meat is browned. Drain off excess grease. Spoon the ground beef into the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir until well combined. Turn the slow cooker onto low and let cook for 4-6 hours. Serve hot on buns.
Recipe Notes
We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site. Nutritional information is approximate only.
These sloppy joe sandwiches are perfect for the BIG game day. If you plan on having a big crowd (probably not this year) you could definitely double or even triple the recipe. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and this recipe freezes VERY well too!
I also like to make them for those busy weeknights when I just don’t have a lot of time to cook. I will usually make them the night before and then just warm them up.
Or if you’re short on time you could cook this recipe on the stove as well. Just make sure you have at least 30 minutes of simmering time.
Looking for more slow cooker beef recipes?
SHOP THIS POST
Thank you so much for stopping by!
I can’t wait to try this recipe, Christine! Every time I make sloppy joes they turn out kind of mushy but I don’t put celery in mine so I’m definitely going to try it and increase the beef too. Thanks for making it so easy to follow. Hugs, CoCo
So funny! My mom got an air fryer for Christmas and she said she’d still much rather use her slow cooker! So the air fryer will be the one collecting dust in her house. haha!
I try to use my slow cooker as much as possible! And I’ll definitely be using it to make these! I got so sick of store-bought sloppy joes so we quit eating them. But this recipe sounds amazing! Pinning!
Thank you so much, CoCo! I hope you enjoy the recipe! The celery does wonders and the longer it cooks the better it tastes!
LOL! Now that’s funny, Michelle! I seriously don’t know what I would do without either one of those appliances! I use both ALL the time! I hope you enjoy the sloppy joes! They are so easy and one of my go-to weeknight dinners! Thank you so much for sharing!