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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

My Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are the perfect meal to make for a crowd. Brown the burger on the stove and toss the rest into the slow cooker and let it work its magic.

Sloppy Joes in the slow cooker

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

I grew up on sloppy joes and they have become one of my go-to recipes when I need to feed a crowd. They are filling, hearty, and when done right sloppy joes are totally delicious.

You can throw these slow cooker sloppy joes together in 10 minutes, leave them in your crock pot for a few hours, and *poof*! You can have enough food to feed an army.

It took me a long time fine tune this sloppy joe recipe. There are so many ways to customize these, but this one is what we finally settled on. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and savory.

How to make crock pot sloppy joes

Start by heating up a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Put in your chopped celery and onion with it. You will notice in this photo a lack of onion. I ran out! I substituted dried onion and some extra onion powder. Season your beef while it’s cooking with some salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and onion powder.

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes from OrWhateverYouDo.com

While your beef is browning, toss all the other ingredients, except for the water, into your slow cooker.

slow cooker sloppy joes

Make sure you get the beef good and brown. There’s nothing worse than grey beef.

Toss the browned beef into the slow cooker. Stir it up and add in some water to thin down the sauce a bit. 

slow cooker sloppy joes

Cook the joes in a slow cooker for several hours. Serve on buns. I like to serve them with typical picnic sides, potato salad, pasta salad, potato chips, etc. Homemade mac and cheese would go well with this also! 

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes from OrWhateverYouDo.com

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Sloppy Joes in the slow cooker

Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Sweet, tangy, and juicy sloppy joes for the next time you need a dose of down-home cooking.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Ground beef
  • 2 stalks Celery, chopped
  • 1 medium Onion, chopped
  • 1 - 8 oz can Tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup Ketchup
  • 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 TBSP Brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Dry mustard
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire
  • 1 TBSP Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 - 2 cups Water

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef with onions and celery. Season with salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and onion powder. Drain excess fat.
  2. Add all other ingredients except water into crock pot. Place cooked ground beef/celery/onion mixture into crock pot and stir.
  3. Add enough water to thin out sauce a bit and give it some room to thicken during cooking time. 1 - 2 cups should be plenty. The less time you'll be cooking it, the less water you should add and vice-versa.
  4. Cook on high for 2 hours, medium for 3-4, or low for 5-6.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 21g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!

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Nicole Johnson
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Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.

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Nicole@HeatOvenTo350

Wednesday 22nd of February 2012

I love a good sloppy joe, and I love using my crock pot. I'll have to try this version out. The BBQ sauce in it sounds wonderful.

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