Skip the can with these homemade Crock Pot Sloppy Joes! Ground beef, tomato sauce and delicious seasonings make the best sloppy joes!
HOMEMADE CROCK POT SLOPPY JOES
Is there any food better than the food from our childhood? I bet all of us can name at least 5 foods that we ate as a kid that we will always love and remember. This is definitely one of them for me! Now, I don't have any problem with good ole Manwich in a can. I like it. But it's kinda like spaghetti sauce. Sometimes you want to make it up from scratch when you have time.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SLOPPY JOES:
- Leftovers can be frozen to re-heat later.
- The flavors really develop as this simmers gently in the crock pot but it can be made on the stovetop. Brown ground beef and onion in a large pot. Drain excess grease and return beef mixture to pot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (omit the flour.) Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
ground beef
onion
tomato sauce
ketchup
water
light brown sugar
all-purpose flour
chili powder
garlic powder
apple cider vinegar
yellow mustard
Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
American cheese (optional)
hamburger buns
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT SLOPPY JOES:
Put cooked ground beef mixture into your slow cooker. Add in the rest of your ingredients (except cheese and hamburger buns, obviously) 😉
Give it all a good stir. Cover and cook on low for about 4-6 hours.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
CHEESY BBQ SLOPPY JOES
CROCK POT TACO JOES
SLOPPY JOE CUPS
EASY ITALIAN-STYLE SLOPPY JOES
CROCK POT SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE
MAID RITE SLIDERS WITH CHEESE
CROCK POT SLOPPY JOES
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 8 slices cheese (optional)
- 8 hamburger Buns toasted
Instructions
- In a large pan, brown ground beef with chopped onion.
- Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- Put ground beef mixture into your slow cooker.
- Add in the rest of your ingredients (except hamburger buns and cheese)
- Give it all a good stir.
- Cover and cook on low for about 4-6 hours.
- When ready to serve, place filling on buns.
Video
Notes
Then put in the buns and toast until golden brown.
Nutrition
Originally posted: September 2012
Updated & republished: December 2018
Debra Black
My family loved these. They are so much better than what I grew up with out of the can.
This is a keeper. Thank you for sharing!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
That makes me so happy!! Thank you Debra!!
Kim McCormick
This is one of our family’s favorite recipes! Thank you so much for sharing it.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
So happy hearing that! Thanks so much Kim!
Tracey
Huge hit! Soooo much better than out of the can.
Added 1 cup of beef stock and red pepper flakes.
Jen Miller
So, so good - thank you!!
Sandy
I see there is flour in this but it says only add if in crock pot & not on stovetop. Is the reason you add flour to the crockpot version is to help it thicken & to cook down so not runny ?? I'd love an answer because I'd like to try, hopefully for Labor Day. We like a thicker sloppy Joe :)) thanks so much 🙂
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Sandy - that's exactly right! Hope you love it!
Dee
Best sloppy joe I've had to date. Just the right amount of spice and sweetness. Great balance of saucy but still has the "sloppy" part. This is a keeper in my home!!!!!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo! Love hearing that Dee!! Thank you SO much!
Jennifer
Cider vinegar is listed as in ingredient. Is that apple cider vinegar? I just wanted to make sure.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Jennifer, you are correct! 🙂
Amanda
I made the sauce and then realized it was for 2 lbs of ground beef instead of 1 lb (which I have). Can I keep the extra sauce in the fridge for awhile?
Ashlee
This was SO good! Our new favorite!
Heather
Have made this for just me and have doubled for extra leftovers. I've also uses shredded mozzarella cheese and is yummy that way ad well. I love cheese and to me it tastes better with mozzarella. Not saying that the other way isn't good as I did like it.
Sindy Peña
I recently found your blog and I have to say, everything I've found so far always looks so, so, yummy!! I tried your baked ziti recipe that was really good and easy to make. This one looks like a must try too. I love sloppy joe and haven't had it in a while so I may just have to make this soon. Thanks for sharing
Beverly
My hubby will LOVE this. I'll be using ground venison, which will make him love it even more. I do like the thought of using ground turkey or chicken option as well. Thanks for the recipe! Great website, by the way. I recently started getting your emails with the weekly meal plan and am enjoying them very much.
Tina
Can you use ground turkey instead of ground beef
Beth Snoke
Love, love this recipe. So tasty, hearty, and easy!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Love hearing that! Thanks so much Beth!
Ami
I always make this on the stove top. Even my picky eater 9 year old loves this dish.
Karen
Loved this recipe
Emily
This recipe is one of my favorites to make. I don't like Manwich because of all the onions and peppers, so I love that with this recipe I can control what I put in. Instead of a whole onion, I buy the frozen chopped onions and just sprinkle in a few of them. In my slow cooker, I've found that 6 hours is too long, so last time I made it I only did 4.5 hours and that was plenty long.
Melissa
My picky son loved this! I did as well. I had never done it in the crock pot and now I'll continue to do so. I quote my kid "Since it's called 'Sloppy Joes' I'm expected to be sloppy!"
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I like the way your boy thinks!! Ha! SO, so happy y'all loved it and thank you for letting me know!
Brittany
Do I have to use flour when making it in the crock pot? I dont have any so just curious
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Brittany! The flour just thickens it up a bit. You don't have to absolutely have it. It just won't be quite as thick is all. 🙂
Anonymous
I have never really liked Sloopy Jo's but after making several of your recipes I decided to try it and I am completely in love with this one! I would recommend it to anyone!
Judy Uhl
going to make this today w/o the vinegar, looks really good!
JoMarie Soden
These.were.AMAZING!!!!!!!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Yay! Thanks so much JoMarie!!
Tawnya
I am allergic to onions, so I am glad I found this recipe because I can not do the Manwhich stuff.. Thank you!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hope you love this one Tawnya!
Trisha Dust
I am making this for 30-35 people in a week. How much would you recommend making for this amount of people? Also, I will be making it the day before our event. Is this still good if reheated?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Trisha, this recipe will serve 8-10 people. So you would probably want to at least triple it. You can cut back the ground beef to about 1 1/2 pounds instead of the 2 pounds. That should help cut back on the cost a little for making so much of it.
Ashley Olsen
I was curious how many servings this recipe makes? I am planning on making this for my husband's birthday!
Thanks! Looks great 🙂
The Country Cook
Hi Ashley - this makes a good bit. I think it could easily serve 8-10 (depending on how generous your servings are 🙂 ~Brandie
Anonymous
My favorite part about your website it the picture of all the ingredients you use. Mainly because I buy mostly store brand items also. I thing most store brand items make a great dinner!! This recipe, along with 6 other recipes, will be on my menu for this week!
Karen
Just made this recipe today and OMG, DELICIOUS! Love your website and all your yummy recipes. I'm going to try out a few more in the next week and can't wait! 😀
Carrie
I made these for our pot luck Christmas lunch at work. I cooked my meat and mixed it all at the house, and then when I got to work, I just plugged it in and let it cook while I worked. EVERYONE on the floor was yelling out, "WHAT IT THAT I SMELL?! IT SMELLS SOOOOOO GOOD!" I got as many compliments of the taste as I did the smell. It was excellent! I'll never do a "can" sloppy joe ever again.
Melissa
My 5 yo breaks out in a really bad rash anytime I've made sloppy joe's using Manwich. I'll give this a try. What is the flour for? To thicken it up?
Debra Kapellakis
mmmmm...
Annie {From the Bookshelf}
Looks great! Love my slow cooker! Even in the summer!
The Better Baker
What a great meal....especially with that melted cheese on top. YUUUUMMMM! I'm glad to see a picture of your hubby too....being a visual person, I like knowing what folks look like. What a gorgeous family you are! Thanks for sharing another family favorite...have a yummy day Friend. XO
Kim Bee
I love sloppy joes. We ate them all the time as kids. Just such a fun meal.
Catherine Denton
I'd put meat to thaw for Sloppy Joe's tonight; it's like you read my mind. Checking out your recipe now.
Catherine Denton
kale
I am really starting to feel like I need a slow cooker...
Crystal
Thank you so very much for this recipe. It was a hit at out church potluck!
kellisretrokitchenarts
I'm going to make these this week! I think my husband, Mr. Picky-Eater, must have been in your family some how because he loves Kraft Cheese Singles!! He WILL NOT eat anything else.....and he puts it on every thing. In other words, he puts a Single on every single thing! : ) Love you and all your recipes!! Congrats on 10,000 likers/followers etc..
Jackie @Syrup and Biscuits
Sloppy Joes are still a favorite of mine. I don't think I've ever met a person who was unfamiliar with Sloppy Joes. Great adaptation for the crockpot!