Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are a grown up version of your childhood favorite.
Do you have certain childhood food memories? Certain foods that remind you of growing up and dinner time as a kid? Sloppy Joes is one of those for me. So when I had kids I assumed my children would also love them. I was wrong. So for many years I was deprived of one of my favorite childhood foods. But now that Jim and I are empty nesters, bring on the slow cooker sloppy joes!
My mom’s version included hamburger and the sloppy joe seasoning mix from the store that comes in the little envelope. But my slow cooker sloppy joe recipe is a bit more sophisticated. But it still has that familiar sloppy joe tang. I think you will love it and I think your kids will love it too.
Instead of hamburger I used a chuck roast and I cooked it in the slow cooker. And I added in a few carrots and green peppers which gives the sloppy joe some extra flavor and texture. Yum! They are just as sloppy as my childhood version but I love the flavor and texture so much better.
In addition to the traditional ketchup I add in a can of tomato paste to thicken the mixture up a bit. The sweetness of the sloppy joe comes from some brown sugar and the tang from worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard and some apple cider vinegar.
Cut up your chuck roast into one inch pieces and combine it in your slow cooker with everything else. I like to cook it on high for about 5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. You want the meat to be nice and tender and easy to pull apart with a fork.
After I shred the meat in the slow cooker, I let it cook for another 30 minutes or so until it thickens up a bit. You may still need to drain off a little juice.
Sloppy Joes earn their name. They can be a bit sloppy to eat. I actually prefer to eat mine as an open face sandwich and use a knife and fork!
Check out more of my family favorite recipes:
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless chuck roast
- 1 C onions chopped
- 1 C carrots diced
- 1 C green pepper diced
- 2 tsp fresh garlic minced
- 1 1/2 C ketchup
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1/3 C dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsps Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 Tbsps. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Cut roast into 1 - 1 1/2 inch pieces.
- Combine onions, garlic, ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar
- Place roast, carrots and green peppers into slow cooker.
- Pour sauce mixture over the top and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 6-8 or until meat shreds easily.
- After shredding meat allow to sit and thicken in the slow cooker for 30 minutes or so.
Nutrition
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Patrick
February 24, 2015 at 4:17 amIt looks delicious, I plan to try it out this weekend. But I think you accidentally swapped the high and low cooking times in your instructions.
Dawn
February 26, 2015 at 6:07 pmThanks for the recipe! Made this today and we all loved it! I did however take out about 1 cup of the sauce before I put the shredded beef back into the crock pot. It just would of been too soupy.
Fyi – In the instructions you wrote…. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 6-8 or until meat shreds easily. (high for 5 hours or low for 6-8)
Sue
March 5, 2015 at 12:37 pmHi! I’m trying this tonight and it smells wonderful! But as I was looking at the pictures, I saw a can of tomato paste, but it wasn’t listed in the recipe. Maybe that’s why Dawn’s was too soupy?
Leigh Anne
March 5, 2015 at 1:29 pmYOu are right Sue – there should be a small can of tomato paste in the list of ingredients. So sorry about that!!!
Linda Bradshaw
March 8, 2015 at 8:36 pmI am drooling! I wish I had this right now!
Catherine
April 1, 2018 at 8:42 amHi! I made this today, and my fiancee noticed that I forgot to put the can of tomato paste in. It’s listed in the ingredients, but not in the instructions.
Leigh Anne
April 23, 2018 at 11:09 amCatherine, Thanks for the heads up, I’ve got it fixed
Charlotte
March 10, 2019 at 3:03 pmThank you, Leigh Anne, for taking the time to provide such wonderful meal plans for your readers! I have learned so much from you over the years, and have made some great meals thanks to you! You’re truly a blessing.