Busy weeknights and even busier weekends call for these easy, hearty Instant Pot Sloppy Joes!
Forget the cans of Manwich; make your own using seasoned ground beef with tasty veggies cooked in a zesty tomato sauce!
Easy Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
- Sloppy joes are timeless, crowd-pleasing loose meat sandwiches made easy in the Instant Pot.
- ‘Tidy Josephs’ are a kid-friendly variation with filling inside hollowed-out dinner rolls (which means less mess!)
- Use up leftovers for sloppy joes like meat & veggies, then adjust seasonings to taste.
- They are a budget-friendly recipe, great for freezing and adding to spaghetti sauce or chili.
Ingredients and Variations
Meat – Fresh or frozen ground beef can be used (for frozen, add a few minutes to Step 2). Other combinations can include ground beef and sausage, or ground chicken and turkey. For a meatless meal, use a can of drained black beans or lentils.
Sauce – Use condiments that are likely already in the pantry and increase the chili powder to add more spice, if desired. Brown sugar can be switched out for any sugar-free sweetener by referring to the package conversions. Low-sodium broth and sugar-free ketchup will make sloppy joes a little healthier without sacrificing flavor!
Vegetables – Besides bell peppers and celery, this is a great recipe for using up leftover veggies or sneaking in healthy veggies the kids won’t notice like shredded zucchini and carrots, diced sweet potatoes, or even chopped kale.
How to Make Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
- Prepare the sauce (as directed in the recipe below) and set aside.
- Saute ground beef and garlic and drain the fat. Add celery, peppers, and onion.
- Add sauce mixture and beef broth and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Whisk water and cornstarch together, add to the Instant Pot, & cook until the sauce is thick.
- Stir and serve on buns.
What Goes with Sloppy Joes?
Serve versatile sloppy joes on toasted hamburger buns, open-faced on garlic cheese toast, or scoop some onto a bed of greens for a low-carb, high-protein salad! Add some sweet potato fries and a crispy green salad, and dinner is ready!
Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat
Keep leftover sloppy joe meat in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave or on the stovetop. Freeze in zippered bags for up to a month and thaw overnight in the refrigerator until ready to reheat.
More Instant Pot Meals
Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- ½ green bell pepper finely diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 can condensed tomato soup 10.75 oz
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on to saute. Heat the olive oil and add in onion and green pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add in ground beef and cook until brown, breaking it down while it cooks. Turn off the instant pot and drain any fat from the meat.
- In a small bowl stir together the tomato soup and all the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the soup mixture over top of the beef. Do not stir.
- Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release when the timer is up.
- Give everything a stir and serve on buns.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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I made this is my 3qt. mini instant pot and it turn out great! I added 1/4 cup of celery. So easy and fast to put together!
Thank you so much for leaving a comment Cathy, glad you liked it! 😀
I really like this recipe, but I have a question. Did the recipe change? I remember it having tomato paste and broth (which I see it referenced), which is why I ask. I loved that one and if could be so bold as to ask for that recipe? It is a crowd pleaser. Thank you!
Hi Sarah, yes we did change the recipe. Here is the old recipe for you! 🙂
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup ketchup
2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2/3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions:
Turn on the Instant Pot to sauté. In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
Once the Instant Pot is hot, add ground beef and garlic. Cook until the meat starts to brown, then drain the fat.
Return the meat to the pot. Add celery, peppers, and onion. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Turn off the Instant Pot and add the ketchup mixture and beef broth.
Cook on manual high pressure for 7 minutes. When the timer is up, perform a quick release.
In a small bowl, mix together water and corn starch.
Turn the Instant Pot back on to sauté and add the corn starch mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Give everything a nice stir, then serve the mixture on buns.
Thanks for this!! My boys love the original recipe!!
This recipe is a big hit at my house! So easy and flavorful! I’ve started adding other veggies, like finely chopped mushrooms, and my pickier eater doesn’t even notice. This is my go-to every time!
Misread the recipe and mixed the stock with the ketchup mixture. I was a little nervous but it turned out perfect. No need for the cornstarch slurry.
I didn’t understand how to use the frozen beef. Do you pressure cook it frozen raw for 7 minutes then sauté and proceed with the recipe?
If you plan on using frozen meat, cook on manual high pressure for 7 minutes then quick release. Chop meat up with spatula (because it will be cooked in chucks) and place back under pressure to finish cooking for 7 minutes. Quick release when the time is up.
Anyone done with other colored bell peppers-I have no green but have yellow, orange, red
Hello, and thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe. My 12-year daughter is learning how to cook and wanted to try making Sloppy Joes and I found this recipe. She prepared and cooked the entire meal and it was fabulous! Will definitely make it again.
If I use 3lbs of turkey meat do I times the ingredients by 3. Dumb question but I’m asking anyways.
Hi Lisa, yes if you want to triple the amount of meat in this recipe you should triple the other ingredients as well. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Followed directions exactly but got the burn notice: Anyone else get this?
I’m new to the Instant Pot. I’ve been making one dish after the other for the past 2 weeks. This is by far the best dish I’ve made yet. Thank you! I used pure maple syrup instead of the sugar.
This was great, sometimes you’re in the mood for this kind of thing, I was impressed.
Great recipe…loved it!
Hi Ashley, Many thanks for a really excellent Sloppy Joe recipe! I didn’t change a thing. Our buns of choice were Brioche Buns from our local Holiday Market, very soft and fluffy. Wonderful!
Made this tonight in a pinch! Let me say it was absolutely delicious! We don’t like peppers or celery so left them out. I Substituted A1 sauce for Worcestershire because we didn’t have any and still came out great. Will definitely make this again and will add into our dinner rotation!
My instant pot registered Burn before it was way before 7 minutes on pressure and actually when I did the release there wasn’t any pressure to release? And indeed it was burning on the bottom. I had added extra water to the recipe because I sensed this might happen! Also too much sauce for the meat so I had to add an extra pound of ground beef.
I made Sloppy Joe’s using this recipe for the second time last night. We LOVED it! The only thing I left out was the celery. Otherwise it was exactly as written. When I was growing up my mom always used the packet mix to make them for us. This is SO much better. It’s really easy and it doesn’t take long to do it once all the veggie chopping is done. Thanks for the recipe!
Coming from someone who is new to the instant pot and is trying this recipe for the first time, you could have put in the recipe when cooking from frozen, don’t just put the frozen ground beef in the instant pot and turn it on manual high for 7 minutes. You have to put water in and use the trivet. I was following your recipe exactly and guess what, I burned the meat. I’m hoping to be able to salvage this dinner.
This was the best Sloppy Joe recipe I have ever made!!!!! It came out perfect and tasted like it simmered for hours. The flavors melded together perfectly. I just left out the green peppers as I did not have them in hand. My husband who is a poor eater are 2. Thank you for great recipe😊
I made this with ground turkey and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. Delicious! Shared the recipe with friends who said the same. Thank you!
I was looking for something to make in our new instant pot and came across this recipe thanks to Google. I haven’t had Sloppy Joes in years and was pleasantly surprised how good this was. I’m always looking for something new to try; you get tired of eating the same meals.The recipe was easy to follow, quick to make, and quite tasty! I would definitely make this again.
This turned out so well. Absolutely delicious! I planned to use a packet with tomato paste for my Sloppy Joes. I didn’t have a packet so I usd this recipe. So much better than the packet! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you liked it Marilyn! Thank you so much for commenting!
This is a great recipe for Sloppy Joes. Perfect balance between and sour. I’ll be making this again.
I also made your Goulash recipe. It’s excellent too.
Thanks.
I would like to make this for a party but would have to 4x’sthe recipe. Would the cooking time be the same?
Yes, your pot will just take a little longer to come to pressure. 🙂
Hi! My family loves this recipe! Quick question (I’m relatively new to the instant pot world)….if I were to double or triple the beef in this recipe, do I do that for all the other ingredients as well?
Thanks!
I haven’t done it personally, but I would think you would be able to just double the beef without the other ingredients. 🙂
this makes a yummy sloppy joe!! There is not much I would change in this recipe except to add a bit of crushed red pepper.
In fact, I love this recipe so much I’m trying to figure out how I can make it in bulk and can it (using a proper pressure canner, not IP). I think if I stop at step 3, mix everything together then proceed with canning, the meat will cook during canning.
All of fhese recipes look really, really good! Thank you so much. Can’t wait to try them.
Good recipe! I love my Instant Pot and all the great recipes on Pinterest. Thanks from cantstopcooking.
This sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
I made these tonite – and while hubby who is not “instant pottied” yet came through the kitchen and miffed at all of the ingredients – – it was delicious!! And we served on rolls and shredded cheddar and a little Mozzarella cheese topped under the broiler for a couple of mins. Definitely a keeper. Thank you for the recipe.
Made this last night. Took longer than expected but that was a user error since it was the first time using the pressure cooker. Anyway, it came out great. The whole family liked it and the 2yo kept saying “more more!” There’s no leftovers! I didn’t need to thicken the sauce at the end. Again, could be user error, but the sauce was perfect so i didn’t bother.
Can you do this in a slow cooker?
Hi Ashley, yes you can cook this in a slow cooker but you would have to do steps 1 & 2 on the stovetop before adding everything to the slow cooker.
My husband loved loved loved it! He loves sloppy Joe so he knows a good recipe, I didn’t even plan on this recipe for tonight’s dinner but had almost everything in the house! Definitely making again and again! Yum!!
Am looking forward to trying this recipe! My Mom’s recipe used some celery seed, going throw it in!
I made this for dinner tonight. Doubled the recipe, so I made a couple of adjustments. No worcestershire sauce, so I used soy sauce and only two tablespooms for the double batch, cut back 1 tablespoon of mustard. It was delicious. So much better than that Manwich crap.