Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

• 680 glean minced beef (85–93% lean recommended)
• 454 gpork sausage
• 75 gonion, chopped
• 3–5 clovesgarlic, finely minced
• 1 smallgreen pepper, deseeded and finely diced (or red pepper)
• 425 gtinned tomato sauce
• 120 mlketchup
• 120 mlbarbecue sauce
• 50 g, packedlight brown sugar
• 30 mlcider vinegar
• 30 mlyellow mustard (or Dijon mustard)
• 15 mlWorcestershire sauce
• 2.5 g, or to tastesalt
• 1 g, or to tasteblack pepper
• 30 gtinned pickled jalapeño peppers, optional
• 170 g, divided or as desiredcheddar, grated
• To serveburger buns (or Texas toast, hot dog buns, or another bread)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the meat

   Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the minced beef and pork sausage and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it up and stirring until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain away some of the fat if you wish, or if there is a lot.

2. 2

   Soften vegetables

   Add the onion and pepper to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.

3. 3

   Cook the garlic

   Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

4. 4

   Choose stovetop

   To finish on the hob, add the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the cheese until melted.

5. 5

   Slow cook filling

   For the slow cooker, transfer the meat and vegetables to a 7–8-quart slow cooker; spray the base with cooking spray first if you want easier cleaning. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and optional jalapeños. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.

6. 6

   Add the cheese

   Stir about 1 cup of the cheese into the filling until melted, and add more on top of each sandwich if you like. Alternatively, leave the cheese out of the filling and sprinkle it over the sandwiches; stirring it in makes the result cheesier.

7. 7

   Build sandwiches

   Spoon the filling over burger buns, hot dog buns, Hawaiian rolls, Kaiser rolls or Texas toast. For a lower-carbohydrate serving, use butter lettuce or romaine leaves instead.

8. 8

   Store leftovers

   The recipe makes about 16 smaller sandwiches or 8 larger ones. Refrigerate leftover filling in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 4 months. Reheat gently on the hob, in the microwave or in the slow cooker before serving.

What are Sloppy Joes?

Sloppy Joes are a US sandwich of seasoned minced meat in a soft bun, named for their saucy, loose filling. This version combines beef and pork sausage with a tomato-based sauce that balances sweetness, tang and optional chilli heat.

The slow cooker gives the meat time to take on the flavour of the sauce, while the initial frying browns the meat and softens the vegetables before they go in.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 307 calories, 21g protein, 17g carbs, 17g fat.

The beef, sausage and cheddar provide most of the protein and fat, while the buns contribute much of the carbohydrate; the sauce ingredients also add carbohydrate. Serve with a generous portion of vegetables or a crisp salad to round out the plate.

Why use two kinds of meat?

Beef and sausage: The recipe uses minced beef alongside pork sausage for a fuller, richer filling. Break both up as they cook so the finished mixture is easy to spoon onto bread.

Fat: The beef is specified as lean, but the pan may still collect some fat. The method allows you to drain off excess before adding the vegetables.

Building the sauce

Sweet and tangy: Tomato sauce, ketchup and barbecue sauce create the base, with brown sugar adding sweetness and cider vinegar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce bringing contrast.

Optional heat: Pickled jalapeños are mixed into the sauce before slow cooking. Leave them out for a milder filling, or include them for a spicy note.

The key stovetop stages

Brown the meat: Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring and crumbling it so it cooks evenly. The meat should no longer be pink before you move on.

Soften the vegetables: Give the onion and pepper about 5 minutes, then cook the garlic for just 1 minute. Stir the garlic constantly so it becomes fragrant without catching.

Slow cooker timing

Cook covered on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours after combining the browned meat and vegetables with the sauce ingredients. The recipe calls for a 7–8-quart slow cooker.

If you prefer the hob, add the sauce ingredients after cooking the garlic and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese at the end, as directed.

Getting the texture right

The filling should be loose and saucy enough to spoon onto a bun, but not so wet that it immediately runs off. Breaking up the meat well during frying helps it mix evenly with the sauce.

Cheese choice: Stir about 1 cup into the filling for a richer, cheesier result, or keep it as a topping. The recipe leaves extra cheese amounts to your preference.

Choosing what to serve it with

Buns: Burger buns are the classic option, but the recipe also suggests hot dog buns, Hawaiian rolls, Kaiser rolls and Texas toast. Choose a bread sturdy enough to hold the juicy filling.

Lettuce: Butter lettuce or romaine leaves can stand in for bread. Keep any extra filling separate until serving so the leaves stay crisp.

Recipe notes & tips

• Break the meat into small pieces as it browns so it mixes evenly with the sauce.
• Drain excess fat from the pan before adding the vegetables if needed.
• Stir the garlic constantly for its brief cooking time to prevent it catching.
• For easier slow-cooker cleaning, spray the base with cooking spray before adding the meat mixture.
• Add jalapeños before cooking if you want their flavour distributed through the filling.
• Keep the filling and buns separate until serving to avoid soggy bread.

Variations

• Use red pepper: Swap it for the green pepper as suggested in the recipe.
• Choose Dijon: Use Dijon mustard in place of yellow mustard.
• Add jalapeños: Stir in the optional pickled peppers for extra heat.
• Serve on toast: Spoon the filling over Texas toast instead of buns.
• Go bun-free: Use butter lettuce or romaine leaves to hold the filling.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving large meat clumps: Break up the beef and sausage as they brown for an even filling.
• Skipping the browning: Cook the meat until it is no longer pink before transferring it to the slow cooker.
• Overcooking the garlic: Keep it moving in the pan and stop after 1 minute, once fragrant.
• Adding cheese too early: Follow the method and add it after the slow-cooking or simmering stage.
• Assembling too far ahead: Keep the filling off the buns until serving so they do not become soggy.

How to store

Keep leftover filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 4 months. Reheat gently on the hob, in the microwave or in the slow cooker before serving.

Frequently asked questions