Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (2024)

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Instant Pot Sloppy Joes. How to make the best sloppy joes in the instant pot pressure cooker. Perfect for a quick and cheap dump and start instant pot dinner.

You will love how easy it is to make sloppy joes in the instant pot, how budget friendly it is and how its ideal for beginners to the instant pot, that want to build up their confidence.

Originally shared in the summer of 2018, this update includes new ideas, new photos and forms part of our Aldi budget meal plan.

Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (1)

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Sloppy Joes In Instant Pot

I mentioned above that our sloppy joes in the instant pot is an updated post.

But what I didn’t mention was where I was when I originally shared with you how to cook sloppy joes.

Our family of five were travelling around Europe in a tent. Our only way of cooking was with the instant pot.

We also lacked a fridge and didn’t have the usual cooking facilities that most take for granted.

We had an 8 week adventure, enjoying cooking in the instant pot in 8 countries.

Including Spain, France, Portugal, England, Luxemburg, Belgium, Holland & Germany.

Whilst on a pretty campsite in France we made the best instant pot sloppy joes. But of course, we were in France, so it was served in a large French baguette and tasted amazing.

Here is a closeup of the sloppy joes we made back then:

Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (2)

We ate a lot of sloppy joes that summer. It was easy to make in the instant pot, it filled us all up and no matter which country we were in, we could always get some cheap mince and some yummy bread.

Whether you are travelling or not, it’s a fantastic cheap dinner option.

Are You New To The Instant Pot?

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Can You Make Sloppy Joes In An Instant Pot?

Yes, you sure can. Sloppy joes in the instant pot, is one of the best cheap dump and start recipes.

In fact, our instant pot sloppy joes was made just using Aldi produce when we decided to focus on Aldi foods for 28 days.

Also, because you are loading your sloppy joes into bread rolls, it is stretching further and filling you up for longer.

Can You Put Ground Raw Beef In Instant Pot?

Yes, you sure can. I love to cook with raw ground beef in the instant pot, and I have lost count of the amazing recipes I have made with it.

Whether you are making our instant pot frozen hamburgers, instant pot cottage pie or instant pot Salisbury steak, note the instant pot is your best friend.

What Makes Sloppy Joes Thick?

When you make sloppy joes, there is not much water retained in it. Add to this tomato ketchup and any veggies you have included, and maybe some cheese too and you have an incredibly thick, sloppy joes.

If you are using some meat that is holding a lot of water, you can drain it before mixing in the ketchup to help with its thickness.

Would you like easy & amazing instant pot recipes from instant pot experts? Click here and join the Recipe This Newsletter. We will then send you the BEST instant pot beginner recipes direct to your email inbox along with other useful instant pot resources.

Sloppy Joes Instant Pot Ingredients

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Mince – Mince or ground meat as you call it, is the staple ingredient in this sloppy joes instant pot recipe. Make it healthier with turkey or chicken or keep it traditional with beef.

Veggies – Rather than having a traditional sloppy joes with pepper and onion, I recommend using up with veggies you have in. We used carrots and celery in ours.

Tomatoes – I recommend for the best tasting pressure cooker sloppy joes that you include both tinned tomatoes and tomato ketchup. Then for extra flavour some Worcester sauce.

Stock – For getting the instant pot to pressure, I recommend both the tinned tomatoes and some beef stock.

Seasonings – Then for your sloppy joe seasoning, I recommend salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this sloppy joes instant pot recipe it has just been our Instant Pot. We have this one and its my favourite and great for a quick dump and start dinners.

Plus, we recommend you head over to our instant pot recipes category as we have many electric pressure cooker recipes and have been using instant pots for 5 years.

How To Make Sloppy Joes In Instant Pot?

Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (5)
  • Sauté. Prep your vegetables and saute them in the instant pot with some extra virgin olive oil.
  • Load. Add in your mince, your stock, your seasonings, your ketchup etc and mix well. Break down your meat and then place the lid on the instant pot.
  • Cook. Pressure cook, stir your sloppy joes, stir in extra seasoning and serve in bread rolls.

And I am sure you can see now how easy it is to pressure cook sloppy joes and why it has become one of my favourite cheap dinners.

Sloppy Joe Variations

Like I mentioned above, there are some great sloppy joe variations that you can make. You can swap the mince for another such as pork, lamb, chicken or turkey. Though I have found the best results come from a pack of pork/beef mixed mince.

You can also swap the ketchup for more tinned tomatoes to make it healthier. Or mix up the flavour and use barbecue sauce instead.

And like I mentioned from our trip to France you can swap a classic bread roll for a baguette or another favourite bread.

Sides To Go With Sloppy Joes

At the time of updating this recipe, we had loads of coleslaw sat in the fridge. It made the perfect side to go with our sloppy joes.

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You can do the same or maybe add our air fryer fries, or some air fryer potato wedges.

Sloppy Joes Instant Pot Tips & Tricks

  • Use mixed mince such as 50% pork and 50% beef. It will produce the most flavoursome sloppy joes.
  • Avoid meat that is not lean. It will create a lot of fat in your instant pot, and it will not be as thick once served.
  • Save time on seasonings by opting for Italian seasoning. Or if in the UK add mixed herbs.

Interesting Instant Pot Trick – Pressure cook sloppy joes for 3 minutes then do a 3 minute natural pressure release. This extra 3 minutes will make all the difference to the flavour and help thicken it.

What about leftover sloppy joes? Add into a plastic container and keep in the fridge and then make more sloppy joes over the next 3 days. Or even better pair with some spaghetti for a spaghetti sloppy joes.

More Instant Pot Cheap Dinner Ideas

  • Instant Pot Frozen Vegetable Soup
  • Instant Pot Frozen Hamburgers
  • Ninja Foodi Spaghetti Bolognese
Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (7)

Your sloppy joes instant pot recipe is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.

Though before you do, don’t forget to subscribe, and grab your FREE VIP Pass to Recipe This. You will get access to our latest recipes first, you will be able to request recipes, you will have access to free mini courses, free instant pot ebooks and useful instant pot cook time charts and so much more.

Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (9)

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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Recipe

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes. How to make the best sloppy joes in the instant pot pressure cooker. Perfect for a quick and cheap dump and start instant pot dinner.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time6 minutes mins

Total Time11 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Instant Pot

Servings: 4

Calories: 657kcal

Author: RecipeThis.com

Ingredients

Kitchen Gadgets:

MetricImperial

Instructions

  • Peel and dice your carrot and onion. Clean and slice your celery. Load into the instant pot with extra virgin olive oil and saute.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (10)

  • After a 2-3 minute sauté, press cancel and dump in everything else. Use your wooden spoon to scrape any bits of onion stuck to the bottom of the instant pot.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (11)

  • Place the lid on the instant pot, set the valve to sealing and cook for 3 minutes, followed by a 3 minute natural pressure release. Then move to venting and remove any remaining pressure before removing the lid.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (12)

  • Stir and do a taste test. If not flavoursome enough add some extra ketchup and seasoning. Then serve in bread rolls with coleslaw on the side.

    Recipe This | Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (13)

Notes

Quantities. This sloppy joes recipe is enough to feed 4-5 people with one bread roll of sloppy joes each. You can double ingredients for a bigger batch and keep the same cook time.

Swaps. We used up carrots, celery, and onion that we already had in. You can do swaps based on what veggies you have that need using.

Thanks for reading our instant pot sloppy joes recipe on Recipe This. We have many more instant pot recipes for you to check out next. Though if you would like more delicious warm sandwich ideas, I recommend you try our instant pot brisket sliders next.

Nutrition

Calories: 657kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 683mg | Potassium: 963mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 5387IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition InfoPlease Note: Nutrition values are our best estimate based on the software we use at Recipe This and are meant as a guide. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

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FAQs

How do you thicken runny sloppy joes? ›

  1. Flour can be used similar to corn starch.
  2. Other thickeners used are bread crumbs, potato flakes and oats. ...
  3. Go gradually with these. ...
  4. Use oats to thicken sloppy-joes as to absorb the excess but it will be thicker the next day.
  5. Barley can be used but is more expensive.
Oct 29, 2021

How do you upgrade sloppy joes? ›

In addition to sweetness, the diced Gala apple also contributes some textural variety to the recipe.
  1. Spice Your Sloppy Joe Up With Chile Flakes Or Canned Chiles. ...
  2. Sneak Extra Veggies Into Your Sloppy Joes. ...
  3. Throw In Some Liquid Smoke. ...
  4. Deglaze Your Sloppy Joes With Beer. ...
  5. Add Salsa To The Mix.
Feb 28, 2024

Should I drain meat before adding manwich? ›

directions. Brown hamburger meat and then drain grease from meat. Start to preheat oven to what ever the biscuit instructions say. Add the can of Manwich to the drained beef in pan and mix.

How do you make Manwich even better? ›

5 Easy Ways to Doctor up Manwich Sloppy Joes to Improve Taste
  1. Produce.
  2. • 1/4 tsp Garlic powder.
  3. • 1/2 Green bell pepper.
  4. • 1 Large or 2 small jalapeno peppers.
  5. • 1 Onion, medium white or yellow.
  6. • 1 Pickled jalapenos.

What is the best way to thicken sauce that has become too watery? ›

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

Can I use sour cream to thicken sauce? ›

For an add-in that both thickens and enhances flavor, turn to a versatile, dairy-forward ingredient: sour cream. Sour cream is a common add-in for thickening soups and sauces, but it can also be stirred into gravy for a touch of tang and a smooth, creamy finish.

What's the difference between Manwich and sloppy joes? ›

Manwich is a canned pre seasoned sauce to mix with ground beef for making sloppy Joe's. After years of making sloppy joes for my kids with the canned stuff, I discovered that making it from scratch is easy and so much better. Rachel Ray has a great recipe for Sloppy Joe's that can be found on Food Networks website.

What's the difference between a sloppy joe and a sloppy Jane? ›

If you're aiming to eat a lower-fat diet, then consider fixing yourself a sloppy jane. This variant on the sloppy joe swaps out regular ground beef for leaner beef. It also places a higher focus on vegetables and other low-calorie ingredients.

What is the New Jersey version of sloppy joe? ›

There are minor variations depending on the deli, but it is always a double-decker thin sliced rye bread sandwich made with one or more types of sliced deli meat, such as turkey, ham, pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, or sliced beef tongue, along with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing.

How to get grease out of sloppy joes? ›

Brown the meat first to extract the fat. Then, you can spoon the grease out of the pan or use a colander to drain the grease. It is important you do not discard the hot grease down a drain as it can cause damage to the drain.

How much ground beef for 1 can of Manwich? ›

Ingredients
  1. 1 pound ground round beef (85% lean)
  2. 1 can (15 oz each) Manwich® Original Sloppy Joe Sauce.
  3. 1 pkg (9.6 oz each) hamburger Buns.

How to keep sloppy joes from getting soggy? ›

Sloppy Joe Tips and Tricks

As we said below, a key step here is placing the buns inside-up on a baking sheet and placing them under a broiler until they're golden brown. This will toast the inside of the bun, preventing the buns from getting soggy and gross.

What can I add to sloppy joes to make them taste better? ›

Add Veggies: Diced bell peppers, zucchini, spinach, or shredded carrot, can easily be added to this recipe and your kids won't even notice a difference. Hawaiian Sloppy Joes: Substitute more BBQ sauce for the ketchup and add 8 oz., drained crushed pineapple.

What is the new name for Manwich? ›

Manwich, slush burger, yum yums, dynamite, spoonburgers, tavern sandwich; a Sloppy Joe can be called by many other names. The most well-known however is Manwich.

What is the best bun for sloppy joes? ›

Hamburger or Brioche Buns: The vehicle for the Sloppy Joe mixture, offering a soft and slightly sweet contrast to the flavorful beef filling.

How do you make soupy sauce thicker? ›

Ways To Thicken Sauce
  1. Tomato Paste. If your soup or stew is watery, adding tomato paste may help! ...
  2. Arrowroot. You might prefer to avoid gluten in your recipes. ...
  3. Flour. ...
  4. Reduce Your Liquid. ...
  5. Puréed Vegetables. ...
  6. Egg Yolk. ...
  7. Yogurt. ...
  8. Rice.
Jul 15, 2022

How do you fix watery meat sauce? ›

Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.

How do you thicken sauce to the right consistency? ›

Make a Slurry: Mix equal parts flour and water or other liquid together. Stir a good amount of the mixture into simmering sauce; cook for a few minutes, then add more until you have your desired consistency.

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