The Very Best Sloppy Joes (2 cooking methods)!

slow cooker sloppy joes
Sloppy Joes are a family favorite! Get our simple and delicious recipe at Made in a Pinch. For more awesome recipes and tips follow us on Pinterest!
Sloppy Joes are an easy family favorite! We have 2 methods for making this dish; grab them on Made in a Pinch. For more helpful tips and delicious recipes, follow us on Pinterest!
Sloppy Joes are an easy family favorite! We have 2 methods for making this dish; grab them on Made in a Pinch. For more helpful tips and delicious recipes, follow us on Pinterest!
 

Two ways to cook Sloppy Joes

Good ol’ Sloppy Joes! They are an American standard. A kid-friendly classic and can be super easy and fast to make (making them a perfect weeknight meal).

Sloppy Joes are an age old family favorite! Get our mouthwatering recipe and easy recipe at Made In A Pinch. Follow us on Pinterest for even more recipes!2-min

I used to feel intimidated by the thought of making them! I guess growing up in the days of popular canned versions (which taste terrible in my opinion) led me to believe that buying was better than making.

While that may be true occasionally, it isn’t in this case. This homemade version tastes way better! Plus, it’s easy to make, freezes well (if you have leftovers), and comes together quickly for a great weeknight meal.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you can cook it two different ways. Stovetop is great when you need dinner in 20 minutes. It is truly dinner in under 30 minutes!

Another option: try the slow cooker version. It’s my favorite method because the flavors have a longer period of time to marry together. I also love the slow cooker method because I can get it going in the morning, go about my day, then come home and dinner is ready! No trying to squeeze in cooking while working on homework or rushing to activities.

Get a week of recipes for classic dinners with a healthy twist kids will love.

More popular slow cooker recipes:

Slow Cooker Peach Crisp

Spaghetti Squash in the Slow Cooker

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Another bonus for me is that the slow cooker version gives the celery and onion time to cook down and get soft. That makes it perfect for anyone with texture issues!

sloppy joesThe right tool for the job:

If you don’t have a slow cooker, I have and highly recommend the Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. This slow cooker is the best I have found because of its lid locking feature.

The locking feature allows me to cook a meal or side dish and then take the entire slow cooker with me to any function (a potluck or teacher appreciation dinner, for example) easily.

No more struggling to keep the slow cooker from spilling while I’m driving! Other great features: a probe that you can insert through the lid to check the temperature of your food and a cooking program feature. This slow cooker is the best!

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Best Sloppy Joes

Easy, kid-friendly, weeknight dinner! This can be made with either ground beef or ground turkey. It makes a lot, so use it for leftovers or freeze for an easy dinner down the road.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs ground turkey
  • 1 sm onion, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, minced
  • 1 tbsp light olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 16oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
  • 1-2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard

Method
 

  1. Brown ground turkey with onion and celery with olive oil in a skillet on the stove, over medium-high heat.
  2. Meanwhile, spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray. Add remaining ingredients to crock pot.
  3. Once turkey is browned, add turkey, onion and celery to the other ingredients in the slow cooker.
  4. Turn slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
  5. Serve on toast or whole wheat hamburger buns. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 1 week.

Notes

Alternatively, if you want a quick version on the stove top here is what you do:
  1. Brown the turkey with onion and celery with olive oil in a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
  2. Once meat is browned, add remaining ingredients.  Cook 20-25 minutes, until all the flavors are married and everything is cooked through.
  3. Serve on toast or whole wheat hamburger buns.
  4. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 1 week, or freeze any leftovers.

Tried this recipe?

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24 Comments

  1. I do look for recipes that are beef substitutes, I love this one, Best Sloppy Joes. And it would be a good for kids to help make, too.

    1. Hey Rosie! I am usually looking to substitute beef as well. If you find a recipe on my site that calls for ground beef, you can bet that I regularly substitute ground turkey whenever I make the recipe for our family! In this dish, you can’t even really tell it’s not beef because the flavors all come together so well 🙂

  2. Ohh as soon as I saw the slow cooker version I got excited. I’m still just trying out my newish slow cooker, and this sloppy joe recipe sounds perfect!

  3. I’m not sure I’ve ever made sloppy joes for my kids before, but I think my oldest would love it. Definitely going to give this a try!

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