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Instant Pot Sloppy Joes are just yummy! Delicious, tangy, and a little sweet, with lots of ground beef, and the perfect amount of sauce. Piled onto a soft hamburger bun, they are one of the classic American comfort foods from childhood. Pressure Cooker sloppy Joes are a one-pot meal that can feed the whole family. Very kid friendly!
This is a quick cooking recipe, so it is perfect for a weeknight meal.
Originally published 3/24/2018
Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
When you have ground beef or ground turkey and aren’t sure what to make, Instant Pot Sloppy Joes are a great recipe to reach for. This meal takes less than an hour from start to finish.
Instant Pot Sloppy Joes can be made from the pantry staples most of us have on hand.
Many of you ate these as kids. When was the last time you had a Sloppy Joes Sandwich? All of that saucy ground beef that is kinda tangy and kinda sweet, piled on a bun. Yum!
Are Sloppy Joes the Same as Manwich?
They are similar, but Manwich® is the name of a prepackaged (in a can) food marketed as a sloppy joe style sauce. In general Sloppy Joes are homemade (and homemade is so much better!).
Avoiding the BURN Error
- The trick in this recipe is to leave the tomato products on top and don’t stir them in until after they cook (the sugar in tomatoes burns easily).
- That allows you to use less liquid. The tomato paste thickens it up nicely at the end, when you stir it.
The Best Side Dishes for Sloppy Joes
I have several yummy side dish recipes & salads that go well with Sloppy Joes. Here are some favorites:
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Creamy Cheesecake Fruit Salad
Easy Instant Pot Potato Salad
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad
Instant Pot Barbecue Beef
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Instant Pot Chili Mac
If you make this delicious homemade Sloppy Joes recipe, please let me know. Just leave a comment and star rating below. I’d love to know how you liked them!
Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs Ground Beef or Ground Turkey (lean)
- 1 small Onion, diced
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 Green or Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 1½ Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Beef Broth* (or water)
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 1 (6 oz can) Tomato Paste
- 5 Hamburger Buns
Instructions
- Turn on the pot's Sauté setting. Add the ground beef (if using ground turkey, add some oil to the pot first). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is mostly done. Use a spoon or turkey baster to remove the extra fat.
- Add the onion, salt, and pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir.
- Add the garlic, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, soy sauce, Dijon, brown sugar, and beef broth, Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to get up any brown bits.
- Add the tomato paste and ketchup, but do not stir it in. Just leave it sitting on top of the meat mixture.
- Put the lid on and lock into place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Cancel the Sauté setting and press the Pressure Cook/Manual button (or dial). Then press the +/- button (or dial) to select 4 minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure.
- After the cooking cycle is finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes (5 minute Natural Release). Then turn the knob to the Venting position (or push button) and manually release the remaining steam.
- When the pin in the lid drops down, open it and stir the Sloppy Joe mixture to incorporate the tomato paste and ketchup. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
- Serve on soft hamburger buns.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Resources to Make Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Recipe
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I prepared this tonight for dinner and my husband really liked it. We had not had sloppy joes in a long time as I use Manwich to make chili. But I put together cole slaw mix and ranch dressing as our side, and the sandwiches were very good. If you could advise me, I would like to make this a just a little less spicy. Thank you for your expertise, especially with the Instant Pot recipes.
Hi, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. To make it less spice, omit the red pepper flakes, and use only 1 teaspoon of the Dijon (it’s not that spicy, but does add a little zing).