A childhood staple, this classic sandwich is hearty and delicious! Make Instant Pot sloppy joes for a super quick and easy dinner with a sweet and savory sauce. This Instant Pot recipe is the perfect recipe for family dinners and potlucks.
Original recipe: June 2019 | Updated: January 2022
Why This Recipe Works
Sloppy joes are one of those classic dishes that makes a lot of us think of childhood. There’s a reason for that! They are super easy to prepare, making them the perfect meal for busy families.
Moms are smart! They are good at finding those easy recipes that are also over-the-top delicious. Sloppy joes are perfect for family dinner any night of the week and they are also the perfect potluck party food.
Every time I arrive at a party and see that sloppy joes are on the menu, I start loading up a bun pronto! This is such a great recipe and will quickly become a staple at graduation parties, summer potlucks, game-day parties, Father’s Day celebrations and so much more.
They are delicious, versatile and when made in an Instant Pot Duo they become even more delicious! I’m telling you, there is magic inside that little pot of yum!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef – Use lean ground beef or even ground turkey or ground chicken for an extra lean meal.
- Garlic – I always used fresh minced garlic whenever possible, but 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder is a great replacement.
- Yellow onion – This variety of onion has a milder flavor, but if you’re looking to spruce up the flavor profile try using a red onion instead.
- Ketchup – If you are not a huge fan of ketchup, decrease the amount used in the recipe by half. Or you can replace a portion of it with your favorite barbecue sauce!
- Mustard – Depending on what your taste buds prefer, use either yellow or Dijon mustard. How long does mustard last? Read this post to learn more!
- Brown sugar – Use either light or dark brown sugar in the mixture.
- Worcestershire sauce – This is an essential ingredient! Using just a little bit of this savory sauce goes a long way in boosting the flavor.
- Broth – Beef broth and water can be used interchangeably. Broth will provide more flavor than water.
- Cayenne pepper – Spice up the recipe by adding 1/2 teaspoon of additional cayenne pepper or freshly ground black pepper. Or add up to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon chili powder. Stir the beef mixture well with a wooden spoon so all ingredients mix together.
- Buns – Any buns work great for this recipe, including sesame seed buns (white or wheat) or brioche buns.
- Toppings – I love sandwich toppings almost more than I love sandwiches! Great topping options for this sandwich include: pickle slices, a spoonful of coleslaw, red onion slices, sliced green onions, a thick tomato slice, cooked bacon strips, a slice of cheese (put it on while it’s hot so it melts!) or a fried egg if you’re feeling crazy.
How To Make Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
Step 1
Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease from the pot, if needed. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil if the pot is too dry.
Step 2
Add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, water, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to the pot and mix well.
Place the cover on the pot and set the timer to 5 minutes on high pressure (use the pressure cook setting) and ensure the release valve is set to the sealing position. It will take the Instant Pot approximately 9 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
When cook time is up, release pressure naturally for 10 minutes then do a quick release. It’ll be great to not have to stir occasionally – the pressure does all the work!
Step 3
Remove the cover, stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes before spooning into soft hamburger buns and serve. Load with your favorite toppings!
Make Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes on the Stovetop
If you prefer making this classic sandwich on the stovetop, follow this traditional sloppy joes recipe.
Recipe Notes for Easy Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
- I will occasionally add a splash of soy sauce to the mixture for an extra savory end result. I love the twist this adds. Just a splash, though!
- Add a chopped red, orange or green bell pepper to the pot along with the onions for extra crunch and flavor!
- Make this a low carb meal by turning them into a lettuce wrap “sandwich” instead of a traditional bun-enclosed sandwich.
- Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste for an extra robust flavor.
What To Serve With Sloppy Joes Instant Pot Recipe
Here are a handful of recipe ideas about what to serve with pressure cooker sloppy joes! Whether for a party or dinner, you’ll walk away with a plan. A sampling of sides in the roundup include:
- Potato chips
- Air fryer sweet potato fries
- French fries
What Makes These Better Than Stove Top or Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
We all know that no matter how sloppy joes are made, THEY ARE DELICIOUS. Nobody will argue with that. So are they really that much tastier when made in an Instant Pot?
The amount of time it takes to make them on stove top and in an electric pressure cooker are about the same, but the flavor?
The Instant Pot works it’s secret magic to turn up the dial on the flavor, even over the slow-cooked version.
Easy Dinner Recipes
When it comes to easy and fun dinners, don’t limit yourself to this sandwich. Here are a handful of other delicious options:
Instant Pot Recipes
The list of recipes you can make in an Instant Pot is endless! It can cook soup, chili, pasta, meat, potatoes, veggies, cake, beans and so much more. Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Chicken
- Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Steamed Artichokes
- Pressure Cooker Goulash
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
How To Avoid the Instant Pot Burn Notice
- Stir heavy sauces or soups just before placing the cover on the pot for cooking. You will want the heaviest ingredients toward the top in order to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
- Make sure your pot contains enough liquid! Add extra beef broth or chicken broth if it is already an ingredient in the recipe. If the recipe does not contain a thin liquid (e.g., a recipe that requires a trivet), add 1 1/2 cups of liquid to the bottom of the Instant Pot before cooking.
- I do not use an 8-quart IP, but from what I have heard this size is much quicker to set off the burn message than the 6-quart version. The 8-quart Instant Pot may require more liquid than the 6-quart does.
FAQ About Sloppy Joes
Sloppy joes can indeed be frozen. Cook as directed, allow to cool, then place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 4 months for best results.
Depending on the size of the buns, you should have enough meat for 4-6 sandwiches from 1 pound of meat.
Thicken your batch of sloppy joes by adding a cornstarch slurry. Whisk 2 tablespoons of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. When the mixture is smooth, stir it into the mixture and heat for 5 minutes. Repeat this process for an even thicker mixture.
Typically sloppy joe sauce is made of ground beef, onions, ketchup and/or tomato sauce, brown sugar and beef broth. Extra ingredients sometimes included: bbq sauce, tomato paste, chopped green or red bell pepper, mustard (or mustard powder), Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke.
Affordable Dinner Ideas Using Ground Beef as a Main Ingredient
Make dinner and affordable with this delicious list of dinner ideas using ground beef. Ground beef does not need to be boring!
Cream of Mushroom Soup and Ground Beef Recipes
Simplify dinner tonight! Create an easy, affordable and delicious meal using two hearty main ingredients. Click over for a handful of ground beef and cream of mushroom soup recipes!
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Best Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup beef broth or water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 8 hamburger buns
- sliced pickles for topping, optional
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to saute. Add the ground beef, garlic and onion and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain, if needed.
- Add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, water, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to the pot. Mix well.
- Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 5 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 9 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- When cooking is done, let it release naturally for 10 minute. Then do a quick release. Remove cover, stir and let sit for 10 minutes before spooning into buns and serving. Top with pickle slices, if desired.
Notes
- I will occasionally add a splash of soy sauce to the mixture for an extra savory end result. I love the twist this adds. Just a splash, though!
- Add a chopped red, orange or green bell pepper to the pot along with the onions for extra crunch and flavor!
- Make this a low carb meal by turning them into a lettuce wrap “sandwich” instead of a traditional bun-enclosed sandwich.
- Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste for an extra robust flavor.
These Sloppy Joes are delicious. Great flavor and nice and juicy.
Thank you, Lee. Glad to hear they were delicious!
not great. mixing the ingredients causes burn warning on my instant pot. now I have a bunch of scrubbing to do. may as well just let it simmer and thicken on saute for 10 mons instead of using the pressure cook function. won’t make this again.
I’m sorry that you had that happen. I’ve never experienced it. I use a 6qt IP, and there is plenty liquid for it to come to pressure, making the meat tenderize perfectly for this recipe. If you have a bigger pot, you may need a bit more liquid.
This is a great ‘grown up’ version of Sloppy Joe. I cut the brown sugar by half and add the suggested chopped green pepper and cayenne pepper to boost the heat. I don’t have an Instapot, but this recipe works well stovetop, with maybe 30 minutes to simmer. Thanks for an easy and tasty weeknight meal!
Hi Megan, Thanks for commenting. Glad you found the flavors you love and they are good tips for others too. We enjoy this recipe regularly!
Do you have to put mustard in it? Will it change the taste much? I am not a fan of mustard.
You can omit it. I love it in the mixture but it will still be good.
I needed a last minute dinner idea for a family of 7 and I had 2lbs of ground beef. This was quick and feed everyone happily!
It’s the perfect dinner! Glad it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for this useful informative blog to sharing step by step.
We love it! No flavor overwhelmed the others. Less sweet and ketchup dominant than Manwich – which I loved as a child but doesn’t appeal anymore. One had this with pickles, and one without. Definitely a keeper. Thank you.
So glad to hear it! Thank you for sharing.
Perhaps this is a dumb question…but this seems like way more work than simply using a skillet on the stove with no added benefit from the Insta Pot since the meat, onion, and garlic are already cooked. What is the purpose in using the "Pot" in this recipe?
Hi Lin, Thanks for asking! Everyone has different tools they like to use in the kitchen and I’m working to provide multiple ways to accomplish getting meals on the table. It’s definitely a preference but I have found I’m enjoying using my Instant Pot a lot with my go-to favorites that are able to done on the stove or in a crockpot. Here’s why!
WHAT MAKES THESE BETTER THAN STOVE TOP OR SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES?
We all know that no matter how sloppy joes are made, THEY ARE DELICIOUS. Nobody will argue with that. So are they really that much tastier when made in an Instant Pot? The amount of time it takes to make them on stove top and pressure cooker are about the same, but the flavor? The Instant Pot works it’s secret magic to turn up the dial on the flavor, even over the slow-cooked version.