Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
Instant Pot Sloppy Joes make a quick and easy dinner for busy weeknights. This homemade version features a sweet and tangy sauce that the whole family will enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, don’t miss this Sloppy Joe Casserole, Creamy Ground Beef Pasta and Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken!
Sloppy Joes are a staple in my household especially with my husband. In fact, this is his recipe, though I’ve tweaked it slightly for the Instant Pot. He even calls them “sloppy Freds,” a sweet nickname inspired by his Uncle Fred.
Growing up, I only knew the canned version: brown some ground beef, add sauce, heat, and serve. And while that got the job done, this homemade version is on a whole other level. It’s rich, flavorful, and still just as quick and easy.
I live for simple dinners, and the Instant Pot makes that even easier. If you love meals like this Instant Pot fried rice, beef stew, or no-bean chili, you’re going to love this, too. Adding a pressure cooker sloppy joe recipe just made sense.
It’s fast, fuss-free, and made with ingredients you probably already have on hand. The sweet, slightly tangy homemade sauce tastes like it simmered all day without actually having to. Total comfort food, ready in no time.
What’s needed for Instant Pot Sloppy Joes?
To make flavorful Instant Pot Sloppy Joes, you’ll need just a handful of pantry staples and a few fresh ingredients. This simple mix of ground beef, veggies, and sauces comes together quickly for a hearty, family-friendly meal.
- Ground beef
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Green pepper
- White vinegar
- Granulated sugar
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Barbecue sauce
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Water
How to Make:
Making this recipe is quick and easy, with minimal prep and big flavor. You’ll brown the beef, sauté the veggies, then pressure cook everything together in a tangy, savory sauce. In just about 30 minutes, dinner is ready to serve!
- Set your Instant Pot to the ‘sauté’ setting and brown and crumble ground beef until no longer pink. Drain and remove to a separate plate.Wipe pot, if needed. Add olive oil and sauté onion and green pepper until tender.
- Add ground beef back to the Instant pot, along with vinegar, sugar, mustard, ketchup, bbq sauce, seasonings, and water. Stir thoroughly to combine.
- Place lid onto pot and lock, setting valve to ‘sealing’ position. Cook on manual setting (high pressure) for 6 minutes. When timer goes off, do a quick release.
- Remove lid, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve on toasted buns and devour!
My favorite sides:
Some side dishes for sloppy joes are these baked sweet potato fries, that garlic herb rice, those roasted potatoes, or a simple green salad.
Can you Freeze Sloppy Joes?
You sure can! Let the easy sloppy joes cool to room temperature and then freeze in a ziploc bag or freezer-safe container for up to four months.
How long does this last?
These homemade sloppy joes will last in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can This Be Made on the Stove?
Absolutely! To make these on the stove, brown and crumble ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain and remove to a separate plate.
In the same skillet, add one tablespoon of olive oil and sauté onion and green pepper until tender. Add ground beef back to skillet, along with the rest of ingredients (but NOT the water). Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Tips and Tricks:
- When adding all of the ingredients together in the Instant Pot, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get any browned bits of the bottom. This will help ensure that you don’t receive a ‘burn’ warning on your pot.
- Taste the sloppy joe mixture before pressure cooking! I like to sample a spoonful to see if I need to add more ketchup, bbq sauce, or seasonings.
- The mixture may seem a bit watery after it’s done cooking and that is normal. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving to thicken up a bit. Alternatively, you could add a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to the mixture to thicken; or add some more ketchup and/or bbq sauce.
Looking for more Ground Beef Dinner Recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Creamy Ground Beef Pasta
- One Pan Beef Stroganoff
- Easy Shepherd’s Pie
- Cheesy Beef Tortellini Skillet
Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup water
Equipment
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to 'sauté' setting. Once the pot is hot, add the ground beef. Brown and crumble beef until no longer pink. Drain and remove to a separate plate and set aside.
- Wipe pot, if needed. With the setting still on 'sauté,' add the onion and green pepper and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef back to the Instant Pot, along with vinegar, sugar, mustard, bbq sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and water. Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits (to prevent a BURN warning) and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Cover, place the lid into lock position and make sure the valve is in the 'sealing' position. Press the manual button and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. **Remember that it will take the IP about 15 minutes to come to pressure and then will count down from 6 minutes**
- When timer goes off, do a quick release by turning the valve to the venting position and letting steam release until the pin drops. (I like to place a folded kitchen towel over the valve so that it catches the steam.) Mixture will thicken as it sits, so if it seems too watery, let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- See my tips and tricks for making these Instant Pot Sloppy Joes above the recipe box.
This is just like my homemade SJ recipe, except I always simmer mine on the stove for an hour for that all day cooked flavor. We tried that canned stuff once, we didn’t like it, I had to add tons of GP and onion and more to make it have some flavor. Easier to make from scratch.
You’ll love this easy version, Kiki!