Instant Pot Sloppy Joes are easy to make in your pressure cooker. They have an amazing flavor that is a cross between savory, tangy, and sweet. They are very family-friendly, and you can adapt them to various dietary needs, such as high protein, gluten-free, sugar-free, low-carb, and keto.
Why You'll Love This
"A long time favorite recipe in our house! The flavors in this sloppy joes Instant Pot recipe are a perfect balance of savory, tangy, and sweet. EASY & Delish."
If you're a sloppy joe lover be sure to try this Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes version. Or, if you're looking for something a little less traditional, be sure to make my Big Mac Sloppy Joes, Chicken Gumbo Sloppy Joes, or these Sloppy Joe Sliders - they're GOOD! 🙂
Family Favorite
There aren't a lot of kids who don't love sloppy joes. There is nothing better than finding a recipe that everyone in your house will eat. Can anyone relate to this age-old dilemma? 🙂
Instant Pot Convenience
Instant Pot's are popular for a reason -they make cooking a breeze and result in flavorful delicious one-pot meals.
Healthy
These sloppy joes are a healthy homemade meal your whole family can enjoy!
- Making them from scratch instead of from a means you know what you are serving your family.
- This recipe can easily be made low carb and keto by using a brown sugar substitute and sugar free ketchup. Make sure to use a low car bun option, no bun, wrapped in lettuce, or alternative.
- Want to reduce the fat content? Use a lower fat or lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Drain the fat after browning.
What You'll Need
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make Instant Pot Sloppy Joes:
- Ground Beef - I typically use a 80/20 blend or a ground chuck but you can use a reduced-fat amount of beef if desired.
- Pork Sausage
- Onion - The recipe calls for yellow onions, but you can also use red onions, which will lend more sweetness to the sloppy joes.
- Garlic
- Tomato Sauce
- Ketchup - I like to use sugar-free, but you can use regular if you prefer. You can also use unsweetened ketchup and increase the brown sugar slightly if you prefer.
- Brown Sugar - Anyone watching their sugar, or low-carb and keto followers should use a brown sugar substitute such as brown monk fruit sweetener.
- Tomato Paste
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Prepared Yellow Mustard
- Chili Powder
- Worcestershire
- Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- Optional: cornstarch or xanthan gum to thicken sauce if needed
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
- To make these low-carb or keto, use a low-carb or keto-friendly bun or alternative to serve the sloppy joes on.
- For more spice, add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, sliced pepperoncini, sliced jalapenos, or hot sauce.
- Want to add some veggies? Add 1 to 1½ cups of sauteed mushrooms, onions, green bell pepper, or diced zucchini. You could also add cooked spinach or even corn.
- Use ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef.
How To Make Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.
Brown Meat
With pressure cooker set on Saute or medium heat, brown ground beef, sausage, and onions.
Add Remaining Ingredients
Add garlic, tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire, and salt to Instant Pot. Combine all ingredients.
Cook
Lock the lid and set the pressure cooker to High for 5 minutes.
Allow pressure release naturally for 15 minutes of cooking time, then do a quick release.
Thicken
If the mixture has become too runny, whisk in ½ teaspoon of xantham gum and let it sit for about 15 minutes to thicken. Add more as needed, but only ¼ teaspoons at a time. A little goes a long way.
How To Serve
- Serve on a bun (regular, low carb, or keto bun), wrapped in lettuce, over a Chaffle, or even a grilled portobello mushroom.
- Top with coleslaw. Try my Dill Pickle Slaw - it's delicious AND goes well with these sloppy joes.
- Top with cheese. You can't go wrong with melted cheese.
- Got spicy lovers? Make sure they have a hot sauce, some sliced pepperoncini or maybe even some sliced jalapenos.
Top Tips
- Drain the ground beef and sausage to reduce extra fat if desired.
- If you prefer more tang in your sloppy joes add a little extra vinegar, mustard, or tomato sauce.
- If you want more sweetness, add more of the brown sugar.
FAQs
In order to meal prep the sloppy joes ahead of time you will need to brown the ground beef, pork, and onion first. Add the remaining ingredients and allow it to cool. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.
Alternatively, you can prep all your ingredients in advance and cook everything the day you intend to serve it.
You can also make the entire recipe, start to finish, up to 3 days ahead, and then store and reheat when you are ready for each meal. This is a great meal prep idea.
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
Yes, you can freeze sloppy joes - I often make two batches and freeze one for later. It reheats really well.
Leftovers can go into an ovenproof, freezer-proof airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in your microwave, Instant Pot (slow cooker or saute setting), or on your stovetop over low heat.
Can I ask you a favor?
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
📖 The recipe.
Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup use sugar free if following keto
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar use a sugar substitute if following keto
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Optional thickener: 1 tablespoon cornstarch or ¼ teaspoon xantham gum
Instructions
- With pressure cooker set on Saute, medium heat, brown ground beef, sausage, and onions.
- Add garlic, tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire, and salt to slow cooker. Combine all ingredients. Lock lid and set pressure cooker on High for 5 minutes.
- Once cooking is complete, allow pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a quick release.
- If the mixture has become too runny, you can whisk in ½ teaspoon of xantham gum and let sit for about 15 minutes to thicken. Add more as needed, but only ¼ teaspoon at a time. A little goes a long way.
- Serve and enjoy! Delicious serving ideas are below.
Video
Kori's Tips
Nutrition
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
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- Creamy Beef Taco Soup
- Cheeseburger Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef
- Zucchini Ground Beef Taco Casserole
- Air Fryer Nachos (Loaded Nachos with Ground Beef)
- Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- Texas Style No Bean Chili Recipe
More Instant Pot Recipes
If you are looking for more delicious Instant Pot recipes, check these out:
- Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Low Carb and Keto Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Instant Pot sloppy joes are a delicious dinner idea. Making pressure cooker sloppy joes is the perfect weeknight dinner idea - so easy and you use only one pot! Hooray for that! This recipe can easily be made low carb, keto, and gluten-free. #sloppyjoes #groundbeefrecipe #pork #easydinneridea #keto #lowcarb #peppers #beef #dinner #easyrecipe #pressurecooker #instantpot
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