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Home » Recipes » Instant Pot

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

Modified: Nov 9, 2021 by Kori Butler · Published: Nov 9, 2021

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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.

Portait image of instant pot cloppy joes served over a chaffle and topped with coleslaw

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

Ingredients need to make intant pot sloppy joes

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.

Browning the ground beef, pork, and onions in the pressure cookerPin

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.

Adding the remaining sloppy joes ingredientsPin

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.

A spoon is dishing out some of the sloppy joes mixture from the pressure cooker potPin

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

Can you make this sloppy joes recipe ahead of time?

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.

How to store it

Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

Can you freeze sloppy joes?

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.

Feature image of sloppy joes served on a white plate with coleslaw

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes made easy in your pressure cooker. Amazing flavor that's a cross between savory, tangy, and sweet. Low carb keto gluten free.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Author Kori Butler
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Instant Pot
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 358 kcal

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

  • Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
  • The suggested cooking time includes the time it takes for the pressure to build in your pot.
  • VARIATIONS: Make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes, sliced pepperoncini, sliced jalapenos, or hot sauce. Sneak in up to 1 cup of vegetables such as mushrooms, green bell pepper, or diced zucchini. Saute with the onions and meat.
  • SUBSTITUTIONS: Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef. Lower the fat content by using a lower fat ground beef
  • TOP TIPS: Drain the ground beef and sausage to reduce extra fat if desired. If you prefer more tang add a little extra vinegar, mustard, or tomato sauce. If you want more sweetness, add more brown sugar.
  • SERVING SUGGESTION: Top with cheese if desired. Low carb and keto followers use low carb keto-friendly buns or alternatives such as a Chaffle. Delicious served with our Dill Pickle Slaw
  • Nutrition

    Calories: 358kcalCarbohydrates: 7.8gProtein: 22.3gFat: 26.2gCholesterol: 85.4mgSodium: 2582mgFiber: 2.2gSugar: 3.9g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @seekinggoodeatsofficial or tag #seekinggoodeats! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

    © 2025 Seeking Good Eats™

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    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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    Hey there, I'm Kori.

    I’m a culinary school trained chef specializing in holistic nutrition and wellness. I’ve always been a major foodie, and as I’ve aged, the full impact of my love of food—and not-necessarily-healthy eating habits—caught up to me. In an effort to make positive changes in my life (and hopefully yours, too), I created this website where I could share great-tasting, craveable, healthy recipes.

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