OPTIONALslurry of 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons waterwhisked with a fork
Instructions
STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain excess grease.
Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Sautee 3 - 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook until heated through and liquid has cooked off to your liking.
Whisk in corn starch slurry to further thicken sauce if desired.
INSTANT POT VARIATION
On saute mode brown ground beef. Drain excess grease.
Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Sautee with beef 3 - 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, stir to mix, then cover and set to "sealing". (If your pot is prone to giving a burn notice, add an additional ½ cup of water. Cook on manual pressure (high) for 5 minutes then carefully quick release, pausing if the pot begins to sputter.
If the sauce is too thin, cook of some of the liquid on saute mode, and/or stir in the corn starch slurry while still simmering hot.
SLOW COOKER VARIATION
If desired, brown ground beef on the stove top. Drain excess grease. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Sautee with beef 3 - 5 minutes.
(You can skip this first step and put the ground meat and vegetables in the slow cooker raw if you'd like. I strongly suggest using a lean ground meat if you go this route).
Place ground beef and vegetables in slow cooker. If meat is raw, break it up with a spatula.
Add remaining ingredients, stir to mix, then cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours or high for 4 - 6 hours. In the last 30 minutes, uncover and stir every few minutes. Replace lid askew for remaining cook time so excess liquid simmers off.
Video
Notes
This makes a THICK sloppy joe. If you like yours a little on the sloppier side, you can add an extra can of tomato sauce.
*This is a bit on the sweeter side. If you don't like that, you can decrease the amount of brown sugar or leave it out entirely.
If your instant pot is prone to the burn notice (some pots are more sensitive than others), this recipe may give you some difficulty. I personally have NOT received a burn notice when making it. Calories are automatically generated. For best results calculate based on your exact ingredients.