Easy Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (Pantry Meal)

For my American friends, classic Sloppy Joes were a childhood staple. But growing up in Sierra Leone, I had never even heard of Sloppy Joes until just a few years ago. But after that very first bite, all I could think was why have I never eaten these before?!

Knowing that Sloppy Joes really do taste that amazing, I realised there is only one way the could be even better. Enter this recipe for Instant Pot Sloppy Joes — a delicious Pressure version of this American comfort food dish.

Even better is that this full of comfort food flavor treat is made entirely with budget friendly pantry staples so you can quickly whip it up for weeknight suppers, impromptu lunches and more.

Using frozen ground beef and frozen veggies and defrosted buns makes this an easy store cupboard meal that you will come back to again and again. Of course make it with fresh veggies if you prefer.

Why You’ll love These

• Making sloppy joes in the pressure cooker is budget-friendly. No expensive ingredients here.
• It can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd.Perfect for BBQs, picnics and more.
• Great For meal Prep. Prep ahead and pull out when needed
• The recipe can easily become gluten-free. Just substitute in a gluten-free bun.
• This is a kid-friendly meal. Kiddoes love Sloppy Joes

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes are full of great comfort food flavour and are sooooo easy to make. Thanks to the little kitchen miracle all that is needed is just a few mins to quickly sauté the onions and peppers then brown the meat. After that simply add the rest of the ingredients, set it and forget it. Yeap. It really is that easy.

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Materials

Ready to make this Instant Pot Sloppy Joes recipe? Gather your ingredients and let me show you…

How to Make Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Step by Step

1. Switch the Instant Pot on to the sauté setting and add the oil to the Instant Pot Insert and Sauté the onions and peppers for 5 mins until the onion is soft.
2. Stir in the beef and garlic and sauté for a few mins until the beef is brown.
3. Switch off the heat and stir in the water and vinegar and thoroughly deglaze the pot.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients until the black pepper, but don’t mix them.
5. Cover your Instant Pot, set the vent to ‘sealing,’ select the manual or pressure cook button (dependent upon the Instant Pot model), select high pressure, and set the timer to 5 mins.
6. When done allow for a Natural Pressure Release of 10 mins before releasing the rest of the steam using quick release method.
7. Stuff the burger buns with the Sloppy Joe mix and serve.

Recipe Tips 

• For something different, serve Instant Pot Sloppy Joes the ‘Jamie Oliver way.’ Jamie serves his sloppy joes inside of whole wheat wraps instead of hamburger buns.
• Make sure to use lean mince. If you don’t, you will need to drain the excess fat before adding the meat to the Instant Pot.
• Set out ingredients with various condiments and fun toppings to create a serve-yourself sloppy joe bar. This is something the kiddoes (big and small) will absolutely love.
• If you like a little heat, add in chilli flakes or some diced jalapeno peppers.

What are Sloppy Joes?

You’ll find sloppy joes at American BBQs, picnics and get-togethers of all sorts. They consist of beef or pork mince, tomato ketchup or sauce, onions and typically Worcestershire sauce (but I swapped the sauce for a ‘secret ingredient’ in my version). The flavourful mixture is served on a hamburger bun.

I had my first sloppy joe a few years ago thanks to a friend from across the pond and it was love at first bite. And Freddy loooved them too. The mini chefs were hesitant at first but very happy after a few bites.

Serving Suggestions

• Instant Pot Potato Salad.
• Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings
• Easy Coleslaw
• Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Weight Watchers Points 

There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

Thank you for reading my Instant Pot Sloppy Joes recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.

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Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes are a delicious Instant Pot version of the classic American comfort food dish.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Western

Keyword: instant pot sloppy joes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Bintu Hardy | Recipes From A Pantry

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup frozen onion 0r 1 onion peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 cup frozen bell pepper or 1 pepper deseeded and finely diced
• 675 g (1 1/2 pounds) lean minced beef
• 1 tsp garlic puree
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tbsp tamari soya the secret ingredient that adds great depth of flavour
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 toasted burger buns split (use gluten free buns if following a gluten-free diet)

Instructions

• Switch the Instant Pot on to the sauté setting and add the oil to the Instant Pot Insert and Sauté the onions and peppers for 4-5 mins until the onion is soft.
• Stir in the beef and garlic and sauté for a few mins until the beef is brown.
• Switch off the heat and stir in the water and vinegar and thoroughly deglaze the pot.
• Add the rest of the ingredients until the black pepper, but do not mix.
• Cover your Instant Pot, set the vent to 'sealing,' select the manual or pressure cook button (dependent upon IP model), select high pressure and set the timer to 5 mins.
• When done allow for a Natural Pressure Release of 10 mins before releasing the rest of the steam using quick release method.
• Stuff the burger buns with the Sloppy Joe mix and serve.

**INSTANT POT RECIPE BINDER**Get your Instant Pot Recipe Binder to keep all your recipes and tips organized in one place.

Notes

Tips

• For something different, serve Instant Pot Sloppy Joes the ‘Jamie Oliver way.’Jamie serves his sloppy joes inside of whole wheat wraps instead of hamburger buns.
• Make sure to use lean mince.If you don’t, you will need to drain the excess fat before adding the meat to the Instant Pot.
• Tamari soya is my ‘secret ingredient’ that adds great depth of flavour, but you can also make this using fish sauce instead.
• If you like a little heat, add in chilli flakes or some diced jalapeno peppers.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of Instant Pot Sloppy Joes.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 695mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 675IU | Vitamin C: 23.5mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4mg