Description
This Instant Pot Sloppy Joes recipe delivers a hearty, tangy, and flavorful sandwich filling made with ground beef simmered in a rich tomato and BBQ sauce mixture. Quick to prepare and cooked under high pressure, it’s an easy weeknight dinner that yields juicy, perfectly sauced sloppy joes in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1½ lb ground beef
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Thickening Mixture
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 Tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Sauté the beef: Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté mode. Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant. Turn off the Instant Pot and carefully drain any excess fat.
- Add tomato sauce and deglaze: While the Instant Pot is still hot, pour in the tomato sauce. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, which adds extra flavor to the sauce.
- Combine sauces and seasoning: Stir in the BBQ sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, and onion powder until everything is well combined.
- Pressure cook: Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it, and set the valve to seal. Cook on Manual or High Pressure for 10 minutes. When cooking is complete, turn off the pot and perform a quick release of the steam.
- Thicken the sauce: Remove the lid and set the pot to Sauté mode again. Mix the corn starch with hot water to create a slurry, then stir it into the pot. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the meat nicely.
Notes
- You can serve the sloppy joe mixture on toasted hamburger buns with your favorite toppings like pickles, cheese, or coleslaw.
- For a spicier kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the sauce mixture.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, ensure the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce you use are gluten-free certified.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a leaner version of sloppy joes.
