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5 from 2 votes

The BEST Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Recipe

Flavorful sloppy joes that come together in just a few minutes in your Instant Pot!
Prep Time12 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Natural Release10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 30 minute recipe, Instant Pot Recipe, sandwich, sloppy joes
Servings: 8
Calories: 249kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
  • ½ red bell pepper diced
  • ½ red onion diced
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon steak seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 8 hamburger buns

Instructions

  • Press the SAUTE button. Add in the butter and let it melt.
  • Add in the ground beef, red pepper, and red onion and cook, using a spatula to break up the meat.
  • Press CANCEL.
  • In a bowl, mix together brown sugar, red wine vinegar, steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce.
  • Pour sauce on meat in Instant Pot and stir to combine. If you are worried about getting the "burn notice" on your Instant Pot, use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot and loosen up any burned or brown bits on the bottom of the pot (aka deglazing the pot).
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and secure in place. Turn the vent to SEALING. Press the MANUAL button and set the timer for 8 minutes.
  • When cooking is finished, let the pressure NATURALLY RELEASE for 10 minutes and then move the vent to VENTING and release the remaining pressure.
  • Remove the lid and stir to make sure everything is mixed together, then serve meat on hamburger buns.

Notes

  • You can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef.
  • If you are worried about getting the burn notice, feel free to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of beef broth or water to the pot before cooking.
How to turn this into a freezer meal:
  • Cook the ground beef and place in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Let the bag cool down (if still hot from the cooked ground beef).
  • Add in the bell pepper and onion into the bag. In a bowl, mix together brown sugar, red wine vinegar, steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. Pour on top of the ground beef. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last up to 90 days.
  • When ready to use, dump ingredients from bag into Instant Pot (if it won’t come out, run the bag under hot water so that you can remove/peel off the frozen bag). Add 1/2 cup of water in with the frozen food. Place the lid on top, move the valve to SEALING, and press the MANUAL button. Set timer for 25 minutes. Do a QUICK RELEASE when the timer is done. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 567mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 4mg