Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat

33 Comments

Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

I loved eating sloppy joes as a kid – so fun and messy! Today, I’m sharing a delicious recipe for sloppy joe meat sauce – you can make this so easily in an instant pot!

This recipe is likely a bit more sophisticated in flavor than the traditional sloppy joe meat you ate as a child – thanks to the addition of smoked paprika, molasses and a touch of cayenne. I’m sure you’ll love the sauce!

Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Once the meat is done cooking in your instant pot, you can hit the “sauté” function to reduce some of the liquid. That’ll keep the sloppy joes from becoming a bit too sloppy. Meat tends to release a lot of water – so I usually do this with most meat dishes that I make in the instant pot. It helps concentrate the flavors without too much extra liquid.

This recipe calls for two pounds of meat – I usually freeze half the batch for a rainy/lazy day. You can halve the recipe if you want. Also, if you don’t have an instant pot, you can make my sloppy joe boats instead!

Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat

Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat

4.63 from 8 reviews
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Servings 2 pounds of meat

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 2 onions diced
  • 8 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste!
  • Cilantro garnish – optional

Instructions
 

  • Press the “sauté” button on the Instant Pot. Add the oil and onions and and saute for 4-5 minutes.
  • Next, add the garlic, spices and ground beef. Cook until the beef is mostly browned.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, then cover the lid and close the pressure valve. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
  • Naturally release pressure (or use the quick release if short on time).
  • Open the pot and if the meat released a lot of liquid, press the “saute” button to boil off any extra liquid. Reduce the sauce according to your desired level of thickness.

Notes

I do not add any additional water to the Instant Pot prior to cooking because meat naturally releases water. You can add water if you’d like, but you’ll need to boil it off at the end by pressing the saute button once it’s done cooking.
Also, just fyi – I usually end up freezing half for another day.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!

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Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Meat by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

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About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.

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Comments

  1. Jenn says

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Perfectly sweet and reminiscent of having sloppy joes as a kid…just healthier. 🙂 Might have to try it without cumin next time because for some reason my fiance hates the spice and can taste even a small hint of it. More for me this time. 🙂

  2. hotmail says

    This recipe was crazy easy and DELICIOUS! Thanks so much for sharing! I can’t wait to try it again with the coleslaw!

  3. Vanessa says

    Love this recipe! I’ve made a few subs and adjustments to my family’s tastes but we have used it 3 or 4 times since we got our instant pot.

  4. Amy says

    2 stars
    I’m sorry, but this recipe tasted more like chili than sloppy Joes. That’s even with using 1\4 the cayenne pepper called for in the recipe.

  5. Valerie Jacobs says

    Hi I’m trying this today. I’ve always added kidney beans to my sloppy joes and worchestshire sauce to my ground meat dishes. I’m hoping that using diced tomatoes and tomato paste will make a good consistency.

  6. Nazahah says

    Hi!

    Excited to try this next week! I’m meal prepping so I wanted to ask, is there an substitute to molasses?

  7. melissa says

    would coconut oil be ok? and is oil safe in the pressure cooker after the saute? Sorry so new to all this.

  8. Marlene says

    Trying your recipe today! Looks very tasty! Was wondering what kind of mustard you used…yellow, brown or perhaps mustard powder? Thanks!

  9. Naomi says

    This was terrific! I agree with another reviewer- I have tried several of your recipes and they always turn out wonderfully. Thank you!!

  10. Nancy says

    This was fantastic. I made them with Butler soy curls instead of beef. I also used 1 can’t of cut up tomatoes and one can of tomato sauce instead of two cans of sauce.

  11. Jeff says

    5 stars
    Second time making this and it is a family hit. My youngest daughter (the picky one) loves it and said it tastes like chili and I agree that it would be a good base for a chili. I think maybe next time I might adapt it into a chili. Speaking of Chili, We do like your InstaPot chili too http://myheartbeets.com/texas-beef-chili/

  12. Shelley says

    5 stars
    I cut the recipe in half and cooked for 15 min. I had to simmer for 5 minutes to boil off extra liquid. I had to use marinara instead of tomato sauce, and 1 tsp garlic salt instead of garlic.I didn’t have smoked paprika and didn’t use cayenne. It still turned out great! It was the first sloppy joe experience for my three picky kids and all of them ate it. My husband even went back for seconds, which rarely happens when I cook. Thank you!

  13. Sindhu Mathew says

    5 stars
    I have tried out several of your recipes already and I am a huge fan of yours. You have inspired me to cook and try out new things. I bought the instant pot and this is the first recipe that I tried. Its the most amazing sloppy joe that I have ever had. I love my instant pot and going to try all of your recipes with this. Hope you will find the time to post more instant pot dishes. I know you are busy with your little one 🙂

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