Listen, as a mom for over a decade, I know how important quick, easy meals are and this slow cooker sloppy joes recipe hits all the right notes.
Plus, what kids don’t love sloppy joes! You’re literally giving them a reason to have a messy dinner!
Sloppy joes themselves are really easy to make; however, these slow cooker vegan sloppy joes are even easier. Literally we are just going to throw most of our ingredients together in a slow cooker and then the recipe is good to go.
Lentils are a great meat replacement because they are filling and take on somewhat of a similar texture in that they are hearty.
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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes Ingredients:
Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this easy crockpot vegan sloppy joes:
- lentils – you want to use green or brown lentils for this recipe. Red lentils break down too much so they won’t be great for this recipe
- onions, garlic, and bell peppers – These three are our aromatics of the dish and create the base layer of flavor that is perfect is giving this knock off burger lots of flavor.
- seasonings- We have a unique blend that we highly suggest not altering. Obviously, you can taste and adjust as needed, but we definitely recommend starting with the base we suggest
- diced tomatoes – We love fire roasted tomatoes in this dish. Adding the tomatoes into the lentils when it first start cooking allowing for the flavor to develop
- soy sauce and liquid smoke – the soy sauce gives us an umami flavor and the liquid smoke helps the recipe seem like it’s been out under a smoker for hours
- ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar – these three are the base of any sloppy joe recipe and give that sloppy yet sweet
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- lentils – you could sub the dried lentils for canned lentils. If you do this, reduce the stock to ¾ cup.
- diced tomatoes – While we love fire roasted tomatoes in this dish, any diced tomatoes would work
- soy sauce and liquid smoke – soy sauce can be swapped with coconut or liquid aminos if needed
- yellow mustard – try swapped the yellow mustard for dijon for a little different taste
- brown sugar – replace with coconut sugar, date sugar or a syrup like maple syrup
Frequently Asked Questions:
This recipe is already very allergen friendly. You just need to swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos or a no soy soy sauce depending on your allergens.
Yes! Once made and cooled, this sloppy joes recipe can be stored in an air tight container for up to 5-7 days.
You can do it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds depending on the amount or you can add into a saucepan over medium low heat for 5 minutes or until heated through. Either way you choose, you may want to add a splash of vegetable stock before reheating.
The biggest tip that we can give here is to not overcook it. Most slow cooker recipes need between 4 and 8 hours; however, this one only needs 3. Other than that, follow the exact recipe amounts.
If you need to make this recipe faster, we suggest you follow our recipe for our regular (non-slow cooker) vegan lentil sloppy joes.
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What other easy vegan dinner ideas could I make?
- Vegan Beefless Stew
- Taco Bell Copycat Mexican Pizza
- Easy Black Bean Tacos
- Vegan Lentil Tacos with Spinach and Feta
- Vegan French Bread Pizza
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Slow Cooker Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried lentils (green or brown)
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (other colors work too)
- 2 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 15 oz canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes (NOT drained)
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (can use coconut aminos or no soy soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 ¼ cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 1 cup ketchup, more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, more or less to taste
- 4 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1-2 tablespoons sriracha, optional only if you want it spicy
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Into a slow cooker add everything from the lentils to the vegetable stock. Stir very well together.
- Turn on slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3. Do not overcook. Most all of the liquid should be evaporated, if not all to continue cooking a bit longer.
- Remove lid and add in the ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. If wanting it spicy, add the sriracha.
- Stir together and serve on buns.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Did you make and love this recipe?
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My family loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing. I didn’t have liquid smoke on hand so I used a canned chipotle pepper and a little of the sauce they’re packed in. Delicious!
We’re thrilled to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe. Your substitution of using a canned chipotle pepper with its sauce instead of liquid smoke sounds absolutely delicious, what a creative solution! We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and are so glad the recipe worked out well for you.
Too sweet for our taste!
Would try again without added sugar, plain tomato paste instead of ketchup, 1/4 cup more lentils and a bit less liquid overall. 😉
Thanks for your feedback
We love this recipe, and I make it again and again. I would not change a thing.
so glad you love it!
Thanks so much for this recipe!!! The sloppy Joe patties were delicious! Will definitely have this as a go to for different dinner nights. 🙏💯
So glad you enjoyed it
My house smells great. I doubled the recipe and it is still very liquidy after 2 hours on high. If I need to can I just continue cooking it until it thickens, I don’t think 3 hours will be enough time. I need it for tomorrow so I have all the time in the world.
It was an epic fail for me too. They were in the crock pot for 6 hours on high last night. Tonight they are on the stove. Lentils still not cooked. Flavor might be ok, but haven’t added ketchup, etc. Will add less of that and the brown sugar and hope for the best.
Did the liquid run out on high for that long? They should be cooked well after 6 hours. What type of lentils did you use?
We love this recipe, it’s become a regular item on our meal rotation.
We’re making it this week for our picky 4-yr-old grandson, I’m betting he will approve. Thanks for all the great recipes you post!
I bet so too!