Vegan Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

Total time30 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time20 min

Sweet peppers, onion, and garlic get a quick sauté right in the Instant Pot, then simmer with tomato sauce, tomato paste, a spoonful of brown sugar, and a tangy hit of mustard until the filling turns thick, glossy, and deeply savory. Smoked paprika and chili powder bring warmth and a little smoky depth, while the pressure cooker does the heavy lifting in just minutes, no watching a pot on the stove required. Once it's simmered down to that perfect, spoon-mounding consistency, it's ready to pile onto soft hamburger buns for a fast, saucy weeknight dinner. This one-pot approach makes it easy to fit into a vegan lineup, and it comes together quickly enough for a busy weeknight without sacrificing that classic sloppy joe flavor. Leftovers reheat beautifully, so it's worth doubling the batch.

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Ingredients

6 servings

1 ½ lb ground beef (80/20)
Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Frozen Ground Be'f - 13.7 Oz MorningStar Farms Crumbles Plant Based Protein Vegan Meat Grillers - 12 Oz Lightlife Smart Ground Original Plant-Based Crumbles Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Crumbles Ground Be'f RollinGreens Plant-Based Me'Eat Ground Taco
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Chef's tip
Pick the form that matches the recipe - a raw, moldable ground for patties, meatballs, or meatloaf; crumbles only for loose browned meat. Cook it in the recipe like the meat, checking doneness against the package guidance.
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup water

For serving

6 hamburger buns

Instructions

1
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (Normal). Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains and the meat is browned in spots, about 7–8 minutes. Tilt the pot and spoon off all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered fat.
2
Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

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