Vegetarian Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

Total time30 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time20 min

This one-pot classic gets its deep, savory flavor from a rich tomato base built with tomato sauce and tomato paste, a good hit of garlic, and a hearty saute of diced onion and green bell pepper. Brown sugar and yellow mustard bring that signature sweet-tangy balance, while chili powder and smoked paprika add warmth and a subtle smoky edge. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting here, pressure-cooking everything together in minutes before a quick simmer thickens the filling into a scoopable, saucy mixture that mounds perfectly on a spoon. Piled onto soft hamburger buns, it's messy in the best way and ready fast enough for a weeknight table. This is a satisfying, crowd-pleasing option for a vegetarian dinner rotation, no long ingredient list or fuss required.

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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 Impossible Foods Ground Beef Meat from Plants - 12 oz Beyond Meat Beyond Beef Plant Based Ground Beef - 16 Oz MorningStar Farms Crumbles Plant Based Protein Vegan Meat Grillers - 12 Oz Lightlife Smart Ground Original Plant-Based Crumbles
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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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