Slow Cooker Lentil Sloppy Joes
How amazing do these sandwiches look? Lentil sloppy joes, made in the slow cooker. That means for evenings when it’s snowing (again) and you’re tired of cooking (again) you’ve got something that is healthy, hearty and perfect for the entire family.
You’d likely be surprised to know that I don’t love cooking all the time. I feel like that’s something that I’m not supposed to admit in public, but it’s true. I’m just as over being in the kitchen as you are most nights, which means my slow cooker is one of my favorite appliances. Especially this time of year.
So, I’ve taken my favorite sloppy joe sandwich and turned it into a slow cooker version. This one is perfect for weeknights, but also for times when you have company over and you’re looking for a grazing meal.
Grazing meal = having food ready to go, so that people can grab a sandwich whenever they please.
To take these above and beyond, I’m adding in a creamy slaw crunch on top. It’s the perfect mix of texture and flavor, a must for sloppy sandwiches. I find that I really need some kind of crunch and bright flavor whenever I eat food like this. Otherwise, it can get a bit mushy and bland.
Fellow crunch/texture obsessives, you’ll likely want to do what I do: pile on crispy pickles on top of the coleslaw for another layer of deliciousness.
Either way, these slow cooker sloppy joes are a must make for busy weeknights. Enjoy!
If you make these slow cooker lentil sloppy joes, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Slow Cooker Lentil Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 1 15 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Coleslaw ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, or 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon celery seeds
- Fresh hamburger buns to assemble
Instructions
- Add all of the lentil sloppy joe ingredients (no coleslaw ingredients yet) into the slow cooker. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Cover and cook for 3 1/2 hours on high in your slow cooker (or Instant Pot set to Slow Cook.)
- Check the lentil sloppy joes every hour or so, adding more water if necessary.
- Once the lentil sloppy joes have started cooking, you can make the coleslaw by simply combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate. You can also make this just before the lentil sloppy joes are done but leaving it to set for a while makes the flavors come together wonderfully.
- Once the lentil sloppy joes are finished cooking, serve them on fresh hamburger buns, topped with coleslaw.