Description
Juicy ground beef simmered in a tangy-sweet barbecue sauce right in the slow cooker. An easy, hands-off meal that’s perfect for weeknights, game day, or feeding a crowd!
Ingredients
Ground Beef Mixture:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Barbecue Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional, for a little heat)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
For Serving:
- Hamburger buns
- Pickles, coleslaw, or cheese slices (optional toppings)
Instructions
- Brown the Ground Beef: In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
- Saute Vegetables: Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet, cooking until softened (about 3 minutes).
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Transfer the beef mixture to a slow cooker. Stir in barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook in Slow Cooker: Cover and cook on Low for 4–6 hours or High for 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Serve: Serve the barbecue beef mixture on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Perfect for meal prep — the mixture stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw and reheat before serving.
- Great served as sliders for parties, or spooned over baked potatoes or rice for variety.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Course, Sandwiches
- Method: Slow Cooker, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
