These easy Vegan Sloppy Joes are made with hearty lentils and the perfect mix of sweet and spicy sauce. Made in the Instant Pot, they are ready in only 35 minutes. Growing up, regular sloppy joes were one of my all time favorite meals. You know I had to make a vegan version of this classic sandwich.
They’re the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner or dish to pass at your next barbecue.
Top them with Vegan Coleslaw for the perfect vegan version of an American classic.
For more vegan Instant Pot dishes, try this Instant Pot Brown Rice Risotto or Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice.
Why You’ll Love These Lentil Sloppy Joes
- Quick & Easy – This recipe comes together in 35 minutes with a few basic ingredients and spices. There are no fancy specialty ingredients in these sloppy joes.
- Allergy-Friendly – With the exception of legumes, these sloppy joes are safe for just about any allergy, making them a great recipe for a party or barbecue. They’re vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free too (with the selection of a gluten-free bun).
- Main or side dish – These lentils are perfect on top of a bun as a main dish, but they also have excellent baked-bean vibes and can be served as a side dish as well.
Ingredients
- Lentils – This recipe calls for dry lentils. Brown lentils work best for this recipe, but you can also use green lentils if that is what you have. If you are using an Instant Pot, you just need to pre-rinse them, no need to soak. Red lentils cook down too soft and will become mush in this recipe. You can absolutely use pre-cooked lentils from a can to cut down on prep and cook time.
- Yellow onion – Any onion or shallot works, just make sure to dice finely.
- Garlic – I prefer to use minced garlic in addition to powdered for this recipe, but if you only have one, just use that!
- Ketchup – This makes up a good portion of the sauciness that makes these lentils “sloppy”. If you don’t have ketchup, you can replace this with extra BBQ sauce or tomato paste.
- Mustard – This adds a little zing that helps balance the sweeter flavors in the sauce, omit if you don’t like it, or replace it with 1 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar.
- Maple Syrup – Just a touch of maple syrup cuts the strong flavors of the ketchup and mustard and adds some sweetness. You can replace it with brown sugar, or regular sugar or omit it entirely if you prefer.
- BBQ sauce – Add this in at the very last step for that final smoky flavor that is so reminiscent of traditional sloppy joes.
- Spices – Salt, cumin and chili powder add some more depth of flavor to this dish. Top with fresh cracked black pepper.
- Hamburger buns or other bread
- Optional: Vegan Worcestershire sauce – This has been difficult for me to find at local grocery stores, and I don’t notice a difference in flavor when I do use it, so I choose to omit.
Helpful Equipment
In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:
- Instant Pot or large skillet
How to Make
This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!
Instant Pot Instructions
Start by dicing the onion and garlic. Use the sauté setting in the Instant Pot to cook them until they begin to soften.
Next, add all the remaining ingredients except the barbecue sauce. I used brown lentils for this recipe, so they cook at a 1: 2.25 lentil to water ratio in the Instant Pot. So for every 1 cup of lentils you’ll use 2 1/4 cups water.
Once all ingredients (except the BBQ sauce) are in the pot, give them a stir, then lock the lid in place, set it to “sealing” and use the Pressure Cook setting for 10 minutes.
My Instant Pot takes about 10-15 minutes to reach pressure, so the total cooking time is around 25 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot is done, carefully release the pressure manually until the pressure indicator lowers. Your model may differ, so be sure to read the instructions. Remove the lid carefully. Stir in the barbecue sauce and stir for 1-2 minutes until evenly distributed and heated through.
Stovetop Directions
If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can cook the lentils on the stove by bringing a large pot of water to a boil, adding the lentils, and then allowing them to simmer covered for 25 to 30 minutes or until fully cooked.
Sauté your garlic and onion in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat and add all ingredients together at the end.
If you are serving this dish to a crowd, you can put the instant pot on the “Keep Warm” setting and leave the sloppy joe mixture right in there to serve.
Otherwise, you can serve these on hamburger buns or your favorite bread, top them with pickle slices, red onions, vegan coleslaw, or any other favorite toppings. Enjoy!
How to Store
- Fridge: Leftovers will last in the fridge for 5-7 days in an airtight container. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth to thin the mixture when reheating.
- Freezer: You can freeze these lentils in batches for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw and reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
More Tips
- Not Vegan? This same spice combination works great for ground meat. Just brown the meat on the stove first. Or you can add Worcestershire sauce if you want to stick with the lentils. Use chicken broth instead of water to cook the lentils.
- Gluten-Free? Opt for a gluten-free bun and you’re all set.
- Want some spice? Add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or diced jalapeno peppers for a bit of a kick.
FAQ
Yes! Diced red bell pepper, shredded carrots, or even finely diced zucchini or sweet potato would be delicious. Add them into the Instant Pot when cooking the lentils or cook separately if preparing this recipe on the stove.
Totally! This sauce would be delicious on any vegan meat alternative (soy curls, textured vegetable protein, crumbled extra-firm tofu, etc.). You wouldn’t need to pressure cook the vegan ground beef, but brown it in a large skillet instead.
Of course! Add as much or little hot sauce to this recipe as you’d like.
Absolutely. Just add everything into your slow cooker and heat on high for 2-3 hours or until the lentils are fully cooked.
Instant Pot Lentil Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or green lentils
- 2.25 cup water
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Start by dicing the onion and garlic. Use the sauté setting in the Instant Pot to cook them until they begin to soften.
- Next, add all the remaining ingredients except the barbeque sauce. Lock the lid in place, set it to “sealing” and use the Pressure Cook setting for 10 minutes. Total cooking time is around 25 minutes after allowing the Instant Pot to reach pressure.
- If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can cook them on the stove by bringing a large pot of water to a boil, adding the lentils, then allowing to simmer covered for 25 to 30 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Once the Instant Pot is done, carefully release the pressure manually until the pressure indicator lowers. Remove the lid carefully. Stir in the barbecue sauce and stir.
- Serve these sloppy joes on buns, bread, with vegan coleslaw, or as a side dish on their own. Enjoy!
Notes
- Not Vegan? This same spice combination works great for ground beef or turkey. Just brown the meat on the stove first. Or you can add Worcestershire sauce if you want to stick with the lentils.
- Gluten-Free? Opt for a gluten-free bun and you’re all set.
- Want some spice? Add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or diced jalapeno peppers for a bit of a kick.
Nutrition
Please note, while all ingredients used in this recipe have been verified to be vegan and free of applicable allergens at the time of recipe creation, different brands may differ in their ingredients or processing procedures and may change their ingredients at any time. For some recipes, I do include ingredients that are processed in a facility that processes other allergens. Please make sure to check the ingredients and processing procedures for your specific purchases to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
Last Updated on May 20, 2025
This is such an easy meat-free version of sloppy joes. The flavors are on point and I love that it is all made in the instant pot!
Sounds so delicious. Thank you for sharing this easy to make recipe. 😊
Pastor Natalie (ExamineThisMoment)
Letstakeamoment.com