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These air fryer sloppy joes are a fun and mess-free way to enjoy the classic! You won’t miss the buns, and they’re made with canned sauce for extra convenience.
These air fryer hand pies are like a cross between sloppy joes and pockets!
Think saucy, savory ground beef and melted cheddar sealed inside a flaky pie crust.
And because these cook in the air fryer rather than a deep fryer, they come out beautifully golden, with none of the excess grease!
It’s like a non-sloppy joe pie recipe, both during cooking and eating.
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These air fryer pies are great for fueling up on the go! They remind me of my favorite breakfast hand pies: Ghanaian meat pies.
And for mid-afternoon snacking, I recommend these peach mango pies. What better way to beat the summer slump than with something sweet and peachy, right?
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Sloppy Joes Recipe
- Because these air fryer sloppy joes aren’t actually sloppy, they’re great for serving at gatherings and for bringing to picnics!
- These sloppy joe hand pies with premade pie crust and canned sauce are both economical and easy enough to make on a weekday!
- These air fryer hand pies are customizable! Switch up the filling, try another crust, or get creative with your tweaks based on what’s already in your fridge and pantry.
Ingredients
Store-bought pie crusts – No need to stress about getting your dry ingredient measurements right! Just grab a box of your favorite refrigerated pie crust for this sloppy joe pie recipe.
Ground beef – I recommend 80 percent lean for a flavorful filling that doesn’t dry out easily.
Sloppy Joe sauce – Not only can you make these air fryer pies with pie crust from the store, but you can also shortcut your way to a delicious beef filling with a can of Manwich Original Sloppy Joe sauce!
Cheddar cheese – Melty cheddar cheese just completes the meaty, savory sauce mixture.
Salt and pepper – The Manwich sauce is already tasty on its own, so we’re just seasoning the beef with classic salt and pepper.
But if you want to give your tomato-based sauce more depth, I think brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce make excellent additions.
Cooking spray – Of course, you can’t make hand pies in air fryer without lightly greasing them before cooking. This will help you get crisp, golden-fried pies in the air fryer!
Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Air Fryer Hand Pies
Ground turkey
For a lighter take on your air fryer sloppy joes, swap ground turkey for beef! You can also use ground chicken or vegan substitutes, such as crumbled tofu.
Biscuits
Curious how to make fried pies in air fryer with something other than store-bought crust? You can also flatten store-bought biscuit dough and use it to make biscuit pockets for these air fryer hand pies.
Cheese
Besides cheddar cheese, I like having pockets of Provolone cheese throughout the filling. Pepper jack cheese and mozzarella cheese are also delicious in these “unsloppy joes” if you want a little something extra.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Cool the Filling Before Assembly
It’s super important that your meat filling is at room temperature before assembling the air fryer sloppy joes! If it’s still hot, the crust can either break or end up soggy.
Add Extras
Veggies are excellent additions for hearty air fryer hand pies! You can stir diced bell peppers, shredded carrots, and diced onions into the meat mixture. Sliced jalapenos are also yummy if you like a little kick.
Make the Sauce From Scratch
If you don’t have a Manwich sauce or just want more control over your filling’s content and flavor, just make a similar sauce from scratch! Just add 1 8-oz can of tomato sauce, 1 cup of ketchup, and extra seasonings like salt, mustard, chili powder, celery seed, and minced onion to the cooked and drained beef in the pan, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.
Air Fried Hand Pies Recipe FAQs
What is a Sloppy Joe?
A sloppy joe is an American sandwich made with saucy, seasoned ground beef served on a hamburger bun. Its exact origins are debated, and the recipe comes in so many variations that you might find versions made with something other than beef or served on a hot dog bun or even a slider bun.
How do you keep hand pies from opening in the air fryer?
Make sure your filling is completely cool before you start assembling, or it’ll soften the dough. When you’re ready to build the hand pies, leave a little border around the edges and crimp them with a fork to keep them sealed. Oh, and definitely resist the urge to overstuff them!
What to serve with air fryer sloppy joes?
These air-fried hand pies pair well with air-fried tater tots and bacon-ranch pasta salad for a substantial meal. I also like them with a glass of salted caramel milkshake to wash it all down. Fast food takeouts, who?
Can you cook sloppy joe hand pies in the oven?
Of course! Bake the sloppy joe pockets at 400°F for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through. I’d experiment with the cooking time and temperature!
How to store and reheat air fryer hand pies?
Once cooled, you can store your Manwich sloppy joe hand pies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, air fry at 350°F until warmed through.
More Delicious Meat Recipes
- Nigerian Meat Pie
- Crockpot Shepherd’s Pie
- Big Mac Tacos
- Breakfast Pizza Puff Pastry
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I found this recipe for Honey Garlic Ground Beef that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Air Fryer Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz box store-bought pie crusts
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 15-oz can Sloppy Joe sauce
- 4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Unroll the refrigerated pie crusts on a lightly floured surface, then cut out several circles with a round cookie cutter. Don't forget to re-roll the scraps to get more circles.
- Brown the ground beef in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks for about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off the excess grease, then season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, then pour in the canned sloppy joe sauce. Stir, bring to a simmer, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool completely before assembly.
- Place a tablespoon of the ground beef mixture in the center of one pie crust circle.
- Top with some shredded cheddar cheese, then place another crust circle over it.
- Press the edges together all the way around, then crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Spray the top of each assembled hand pie with cooking spray. Place the air fryer sloppy joes in the basket and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- It’s super important that your meat filling is at room temperature before assembling the air fryer sloppy joes! If it’s still hot, the crust can either break or end up soggy.
- Veggies are excellent additions for hearty air fryer hand pies! You can stir diced bell peppers, shredded carrots, and diced onions into the meat mixture. Sliced jalapenos are also yummy if you like a little kick.
- If you don’t have a Manwich sauce or just want more control over your filling’s content and flavor, just make a similar sauce from scratch! Just add 1 8-oz can of tomato sauce, 1 cup of ketchup, and extra seasonings like salt, mustard, chili powder, celery seed, and minced onion to the cooked and drained beef in the pan, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
