These messy, crave-worthy, healthy sloppy joes are packed with vegetables but taste even better than the ones you had as a kid. They're naturally sweetened, and a few secret ingredients give them an unparalleled flavor. It's a make-ahead meal that's perfect for busy weeknights, game days and parties.
Healthy sloppy joes
While most sloppy joes recipes include anywhere from a few tablespoons to a quarter cup (!) of sugar, this version calls for only 2 teaspoons of maple syrup. Finely chopped veggies provide plenty of natural sweetness as well as amp up the nutrition.
Other key ingredients
A few other secret ingredients give these healthy sloppy joes an incredible flavor. Worcestershire sauce, sriracha, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar lend umami depth, while chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, tomato puree and ketchup (just 2 tablespoons) create a mouthwatering sauce. You can use lean ground beef, ground bison or ground turkey.
How to make healthy sloppy joes
The vegetables for these sloppy joes are finely chopped in a food processor, making the prep quick and easy. The finely chopped veggies cook quickly and seamlessly incorporate into the meat mixture (my kids don't even know they're there!).
- In a food processor, combine onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Cook the ground meat in a large skillet until browned and cooked through. Transfer it to a plate (discard any fat).
- In the same skillet, cook the vegetables until softened. Add the spices and tomato paste.
- Return the meat to the skillet and add tomato puree, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, sriracha and water. Simmer the sloppy joes until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
What to serve with sloppy joes
The sloppy joes are delicious all on their own in buns or piled over rice. We love to serve them with Coleslaw (which I pile right on top of my sandwich!) and Pickled Red Onions. Pair the sandwiches with these Crispy Baked Oven Fries or Skillet Cornbread for a killer meal.
FAQs
Yes! While the sloppy joes are awesome straight out of the skillet, they taste even better with time, after the flavors have had a chance to meld. You can make it hours or even days in advance.
Manwhich is a store-bought canned sloppy joe sauce. Canned sauces tend to be high in sugar, sodium and preservatives, so I prefer to make my own sloppy joes sauce. You just can't beat the flavor of homemade.
A pound of meat will usually make about 6 sloppy joes sandwiches. In my family, that generously feeds four people (allowing for some second helpings).
Sloppy joes is the perfect make-ahead dish for a party - it's fun, nostalgic, and everybody loves it. Serve it with pickled red onions, coleslaw, oven fries and/or cornbread.
Tips for this recipe:
- A food processor not only cuts back on the prep time, but it also helps the vegetables to seamlessly incorporate into the meat mixture (my kids don't even know they're there!).
- I usually make these sloppy joes with naturally lean grass-fed ground beef, but you could also use ground bison or ground turkey (I even had a reader tell me that she used meat-free crumbles with success).
- The ingredient list looks long, but it's mostly stuff you probably already have in your pantry (think spices, vinegars and sriracha). You'll need both tomato paste (I prefer the stuff in the tube, which lasts forever), as well as tomato puree. The paste provides a sweet richness while the puree gives the sauce body.
- You can use any heavy-bottomed pan to cook the sloppy joes. I use my Le Creuset braiser, which is pretty enough to place right in the middle of the table.
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What to serve with sloppy joes:
- Easy Homemade Red Cabbage Coleslaw
- Cheesy Baked Oven Fries
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
Stay connected
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Get the recipe!
The Ultimate Healthy Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
Veggies and meat
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef (preferably grass-fed), or ground bison or turkey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup canned tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, or more to taste
- ½ cup water
- Buns for serving, regular or gluten-free
Instructions
- Put the onion, red pepper, carrot and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping the sides occasionally, about 12-14 pulses.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Discard any fat in the pan.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Scrape in the vegetables from the food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cooked beef, tomato puree, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, sriracha (if you like it spicy, feel free to add a few more teaspoons!), and water. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the pan back over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes. If needed, add a few more splashes of water to thin. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and/or sriracha as desired (don’t be shy with the seasonings). Serve warm on soft buns.
Notes
- A food processor not only cuts back on the prep time, but it also helps the vegetables to seamlessly incorporate into the meat mixture (my kids don't even know they're there!).
- I usually make these sloppy joes with naturally lean grass-fed ground beef, but you could also use ground bison or ground turkey (I even had a reader tell me that she used meat-free crumbles with success).
- The ingredient list looks long, but it's mostly stuff you probably already have in your pantry (think spices, vinegars and sriracha). You'll need both tomato paste (I prefer the stuff in the tube, which lasts forever), as well as tomato puree. The paste provides a sweet richness while the puree gives the sauce body.
- You can use any heavy-bottomed pan to cook the sloppy joes. I use my Le Creuset braiser, which is pretty enough to place right in the middle of the table.
Jill Berger says
Can you recommend a specific brand for gluten-free buns? I just haven't found any that I like!
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Jill, I hear you! Pictured in this post are Udi's GF buns, but they're quite dense and bready (I usually pick out some of the insides before using). We're lucky to have a local baker who makes awesome GF buns, but the next best option (in my opinion) are Schar Ciabatta rolls. They have a light texture and nice flavor. The only issue is that they're rather small, so you might need two!
DeeDee says
This sloppy joe recipe tastes amazing! I’ve made it for dinner now 3 times and my husband loves it. It’s very hard to cook for him because he’s picky and doesn’t like the traditional thick, sweet, ketchup-y versions. I decided to try yours because it only had 1 tablespoon of ketchup 🙂
Thank you for sharing this!
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi DeeDee, I'm so happy to hear this, and I really appreciate your comment!
Ginger LaBella says
Mmm, this brings back yummy childhood memories! Thanks for the healthier version. I'm going to try a veggie version with one of the "crumbles" products. Right now I'm liking the Quorn and Beyond Beef brands, which are made from mycoprotein and pea protein respectively. (Trying to mostly cut out soy.) Will try this weekend!
Nicki Sizemore says
Yay! Please let me know how the veggie version turns out!!
Ginger LaBella says
Hi Nicki. I did make these a couple of weeks ago, with one of the veggie crumble brands. They were delicious, and with the complexity of flavors in your recipe, I would challenge anyone to be certain that it was not meat in there. Your list of ingredients was so interesting -- I figured you must have really labored to get just the right flavor, so I followed to the letter. Yum yum! Tasted just like I remember sloppy joes from childhood (though, as you said, these are better and healthier!) Will for sure make these again.
Nicki Sizemore says
Thank you so much for letting me know! This is great news!!
Ginger LaBella says
I had a full Nicki week! In addition to the other recipes I commented on, I pulled out this older favorite. I just had to come back to say how delicious it is. And also fast and easy! I got a late start on dinner last night, but whipped this up in just a few minutes.
Nicki Sizemore says
Ginger, you are a ROCK STAR!! I deeply appreciate your comments, which are so helpful. Here's to another week of happy cooking!