Healthy Sloppy Joe’s Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on this site, I may earn a commission.
Read my Privacy Policy.
Looking for a healthy, 30-minute meal? These healthy sloppy joe’s get a meal on the table fast!
Sloppy Joe’s are the ultimate kid’s meal. But that doesn’t mean adults won’t enjoy them too. On the contrary, they are a classic American family meal. But they aren’t always the healthiest option. So today, I’ll show you how to make them healthy while still retaining all that delicious flavor. They are easy to make and a snap to clean up.
Why You’ll Love These Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
These are fantastic for make-ahead meal prep. Simply follow the freezing directions below, and then double the recipe so you have sandwiches in the coming months with a simple defrost in the microwave. (Or 24 hours in the fridge). They are hearty, delicious, and super filling. Plus, you can feel good about what you’re eating!
Why These Sloppy Joe’s Are Healthier
- It’s made from scratch (not canned), so it has less sodium than the stuff from the store.
- It uses lean, ground turkey instead of beef.
- It calls for ketchup that is much healthier than the average bottle at the store, so you won’t have all that hidden, unwanted sugar.
What To Serve With Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
The best sides for these delicious sandwiches are as follows:
- Sweet potato fries
- Homemade french fries
- Carrots or any of your favorite veggies, raw or cooked.
- A green salad
- A bowl of soup
What Buns To Use For Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
The best or healthiest bun to use will always be a whole-grain bun. I highly recommend the Alvarado Street Bakery brand (not paid to promote them) if you have some in your area. If you need a gluten-free bun, feel free to use that instead.
Pro Recipe Tips
If your sauce is too thin, stir in a few tablespoons of tomato paste (no sugar added). If it’s too thick, add a bit more tomato sauce or even a splash of water. Make sure to taste at the end and adjust any spices as needed.
What You’ll Need To Make Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
Oil – Any oil you prefer to use.
Ground turkey – This can be as lean as you prefer. If you just cannot stomach the idea of sloppy joe’s made with turkey, ground beef will work if you use a very lean ground beef. It’s not as healthy as turkey, but it’ll do in a pinch. You can also use ground chicken if you like.
Green bell pepper – You can use other colors if you don’t care for green peppers.
Red bell pepper – Chop the peppers small for the best overall texture.
Red Onions – Chopp them small. Yellow onions will work in a pinch.
Garlic powder – Or garlic granules. Just don’t use garlic salt. You can use 5-6 cloves garlic instead if you prefer the fresh stuff. I recommend sautéing it for one minute before adding the meat to the skillet.
Onion powder – Or onion granules.
Canned tomato sauce – No sugar added.
Ketchup – The OrganicVille brand and Primal Kitchen brand are clean (not paid to promote them) or you can make your own. Look for any brand with no added sugar or natural sugar, such as honey.
Grated Cheese – Some folks like grated cheese on their sloppy joe’s. I’m dairy-free, so I have never used it. But if you like it, feel free to use your favorite in moderation to keep the fat content in check.
How To Make Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
Prep all the ingredients as indicated.
Put the oil in a large skillet and warm it.
Add the turkey meat, peppers, onions, and spices, and cook over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to scramble the meat and ensure even cooking.
Once the meat is nearly cooked through, reduce the heat to a simmer.
Add the tomato sauce and ketchup. Cook at a simmer and stir until well blended and cooked through. (About 5-10 more minutes)
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop about half a cup of filling onto a bun and enjoy!
Storing Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
Store the sloppy joe filling separately from the bread. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
Pack in a freezer-safe, airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 4 months. Do not freeze with the bread.
Reheating Healthy Sloppy Joe’s
From Frozen – Thaw for a full 24 hours in the fridge first.
From Fridge – Reheat in the microwave for 1-3 minutes or reheat in a pot on the stovetop over low to medium heat.
More Traditional Favorites You Might Enjoy
SUBSCRIBE
Remember to subscribe to my free newsletter to receive all my latest recipes in your inbox. Click here to sign up!
Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joe’s Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1½ lbs. ground turkey
- 2 cups green bell pepper (chopped small)
- 2 cups red bell pepper (chopped small)
- 1 cup red onion (chopped small)
- 1 tbsp. onion powder
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 15 oz. canned tomato sauce (no sugar added)
- ½ cup clean ketchup (the OrganicVille brand is clean or make your own – see link above)
Instructions
- Prep all the ingredients as indicated.
- Put the oil in a large skillet and warm it.
- Add the turkey meat, peppers, onions, and spices, and cook over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to scramble the meat and ensure even cooking.
- Once everything is cooked through, reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add the tomato sauce and ketchup. Cook at a simmer and stir until well blended and cooked through. (About 5-10 more minutes)
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop about half a cup of filling onto a bun and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted on 5/27/11.
My favorite summer memory is my beach vacation with my nephews last year to Ocean City, Maryland.
My favorite summer-time food is all the bounty of produce in season then! I love organic strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and plums, and enjoy conventionally grown kiwi, watermelon and cantaloupe (those thicker skins prevent more pesticides and other toxins from leaching into the flesh). For veggies, you just can’t beat the flavor of organic and locally grown cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, green beans, eggplant and summer squash!
Whether raw, steamed, grilled or sauteed with a little fruit juice or veggie broth, seasonal fruits and veggies give me the energy and nourishment my body, mind and spirit need to sustain me in all that life brings to my table.
May life bring all good things (and good foods) to your table.
Shared the recipe on Facebook too!
My favorite summertime memory as a kid… hard to pick, really. It’s a toss up between fireworks on the 4th and swimming in our pool, but I’ll go with the pool. I lived in a 23 story building in New Jersey, just over the GW bridge from NYC. We had a ton of kids in the building and we would all look forward to when the pool opened for the summer. it was a huge pool, Olympic sized, and that place would be so packed for the summer we’d have to wait on line to get in. It was a blast! 😀
oh my gosh Tiffany, you couldn’t have offered a better contest at a better time!
Thank you!
I am a So Cal girl my self. I also turn blue at the slightest breeze so I am all about warming foods at different times of the year (also I didn’t know what to make for dinner tonight; and now I do)
Summer for me is about warmth, sunny bbq’s in the back yard, longer nights to go the park and fresh fruit. I grew up with a pool so family bbq’s with watermelon always makes me smile!
Thanks for the warm post!
🙂
The recipe looks FANTASTIC!! I believe the cleanest & healthiest eating of all is vegetarian (actually vegan!!), so I’ll be using the TVP! I’d LOVE to see more CLEAN EATING vegetarian recipes on here! I think more people would try to eat that way if they had more ideas on what to eat. That’s always the first question I get…”what do you eat?” Seriously folks…I have NO PROBLEM whatsoever finding things to eat!!! Try it, you’ll like it!!! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!!! 😀
~Gerilyn Hurst
Proprietress, Krazy Good
One of my favorite summer time activites is packing up the family and heading up to the montains for some camping. I will do my best to make our camping meals clean eating.
One of my favorite summertime activities is gardening and taking bike rides with my family. We love going to the local farmer’s markets and grabbing whatever is in season! I will try grilling anything (eggplant and zucchini are my personal favorites). I love grilling so much that I’ve been known to be out there in the freezing cold of winter with a jacket and pair of BBQ tongs : ) Right now my “go to” salad is thinly sliced radishes, halved grape tomatoes, fresh chives from my herb bed, a splash of balsamic vinegar and EVOO, seasoned with a little black pepper.
My favorite thing to do is go boating in the summer. My dh is an avid boater and it’s something the whole family enjoys. We also water ski and are in a water ski club. Fun by all!
Thanks for all the wonderful, healthy recipes! You are AMAZING!!!!
I love swimming in the summer. It is a little hard to do now since I have a 2 year old. My husband and I each take turns being with her so the other can get in 10-15 minutes a time of quality swimming alone.
I have made the Clean Eating Mag. version of the Sloppy Joes. Delish!
My favorite summer memories were when I was a kid and would spend time at my Grandma’s. Now that I have children, I LOVE taking them “home” to my Grandma’s small town. It is amazing that I can still “smell” the smells of summer when I am there…
Honestly, my favorite summer recipe is one from my childhood summer’s at my Grandma’s. She would make cucumbers and onions with vinegar and sugar. Hmmm… I wonder how well Agave and Vinegar will mix??
I tweeted about it (I liked you on FB ages ago, so I’m going to share the post there, too.)
@Crystal Moore: I do get the magazine…I’ll have to check it out. Love me some brats!
My favorite summer time food is watermelon! This was the one food I could eat during both my pregnancies that would stay down and keep me full!
My summer favorite is going for a walk with my kids after dinner or taking them to the pool. I love the sounds of summer sitting by the sliding door while it is open the day sounds alive. Summer favorite food is WATERMELON YUM!!!!! Favorite childhood memory is spending endless days at the pool when visiting my aunt for the summer!!!
Hooray for sloppy joes! I have a freezer full of ground deer meat, and I am always looking for great recipes to use it in. I am tired of making tacos and spaghetti. Thanks for the great idea! I’ve already added this to my meal plan for this week.
I shared on Facebook.
I shared on Twitter.
My favorite summer time activities…my kid’s swim meets, 4th of July fireworks, beach time, relaxing summer evenings at the pool w/ the fam.
Favorite summer time food…fresh picked veggies from the garden.
Favorite summer time memories…vacations w/ my family 🙂
These sloppy joe’s look great Tiffany. Thanks again for another awesome recipe 🙂
I also tweeted 🙂
My favorite summertime activity is being able to ride my bike anytime, anywhere! Also, I like to come home after a nice long bike ride and indulge in some pizza that I make on the grill 🙂