Healthy Sloppy Joes Recipe
Looking for a healthy, 30-minute meal? These healthy sloppy joes 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!
Meal Prep
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 month with a simple defrost in the microwave. (Or 24 hours in the fridge).
How Is This Sloppy Joe Recipe 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.
How To Eat A Sloppy Joe
The messy way! These sandwiches were made to be messy. So wash your hands and dig in! Make sure you load those buns up with plenty of sloppy joe filling and then eat them over a plate or other clean surface. Don’t forget the napkins!
What To Serve With Healthy Sloppy Joes
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 Joes
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!
Optional Additions
- You can add one to two tablespoons of prepared yellow mustard for a bit of tang and umami.
- There is a Worcestershire sauce on the market that is clean. It’s the Wizard’s brand. If you can find it, feel free to add it here for extra flavor and umami.
- If you like more tang, add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- For more umami, try adding some coconut aminos or soy sauce.
Recipe Tips
If your sauce is too thin, stir in a few tablespoons tomato paste (no sugar added). If it’s too thick, add a bit more tomato sauce. Make sure to taste at the end and adjust any spices as needed.
Ingredients For The Best Homemade, Healthy Sloppy Joes
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 joes 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.
Clean 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 joes. 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 This Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe
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 Joes
Store the sloppy joe filling separately from the bread. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing Healthy Sloppy Joes
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 Joes
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.
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Recipe updated: 4/18/23.
Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joes 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 summertime activites are reading trashy novels while drinking ice cold beer and hanging out with my 2 daughters in our yard. These activities do not always occur at the same time but I will admit that sometimes they do : ) Looking forward to enjoying my husband’s first attempt at homemade beer this summer!!
Favorote summer foods have to be fresh jersey corn and jersey tomato salad with lots of basil and red onion.
I FB shared and emailed my special contacts this recipe and told them about your great site.
My summer memories bring back wonderful thoughts. I grew up in the suburbs of NY and had a great big yard with an above ground swimming pool. I spent all summer swimming, having bbqs on an old fashioned charcoal grill, eating with the flies in the way and just having healthy kid fun. I always had friends over and mom was like a camp counselor! As I aged and learned to drive, my friends and I headed to the beaches and worked on our tans! As a married adult, we spend the summers traveling and, now living here on the Calif coast, we still visit the beach, but too cold to swim in it, and take our son on trips. I do miss my youth, and the good ol’ days!
OOPs, I forgot to tell you my favorite food for summer—it’s watermelon! It reminds me of those yard days as a kid. Back then I ate meat burgers and homemade potato salad–mom’s specialty. No meat now and I haven’t made the potato salad, yet.
What gets the fun started for you? Tanning Tanning Tanning! And also swimsuit shopping for my 17month old daughter. She is soo cute in those little ruffles 😀
What is your favorite summer-time food? Ice cream – which I have cleaned up by mixing plain greek yogurt with Stevia and cocoa or any fruits and freezing for an hour. SOOO GOOD!
What’s your favorite summer-time memory? Bushhogging the fields with my grandfather and feeding the cows. Yeehaw!
I simply LOVE eating fresh corn on the cob (bought from Amish neighbors) on the deck on summer evenings…preferably followed up by some watermelon. Nothing better.
My favorite summer time food is wild blueberries! We pick them just a few miles down the road and then freeze as many bags as we can so they last through the winter…but that usually doesn’t happen because we eat them too quickly! 🙂
I fb shared! 🙂
My favorite summertime memory from the past was camping with my dad and brothers. My new favorite summertime activity is playing at the beach with my children. The beaches are rocky in Washington State, but there is one man-made beach, Jetty Island, which has REAL sand! Fun, fun, fun!
My favorite summer memory is swimming at my grandparents’ pond with all my cousins. Thanks for offering the give away!
My summertime favorite is camping. I live in WA state and we have the best camping available…beach, mountain, lake, and river. Love to camp in any of those settings as there is so much to do when you camp such as hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, rock collecting, sand castle building, kite flying, enjoying the camp fire and best of all spending time with your family.
This recipe looks so good!!! My favorite thing about summer is the lake
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My favorite thing to do is grill out while the kids play in the sprinkler!
Hi Tiffany,
I’m from Canada and know that i can’t win, but i’d still like to participate.
Over a year ago I started to “eat clean” I bought Toscana’s cookbook – but i had no idea what i was doing… So it never lasted long… but the summer I was eating everything in sight… LOL – no joke…
It wasn’t till I recently caught wind of your website… I’m thinking I got your website fromt the eat clean diet website??? If I can remember right?? Its been you that has inspired me to try new recipes, and love to cook again… instead of eating from a box… LOL
I want to Give you the Biggest Hug!!! You have inspired me to eat clean through your recipes!!! I love trying new and exciting things… I havent made anything that i havent loved of yours!!!
I have struggled with a weight problem for the last 3.5 years. I was 40lbs less than what i am today. Since January I have lost 24lbs… and still trying to lose the next 40lbs… Its been a slow process…
We have been struggling with infertility which has been a huge stressor!!! so the extra weight hasnt helped either… So your wise words about how hard it is being sick than healthy, really got to me! and Its so true!!!
Thank-you from my heart!!!! I love reading all your different posts!!!
You are a very inspiring woman!!!
Sincerely marie 🙂
Marie – Awwwe, thank you! What a wonderful comment! I so appreciate having you as a reader, and I’m happy you are enjoying my recipes!
Every summer for me was spent outside in a swimsuit all summer. Whether it be for swim meets, at the farm, or at my house. Playing in the rain has always been a favorite especially in a swimsuit. One year it opened up and hailed followed by a rainbow. I really miss my swimsuit days and someday maybe get back to it, lol! That is my favorite memory of summer!
Summertime – sunshine and swimming. There is nothing like it. I love spending time with my children and grandchildren and sharing good (and clean) food, playing games, taking pictures. Going to try the Sloppy Joe recipe tonight. Sounds good.
I used to hate summer time…because I was fat and didnt want to be seen in cute dresses or a bathing suit. This year I couldnt be happier for summer to be here! I am down almost 80 pounds..still have a ways to go! With all that being said my favorite things to do this summer will be all outside activites! Playing outside with my daughter, doing side walk chalk, blowing bubbles, going to the pool every day and the park! I even got a Nashville Shores Waterpark pass because I feel comfortable in a bathing suit and cant wait to be doing somethin fun at the pool with my daughter! I cant wait to try all of the clean eating recipes off of your site! Our cook outs were full of fatty and unhealthy foods! This year they will be healthy and delicious foods! My favorite place to go in the summer is the Farmers Market to get fresh and organic fruits and veggies! My favorite thing to eat in the summer is grilled zucchini and squash and of course a big juicy tomato! Looking forward to making a clean eating pasta salad too!
I love your site and make at least 5 to 10 things from it every week! YOU ROCK TIFFANY!
I like this on Facebook
Well my summer is going to be a busy one I hope. School just got out so now the planning starts for the little one. In a couple of weeks she gets to do basketball camp and hopefully it will warm up soon so we can go to the pool. We get to go see the inlaws and do the fun things that come with that. It is also is the start of on the weekends sitting around with good freinds with good food and maybe some good drinks every once in awhile. Hope to have fun and get to do some great things that we don’t get to do all the time. I like to eat a nice juicy peach and going to fishing!!
My all-time favorite thing to do in the summer is to take the belly boats out to one of the reservoirs near Sheridan (WY) and go fishing with the kids and grandkids. It’s especially exciting when the little ones catch a fish! And then we clean them, cook them and have a picnic.
Beach is always my favorite. Summertime food favorite is Lavender Lemonade & Homemade ice cream (although I do NOT recommend eating them at the same time.)
My favorite summer-time memory is hanging out at home with my sister & mom all summer long and doing NOTHING! The summer seemed to stretch forever….oh, to have the timeless lifestyle of childhood again!