Healthy Sloppy Joe’s Recipe
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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.
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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.
What do I love about summer??? HOT TEMPS (80s and 90s, with occasional 100s) and SUNSHINE!!! I love days at the lake — using the Waverunner and waterskiing.
I also love the early morning sunrises …. I love being able to take my runs outside at 6AM, while my family is still sleeping. Even if I have a long run (1-1/2 to 2 hours), I’m done early, and I have the whole rest of the day to spend with my family!!!
PS — I shared this link on Facebook! 😉
The smell of the grill and the sound of kids giggling in the sprinkler is synonymous to summer for me:) Love the clean eating sloppy Joe inspiration….yummy!!
Summer means no school so lazy days! I love to chane my routine by eating fresh fruits and vegetables and working out in the morning! I love sitting on the screened porch watching the birds (especially the hummingbird), reading and doing my crafts! My favorite summer foods are Jersey corn on the cob and tomatoes. My favorite summer memories include playing outside all day on the swings and riding bikes. Now my time in the sun is limited due to getting burned way too fast!
I am an Aussie girl, so like you I suffer so bad in Winter, which we are heading towards now, so those sloppy joes will definitely be on the menu!
I am a beach girl through and through, I love getting into the water, I surf, snorkel and swim my way thought the entire year (thank goodness for wetsuits!). But my favourite thing is taking my little boy to the beach, he definitely picked up the merman gene from me because the look of absolute joy when he sees the water is priceless :).
My favorite summer food is sweet cherries, and my favorite summer past time is reading on the beach. Oh, and I liked this post on Facebook.
My favorite summer memory is how my whole family used to pile into the station wagon with a cooler full of soft drinks and bologna sandwiches, drive an hour to the beach, and stay there all day, swimming and hunting for shells and eating sandy sandwiches, until we were all burned to a crisp. Then we’d drive home with sand in our underpants. Good times! 🙂
I always loved making Sloppy Joe’s for my kids because it was a great opportunity to disguise vegetables. Along with organic ground turkey or chicken, I like using a good organic marinara, like Muir Glen and to that I add:
One cup of grated carrots
One cup of grated zucchini
One medium diced onion
Agave nectar to your taste
One teaspoon liquid smoke.
Cook until tender and serve over whole-wheat or sprouted wheat hamburger buns.
Bon a petit!
What is your favorite summer-time food? My fav summer- time food is strawberry shortcake and watermelon.
Thanks for a great giveaway!
I shared this on Facebook. I’m Rebecca Anne on FB.
congrats, Katherine!!
I LOVE sloppy joes. I make a similar recipe..but I love the things you use. I think I may try this one next time. Thanks for reminding me about sloppy joes.. we haven’t had them for a while! 🙂
Cait – You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy them!
I like to use sloppy joes to disquise veggies as well. I throw in whatever I have available, but always use onions, peppers, and garlic. I also make a sloppy joe corn bread bake with a little cheese between the sloppy joes and cornbread to make it stick. My boys love it. Just make your sloppy joes and put it in a pan (use a pan depending on how much sloppy you make) and then put a thin layer of cheese (I use cheddar, not sure how clean that is) then put the corn bread on top. Bake for 15-18 minutes until corn bread is golden. I am going to try it tonight with your cornbread recipe, modified to fit what I have on hand. Thanks!
Stephanie – I’ve always wanted to try that! Let me know how it turns out!
Sabrina – Welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
CEC – Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know!
Why thank you! That’s quite a compliment!
That’s wonderful! Congratulations!
Just tried this! Love it!!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
My pleasure! I’m glad you’re enjoying them!
This was the first clean eating recipe I have tryed ,and I loved it!
Awesome! Glad you liked it!
Just made it! Loved it! Thanks for cleaner alternatives, it’s much appreciated 🙂
Diane – Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂