Turkey Sloppy Joes are a healthy twist on traditional sloppy joes. You control the ingredients so you know exactly what you are eating. This makes a great weeknight meal that is easy to prepare and works great all week long as leftovers. You can freeze the sloppy joe meat too! 

 

TURKEY SLOPPY JOES

Today I am sharing a really easy recipe for Turkey Sloppy Joes that you can make in less than 20 minutes. 

This is perfect meal for a busy day and makes great leftovers for the family weeknight dinners.

Pair this with a fresh vegetable like green beans or this Roasted Broccoli or with a Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts. 

I remember as a child my mom would make the best sloppy joe recipe from time to time.

They were a simple dinner she could put on the table after a long day at work.

I wanted to take that old recipe she made and put a healthier twist on them using ground turkey.

If you prefer ground beef in your sloppy joes check out this post on How to Make Sloppy Joes which uses ground beef. 

ARE SLOPPY JOES HEALTHY?

If you make sloppy joes at home you can control the ingredients that go in to them.

This helps ensure that you have a healthier easy dinner.

Today’s sloppy joes use ground turkey instead of ground beef which is a leaner option.

Ground beef still offers a lot of protein so it works great too. 

WHAT ARE SLOPPY JOES MADE OF?

Classic sloppy joes are a mixture of ground beef, pork  or turkey, onions, tomato sauce {or ketchup}, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce and brown sugar.

I serve it on a hamburger bun with melted mozzarella or provolone cheese. 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THESE TURKEY SLOPPY JOES

LEAN GROUND TURKEY

ONION & GARLIC

SPICES: ONION POWDER, CAYENNE PEPPER

TOMATO SAUCE

BROWN SUGAR

BARBECUE SAUCE

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

HOW TO MAKE THIS SLOPPY JOES RECIPE

COOK THE MEAT: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic and cook until the beef is browned using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the fat from the beef.

ADD THE SPICES AND OTHER SLOPPY JOE SAUCE INGREDIENTS:In the same skillet mix the garlic powder, cayenne pepper {optional}, tomato sauce, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire in the skillet. Add the beef and mix well.

SIMMER: Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

SERVE ON HAMBURGER BUNS: Serve warm sloppy joes on whole wheat buns with a side salad or coleslaw. I like to add shredded mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese to the sloppy joes and heat them in the oven so the cheese melts. Another great idea is to add pickles to your sandwich.

You can store the sloppy joe mixture in an airtight container. 

WAYS TO MODIFY THIS HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOE RECIPE

VEGETABLES: You can add other vegetables to these sloppy joes. I suggest adding them in with the garlic and onion and sautéing them together. I like bell peppers like green pepper, red peppers, red onion, celery or carrots. 

TOMATO PASTE: You can use tomato paste to thicken sauce. You might want to start with 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and see if you want more. 

SAUCE INGREDIENTS: You can modify the sauce by adding a variety of spices like crushed red pepper, a different style bbq sauce like a spicy one, add hot sauce or try adding less brown sugar. 

WHAT SIDE DISHES GO WITH SLOPPY JOES?

POTATOES: I love potatoes with sloppy joes. A few of my favorites are these Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Lemon Cilantro Potatoes or these Spicy Lebanese Potatoes. 

VEGETABLES: I always include a vegetable side dish with my sloppy joes. I especially love this Turmeric Cauliflower, Simple Roasted Broccoli or Green Beans with Brown Butter and Almonds. 

SALADS: We eat a salad with almost every meal we have at my house. A few that would go nicely with sloppy joes are this Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing and this Easy Italian Salad.