Turkey Sloppy Joes

This Turkey Sloppy Joe recipe is a lighter take on a classic comfort food favorite. Lean ground turkey is cooked in a flavorful, tangy sweet sauce that’s perfectly balanced and incredibly satisfying. Piled high on soft sandwich buns, it’s a quick, family friendly meal that’s easy to make and sure to please everyone at the table.

Ooooo I love sloppy joes! Everything about them.

They’re the perfect sweet and tangy comfort food. They have that kind of 1950s nostalgia where there’d be a commercial with some elementary school kid spilling red sauce all over his newly pressed white tshrit and his mom just smiling and shaking her head…so much love for the sloppy joe!

Ok only I have to admit that my sloppy joe nostalgia doesn’t usually jump to prepubescence, braces, and training bras; I go straight to college. And making the four hour drive home from U of I, car overflowing in 2 months worth of dirty laundry, a backseat of hungover carpoolers, and nothing in my belly except cafeteria bagels and peanut butter (always the safe choice!), late night pizza, and heartburn from energy drinks and cramming for finals.

On the way home, my mom would always call me halfway through the trip asking what I wanted for dinner when I got back (anything not out of a can, box, or frozen package, PULEASE!) and I would always ask for sloppy joes! I never really ate them as a kid, but in my early 20s I was obsessed. It was the ultimate comfort food after a solid college diet of processed deli meat and easy mac.

I still crave these little babies like crazy today! They are so easy – 40 minute meal, start to finish, and are great for kids.

To bump up the nutrition profile of traditional sloppy joes I snuck in some extra veg with finely chopped red pepper, swapped out ground beef for extra lean ground turkey, and cut the total amount of ground meat with a cup of red beans. Also, by choosing low sodium tomato sauce and beans you can take a little bit more control back on the salt shaker.

Plus, these are super kid-friendly and a great way to sneak in extra vegetables into their diet. You can experiment to0 – sub in a little chopped carrot, celery, or whatever else kind of veg you’d like!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Ingredients :

• 1 lb ground extra lean turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
• 1 cup low sodium red beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 whole wheat hamburger buns

How to Make Turkey Sloppy Joes :

Step 1

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add turkey and cook, breaking it up into crumbles, until browned. Add onion, red pepper, and garlic, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften.

Step 2

Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, red beans, and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Divide sloppy joe mixture evenly among the four buns and serve warm.

Turkey Sloppy Joes Tips :

Use lean ground turkey (93% lean is ideal) to keep it moist yet lower in fat than beef.

Finely dice your veggies ” onions, bell peppers, garlic, carrots ” to blend well into the sauce and cook evenly.

Don’t overcook the turkey it can dry out fast. Cook until just browned and no longer pink.

Toast the buns a light toasting adds crunch and prevents sogginess from the filling.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

SAVE THIS POST TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD !