I went through a phase in high school where I was constantly asking my beautiful mama to make me sloppy joes for dinner. Mom, forgive me but those things were gooooodd.
Of course, back then we loved Manwich. Extra sloppy, extra sweet. But then one day while whisking around Trader Joe’s like a crazy woman on a mission with a small red cart, I stopped to ask myself (and you): why buy an extra can of Mr. Sweet Manwich when you most likely already have all the ingredients you need for a homemade sloppy joe sauce?
Oh sorry excuse me, I meant to write THE BEST SLOPPY JOES EVER.
Yes, that’s right, today I’m teaching you how to make a healthy sloppy joe recipe with a legit homemade sloppy joe sauce. Uhhh huhhh honey. We gettin’ sloppy. Okay enough with that. I’m writing this on the plane with a few glasses of terrible plane wine in me. Always a good time.
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What makes this sloppy joe recipe healthier?
So why are these a lil better for you? Well first off, they’re a bit leaner thanks to lean ground turkey instead of ground beef, but they also are significantly lower in sugar thanks to a homemade sauce made with ketchup and BBQ sauce and no additional sugar added. Did you know Manwich sauce has high fructose corn syrup, sugar, AND xantham gum to give it that iconic sweetness? Well, we’re skipping all of that with a sauce that’s perfectly sweet and spicy (no gums allowed).
Ingredients in the best healthy sloppy joes
As I mentioned, we’re lightening these babies up with lean meat and a lick-the-bowl good sloppy joe sauce that’s much lighter in sugar (but not flavor). Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Olive oil: you’ll need a bit of olive oil to cook down the veggies and meat for the sauce.
- Produce: we’re sauteing a white onion, red bell pepper, and some garlic for the sauce.
- Ground turkey or chicken: I love using ground turkey or ground chicken for the perfect source of lean protein. 94% lean is best.
- For the sauce: that homemade sloppy joe sauce is made from ketchup, low sugar BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, yellow mustard, and salt & pepper. Feel free to add a little cayenne pepper if you like spice.
- For serving: do them up however you like! I like to serve these turkey sloppy joes on whole grain hamburger buns with a little shredded pepper jack cheese and jalapeño slices. Yes, you can always use gluten free hamburger buns if you’d like.
How to make sloppy joes in the slow cooker
This recipe is written for a stovetop version, which takes just 30 minutes to throw together, but you can absolutely make the sloppy joes in your slow cooker for a hands-off approach! Here’s how to do it:
- Add the turkey to a skillet with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and break up the meat as much as you can. I like to use this meat masher. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add your browned turkey to your slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients (reduce the water by 1/4 cup) and mix them together well.
- Cook the sloppy joes on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Give them a stir and serve them up with your fav toppings!
Our fav ways to serve these sloppy joes
As I mentioned, you can double or even triple the recipe to serve more people! It’s great for game day and for feeding a bunch of kiddos. Here are some more fun ways to serve it up:
- Throw it in Mac and cheese
- Serve it with my favorite cornbread or cornbread waffles
- Eat it by the spoonful or scoop it with chips, or make sloppy joe nachos!
- Or as I prefer, load it up with pepper jack cheese and a few pickled jalapeños
Any way you enjoy this recipe it’s going to be a winner.
More kid-friendly dinners to try
- Amazing Slow Cooker Turkey Tacos
- One Pan Lightened Up Hamburger Helper
- The Best Healthy Turkey Chili
- Homemade Crispy Baked Fish Sticks (kid & toddler-friendly!)
- Stovetop Southwest Tuna Mac and Cheese
Get all of my kid-friendly dinner recipes here!
Good Mood Food Episode 2
I hope you love these healthy sloppy joes! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
30 Minute Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joes with Homemade Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper or green bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound 94% lean ground turkey or chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup ketchup (I use Trader Joe’s Organic Ketchup)
- ¼ cup your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Stubb’s Spicy BBQ sauce, but a sweet one is great too!)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ cup filtered water
- Optional: ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, if you like spice
- For serving
- 4 hamburger buns of choice
- 2-4 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese (about ½-1 cup)
- Optional: Jalapeño slices
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add olive oil and place over medium heat. Add in the garlic, white onion, and bell pepper; saute for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Move mixture to the sides of the pan.
- Add ground turkey to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Break up the meat and cook until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Once turkey is cooked, add the onion and bell pepper mixture back in. Then add in ketchup, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, and water. If you like a little heat, add in cayenne pepper.
- Stir well to combine and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes longer until sauce thickens. If sauce looks too thick, add a tablespoon of water.
- Next add cheese on top of meat mixture, cover with a lid, and let the cheese melt for 2 minutes (or until melted). Transfer meat onto hamburger buns and top with jalapeño slices. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen // Photography by: Sarah Fennel
This post was originally published on June 22nd, 2017, and republished on April 20th, 2024.
Homemade sloppies are the BEST!!! Makes you wonder why the canned stuff exists 🙂 Love the jalapeño on top too for some extra kick!
Right?! SO tasty and easy! You know I love a lil’ heat 🙂
So good on Trader Joe’s brioche buns!!
YUM that sounds amazing!
These sound delicious! Love this idea!
They’re awesome! Hope you love them 🙂
The BEST summer comfort food! Love the healthy twist, too!
EXACTLY what it is! Thanks girl xo!
Why have I not made homemade turkey sloppies in FOREVER??? This idea is fabulous! Thanks for the reminder;)
YES let me know how you like them!!
These looks delicious, especially with the big jalapeno chunks on top! Thanks for the healthy recipe.
Can’t go wrong with an extra kick! Hope you enjoy!
Does your nutrition information include the bun?
Yes! It includes 1/4 of the meat, sauce, cheese and bun (so 1 bun per serving).
This was so good!!! I’m not a fan of ground turkey, but I wanted to try this recipe anyway and I was not disappointed!
Thx. Which brand of buns do you use?
Nothing as amazing as slurping on a juicy sloppy joe. The mess makes it even more amazing.
Its taste is very good. It reminds me of childhood, my mother often makes me eat every weekend
I just wanted to throw this out there, I made a vegan version of this with avocado instead of cheese, used TVP instead of the turkey, and vegan Worcester sauce. Not sure how it compares to the ones you made with turkey, but I thought the version I made was amazing! I love your recipes. Thanks so much!
Awesome! Glad you could find some vegan swaps that worked well 🙂
Can’t wait to try this!
Working on this recipe as we speak I’m so excited
I hope you loved it!
WOW! Made these tonight not knowing what to expect and they were delicious! My bf wanted seconds upon seconds! I’m pretty sure he licked the plate. I didn’t add the cheese into the mixture but rather right before eating. This was super easy and super yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
What healthy sides would you recommend? I want to try this for dinner tomorrow and am thinking sweet potato fries but need another veggie to add.
Sweet potato fries would be amazing! I’d probably make a little side salad for some greens 🙂 Hope you enjoyed!
Just made these and they are amazing!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Just made these. Can’t eat spicy so I used uncle Stubbs sticky sweet instead. They are delicious! Great recipe!
Delish! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I am always looking for healthy alternatives now that my husband has kidney cancer. We really missed sloppy joe’s with hamburger. I have to use a lot of turkey now. I came across this recipe and was so happy to find something from scratch that taste so good! No more canned stuff!! This recipe is a 5+
This one is perfect for swapping out the canned stuff! I’m so glad you both enjoyed. I have some more great recipes using ground turkey here, too 🙂
What brand of buns did you use? Can’t wait to make these! Thanks
I’m not a huge fan of mustard. Do you think I could omit it? Or substitute it with something else? Can’t wait to try these!
You can leave it out!
I’m trying these with ground buffalo which is what is available where I live in Nepal. I don’t doubt it will be a huge hit in my house! Yum!
Oh wow! Hope everyone loves it!!
i am going to make this tonight as well as homemade sweet potato fries for the side. i will definitely let you know how it turned out 🙂
update!!! I made this last night and it was so delicious! i will be slowly making my way through the rest of your recipes because what i have made so far is wonderful! 🙂
So happy to hear that Kacey! This is one of my go-to dinners.
One of my favorite recipes ever, I make it almost weekly! So quick and easy and cheap! My fiancé is equally obsessed with it. <3
I do too!! Glad you both love it 🙂
I made these a few times and love it. I am making some now although I don’t have the bell pepper.
It will be just as delicious without bell pepper! Such a great go-to for dinner.
This was delicious! My whole family loved it! I love that it included added veggies and I didn’t miss the ground beef at all. Thanks so much for sharing it!
So happy to hear that! I make this recipe almost weekly 🙂
Great recipe, my kids and husband loved it. I love your recipes and that you give so many gluten free options!! And everything has so much flavor! Thank you for that!
I’m so glad you’re finding some new favorites here, Nikki! Plenty more flavorful recipes to come 🙂
My husband and I loved this!!! Thank you for the fresh, healthier version of one of his favorites! Bye Manwich 👋🏼 🤣
I’m so glad!! The perfect substitute 😉
Thank yo so much for this recipe. I used sugar free ketchup and bbq sauce. Added carrots and zucchini as a filler. Love the sauce.
Perfect! Glad you loved this one.
I can’t believe I haven’t given this 5 stars yet. It’s my toddler’s favorite meal. He LOVES sloppy joe’s (as do I). My husband even loves these and he said he doesn’t generally like sloppy joe’s. I think he thinks back to the canned stuff and that stuff is just no good. THIS RECIPE THOUGH. SO GOOD. It’s quick, it’s easy, I can sneak some veggies into it, and it’s absolutely delicious. We make this weekly.
YES love that! Perfect dinner for the whole family. So glad everyone likes them!
This was the first time my girls ever had sloppy joes!! We trust anything you make so we gave it a try. It took my husband & me back to our childhood 😀 We added you’re amazing healthy coleslaw on top. So good! There wasn’t a clean face at the table. 😉 Perfect.
Omgsh, aren’t these just the best?! I love that you added my healthy coleslaw on top. I’ve gotta try that next time.
How long would you cook in instapot as opposed to the slow cooker?
I actually don’t use an Instant Pot so I’m not 100% sure. Let me know if you try it!
Easy to make and very delicious!
Glad you enjoyed!
My super picky kids loved these. My husband used pickles instead of jalapeños and thought that was a great substitute. I just discovered your website today – it’s awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Perfect! I’ll have to try pickles next time, YUM. So happy you found AK – I hope you find some more recipes you love!
This is a favorite recipe for a quick dinner. Its so easy to make!
I LOVE this recipe. I’m a lover of sloppy joes but the canned version just doesn’t do it for me anymore. I made this actually without the red wine vinegar and Worchestire sauce because I’m not a fan of those ingredients and it’s still DELISH. I can’t wait to eat my leftovers!
Amazing! So glad you found this one! One of my fav dinners.
This is the best recipe for a quick sloppy joe! I swear each day it passes it gets better and better. I have been really busy lately, and this recipe was quick, simple, and delicious! Will most definitely be making again!
So happy you loved this one! Perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
This recipe is delicious!! It’s become a staple in my household.
So happy to hear that!!
I can’t decipher how much Worcestershire sauce….? The amount seems to be missing. I’m sure this will otherwise be great.
Thank you for the catch! I’ve updated the amount – just 1/2 tablespoon. Enjoy!
Thank you for the recipe! I made this last night, but decided to let it sit overnight in fridge, and it definitely tastes much better when you let it sit. All the flavors meld very nicely the next day. I would totally make this again! It’s a bit unconventional but since I’m watching my carb intake, I served the sloppy joe on top of some edamame spaghetti With some shredded parm cheese, and it was delicious!
They make the best leftovers! Great idea with the edamame spaghetti – yum!
This was so delicious! It wasn’t too heavy and I honestly could have eaten this without the bun because it was so good. Even my picky eater ate a helping without complaining. I didn’t change a thing. Thanks for the great recipe!
The perfect dinner! I’m glad you both loved it 🙂
Delicious! The sauce is right on! I use half lb turkey and a can of white beans. Love it!
Isn’t the sauce amazing? Great idea with the white beans – yum!
Omg these were sooooo good and made it into our rotation right away. I was a vegetarian for awhile and sloppy joes always reminded me of my childhood. I decided to make this slightly healthier version and omg they were delicious. Must make!
These remind me of childhood, too! So delicious and nostalgic 🙂 glad you loved the recipe!
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Super simple but tasty. The bell pepper and onion was a nice touch. So easy a quick to make for a weeknight dinner.
Absolutely! One of our favorite weeknight dinners 🙂
Definitely one of my favorite easy week night meals and the left overs are just as good! I have tried this recipe with different variations using different onions, bbq sauces and ketchups. This past time I used Stubb’s low sugar ketchup and Kroger’s organic bbq. Specifically, we love the texture the pepper and onion add that we haven’t had in traditional family party sloppy joes.
Delicious! This one’s great for customizing too – the onions & peppers make such a difference!
I followed this recipe but just did’t add the Worcestershire sauce and replaced by a spicy one. It was great. I made 4 sloppy Joes with baked sweet potatoes and plantanes. Delicious!
Perfect! Plantains sound amazing with these!
does the nutritional value include the cheese and bun?
this is one of my families favorites!
We loved it! Putting this on our regular rotation. Wouldn’t change a thing
So happy to hear that!
I’m looking for a healthier version of my sloppy toms and came across your recipe which I am about to try. Question: do you drain the fat/liquid that appears in the pan after cooking the meat. I always did in my recipe and now I m not sure what to do
It’s unnecessary with turkey as there isn’t much fat to begin with. Enjoy!
I made these in the slow cooker and they turned out amazing. Making them with turkey doesn’t take away from the flavor at all. I will definitely be remaking!
Perfect! And yes, the flavors in here are still amazing even without the traditional ground beef 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
This is absolutely delicious! I love using ground turkey in a recipe as a healthier option. I made it exactly as recipe stated. Definitely going to make this again!
Perfect! So glad you loved these 🙂
Simply delicious meal! Made with ground meat because that was what we had on hand. Great blend of flavors with being overwhelmed with sauce. Boyfriend approved!
Perfect! So glad you both enjoyed!
Loved this! I started doing Noom and this is a great fit for my meals, and during this coronavirus stuff I actually had most of the ingredients already! All I needed from the store was the ground turkey, buns, onion, and pepper. I am always leery of a classic recipe (manwich being a childhood memory) turned “healthy” but I immediately sent the recipe to a few family and friends after a few bites. I definitely opted to use the cayenne, as someone who LOVES spicy stuff, this was just a very mellow heat and I wouldn’t deem it as “spicy” when you add the cayenne. I also forgot to put cheese on it when I served it and it was still delicious that way.
So glad you found this recipe! One of my all time favs 🙂
My family enjoyed this recipe. I’m never buying store bought sloppy joe sauce again. Thank you.
So happy to hear that!
This was delicious! Not too spicy, not too sweet. My husband loved them and had two sandwiches! Thank you
The best! Glad you both enjoyed!
This stuff is so good! I’ve been dieting recently and I’ve gone from 220lbs to 175lbs since January and I’ve been making this at least once a week. I have a habit of just putting the word healthy in front of food I want and hoping there’s a decent recipe that tastes enough like the real thing to be satisfying. This REALLY delivers for me. I’m really happy this exists!
I’m so glad you found this recipe! Such a great dinner (that tastes like the “real deal”)!
Monique, I really feel happy and interesting to share this with you. I had a delicious party last night. All thanks to you !! My friends all compliment delicious. Thank you.
So happy to hear that, Melissa! I’m glad everyone loved these 🙂
Made this tonight and it was delicious! The only thing I did differently was omit the cheese (not a huge fan). The jalapeño slices on top sealed the deal for me 🙂 what an easy and quick recipe, thank you!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Excellent. I make it every week. Never leftovers. Thank you!!
So happy to hear that!
Delicious and easy! 5 stars!!
Glad you enjoyed!
This recipe is a hit at my house. It’s been in the weekly rotation for a few months now. Quick, easy, and delicious. I make it with vegetarian crumbles and it turns out great every time. This week I used the leftover on top of Mac and cheese which I highflying recommend!
Amazing! So happy to hear that (and YES to the mac and cheese topping!)
Ummmm ok WOW. This recipe is definitely getting saved. Perfect amount of everything. The flavors are fantastic!! Would give more stars if I could. Thank you for this!
So happy you loved this one!
This is delicious! My husband didn’t believe it was turkey. The cooked mixture freezes beautifully so I always double this and save the rest for a busy day.
So good! Glad you both enjoyed 🙂
Okay, this is the second ambitious kitchen recipe I’ve made this week. YUM! Cooked this up tonight for my husband and his friend and they have since decided that they’d like to open a sloppy joe food cart here in Portland haha. A direct quote from my husband, “Who knew I liked sloppy joes so much?” Another winner recipe!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
Amazing! Love that idea 🙂 Such a great dinner, too!
This is a family favorite! We modify by adding a little more cayenne to the recipe. Delicious! 😋
Love the spices! So glad it’s a hit 🙂
Made this just last week, both my husband and I loved it. It was actually as easy and quick to make as the recipe stated. Will definitely make again!
THESE ARE THE BEST SLOPPY JOES EVER! Not to mention super fast and easy , plus the ingredients are usually everything someone has on hand. I probably make these every weekend and always forget to take. Photo and tag because I’ve already eaten half of the pot. Sometimes i don’t even use bun, just eat the meal itself. So if you have a chance to make these and again 30 minutes , just do it 💕
Absolutely! Such a great dinner 🙂
This is a favorite in our house! It’s one of our go to recipes all year long. Easy, delicious, and a little spicy. Just the way we like it! And it’s one that my husband will willingly cook for us so that’s a plus 🙂
This is my favorite recipe to share with friends! So easy and tasty. I typically get a spicy jalapeño cheese to melt on it rather than slicing jalapeños. I would not make any changes to the recipe. This is what got me hooked on Ambitious Kitchen recipes!
I’m so glad! Love the idea of adding spicy jalapeño cheese – YUM.
This has become a go to meal in our house. It’s so easy and so delicious! We use ground chicken instead of turkey, works perfectly!
These are now a staple in our house and are in the meal rotation at least once a month!
Super easy and really tasty! Brought back so many childhood memories. So happy I got to eat this but heathy!
I just made this recipe and my husband and I both loved it. Because of dietary sensitivities, I reduced the onion and red pepper by half and used 1 garlic clove. I used everything else as the recipe states including the spicy BBQ sauce. We did not add cheese or any other toppings and we put the mixture on soft, whole wheat hamburger buns. The sloppy joes made a very yummy lunch! Thanks for the recipe!
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂 Glad you both enjoyed!
My husband and I have never been a fan of sloppy joe’s. We grew up on that canned stuff. I had a weird craving for sloppy joe’s (I’m nursing, ’nuff said!) I decided to give this a whirl and it paid off. We both really liked this and even our picky six year old liked it! Plus, we always have these ingredients on hand and it was super quick to make.
Amazing! Totally understand those cravings 🙂 glad the whole family liked them!
My husband requests this almost weekly. It’s so good. I’m plant based, my husband isn’t. So I typically have to make two separate batches, his with turkey, and mine with beyond meat ground (which works perfectly). Highly recommend this recipe to everyone, it’s so simple and comes together so quickly. Perfect weeknight dinner.
Perfect! Love that idea!
This was INCREDIBLE! By far my favorite thing I’ve cooked so far! My boyfriend was very impressed and is currently trying to fight off a happy food coma on the sofa. If you absolutely do not like any heat in your food, definitely go with a milder BBQ sauce as we used OP’s recommendation and it was the PERFECT amount of heat for us (but we love spicy!). Will definitely be making this again in the future.. And honestly looking forward to it!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
This was delicious! I used spicy brown mustard instead of yellow and regular BBQ sauce instead of spicy because it was what I had in the fridge. Still came out amazing. This will definitely be a new weeknight go to in our house!
Perfect! Such a great weeknight dinner 🙂
These were the best quick meal for a weeknight dinner! I used tempeh instead of ground Turkey and put it over a sweet potato. It was delicious! I’ll definitely be making these again when I have some buns!
Perfect! Love that idea!
Excellent! I am so excited to find a healthier
Sloppy Joe recipe. I made my own worces. sauce, used an unsweetened ketchup, and low sugar BBQ sauce from WF. I didn’t have any pickled jalapeños, but this recipe was a HUGE hit with my boys!
BEST SLOPPY JOES!! The first time I made these for my husband, he basically melted into his chair after the first bite. I have only ever made these in the crockpot, and they turn out great every time. Also, maybe it’s because of COVID, but I can’t ever find Worcestershire sauce at the store, so I’ve always made these without, and they still taste amazing!
So delicious, so easy to make and a family favorite!
This is a staple dinner for us – including my meat eater husband and picky toddler! Love the homemade version and the flavor is fantastic! Thanks Monique 🙂
I actually made this three times in two weeks because OMG delicious and easy!!! My friends demanded that I make a slider version of this for Superbowl and they were gone as soon as I sat them out! I added chili power and Tabasco to mine to give it a little more spice but before I added that it was scrumptious!
Made this recipe last night and it is SO good! I used Stubs Sweet Heat (my favorite BBQ sauce), and left out the cayenne (because some members of my household don’t like too much heat). Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great! Will become a weeknight staple.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
My mom used to make these out of a can when I was a kid and I always loved them. Yours are way better! Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe!
So glad you found this version!!
Tastes like childhood without any guilt over processed, packaged food.
Absolutely!
Best sloppy joes ever and so easy to make! Great leftovers are also a plus!
We make this recipe all the time! Usually skip the cheese though. But it is so easy and fast and the sauce is great. Definitely one of those “idk what to make and I’m too tired to do much” recipes.
So easy and so yummy!! Adding it to my recipe rotation
Do yourself a favor and make these sloppy joe’s! So easy! So delicious!
Absolutely delicious! I have been following Monique for quite some time now. I have done a lot of her recipes and they are always a tremendous success. She is super generous with all her tips, which guarantees the success of everything I cook. These burgers are ridiculously good. I’ll definitely be doing them again soon!!
Quick and super tasty meal that my whole family enjoyed! Will absolutely make this again! Thank you!
So good and simple to make!!
Glad you loved them!
My new go-to sloppy joe recipe! So easy to whip together and the flavor was perfect.
I used sweet baby rays bbq and half a sweet onion (it was very large so I assumed that was about the same size as a small onion) and I accidentally bought green pepper instead of red, but it was all fabulous! I did leave out some of the onion pepper mixture, it made a bit much.. more than a cup and a half.
Thank you for this simple DELICIOUS recipe. My very picky MIL who was disappointed I didn’t pick up a can of manwhich was even impressed and EVERYONE wanted seconds. FYI this recipe made about 5.5 sandwiches.
Amazing! So glad it was a hit!
These are super quick and easy and full of flavour- definitely a week night go to.
Perfect comfort food!
MAKE THESE! Don’t hesitate. So easy to follow and delicious. My family will be making these on repeat!
So glad you loved them!
Made this for dinner tonight. Haven’t had sloppy joes since childhood. Brought back memories 🙂 Myself, husband and 10 month old all loved it. We added some paprika and chipotle powder to ours to bump up the flavor, topped off with pickles and mustard – yum!
The best! Sounds delicious 🙂
Great weeknight meal that is quick to prepare. Love the simplicity of the recipe & homemade sauce. Absolutely delicious!
You can’t go wrong with any ambitious kitchen recipes but this one is a must for weeknight meals in my family. So easy and SO delicious!!
So glad you loved this one!
Absolutely delicious and so easy!
Glad you enjoyed!
Super simple and delicious! Perfect for a busy weeknight
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
This recipe is super easy to follow and a keeper. I swapped balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar as I didn’t have any on hand, and it still came out delicious. My partner was like, this might be the best new recipe you’ve made yet! (I’ve been challenging myself to make a new recipe once a week for the month of March.) We will be making again real soon!
Perfect! So glad it was a hit!
One of my favorite Ambitious Kitchen recipes!! My husband melted the first time I made these for him! They’re sooo good! I usually make them in the crockpot and they come out perfect! Definitely a recipe I’ll keep going and love that it’s a healthier alternative!
So happy to hear that! One of our all-time favs, too 🙂
I keep meaning to leave a review for this recipe because I’ve made it at least a dozen times. It is SO GOOD and so versatile!! I usually add a few carrots and stalks of celery (diced like the pepper) to sneak in some extra veggies and swap half the turkey for lentils. I’ve even done all lentils when I’m out of turkey, and my meat lover husband still loves it! Thank you, Monique, for a fabulous recipe!!
So glad you love it!! One of our fav dinners, too 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes of yours! I make it almost once per week. I love that it only takes thirty minutes and uses ingredients that I have on hand 🙂
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Honestly, I did not like this recipe at all, too much bbq sauce. Next time I will eliminate it and add my ethnic dominican spices (sofrito) and add ketchup.
Hi, Nia. Sorry to hear you didn’t love it. Great idea to switch up the flavors here with different spices. Hope you can try that soon!
I keep remaking those over and over again, Using G huges Sweet and spicy BBQ and that one fantastic ketchup from Xucker, sweetened with erythritol.
Today I’ve made those with those gigantic italian bruschetta loafs, toasted in the oven. Absolutely delicious.
As I have no access to peper jack here (Monterey shows up sometimes in one of the markers, LIDL, during “american weeks” but I have never seem peper) I use a mix of mozzarella and parmeggiano, stir it into the sauce, and them top off with more mozzarella:)
Great recipe, thank you very much.
Oh and for me it’s 2 servings not 4 🙂
SO happy you’re loving these!!
One of our favorites!!
Love this recipe. This is a go-to in my house. For meal prep this works great cause is versatile, PLUS you impress your friends with a homemade sauce that is actually so easy! The flavors are bomb and you can’t go wrong with this. Good for any type of weather, budget friendly, and easy for a weeknight, or a meal prep!
Delicious!! Not only do I love it but my partner (who’s a far better cook than I am) keeps requesting that I cook this for him for dinner – feels like a win to me!
Easy to make and lots of flavor. Tonight making it with Gouda and adding pickled jalapeños! 😋
This recipe is so good. Every time I make it, everyone scarfs it (especially my toddler— love that there’s good protein and veg in it for her!). I love using pickled jalapeños on mine instead of fresh, and last night tried it on fluffy slices of fresh challah—perfect.
So fast and easy! Family favorite. Also added grated carrot to sneak in more veggies. Love this recipe
This is the first ground turkey based recipe I have been able to convert my red meat eaters too! Thank you for the flavor profile and the extra veggies in the mix!
The best and easiest sloppy Joe’s around! One of my go to meals
This is so good and SO easy to make. This is on regular rotation at our house. The recipe is super forgiving as well. I’ve made it with and with out the bell pepper, my proportions on the wet ingredients hasn’t been exact and it’s still good every single time!!
10/10!! Hubby made them for us tonight, if he can make them – anyone can 🙂
This is such an easy, delicious meal! It’s one of my husband’s favorites!
Hands down favorite AK dish I’ve ever made. These are amazing. I do not miss cafeteria sloppy Joe’s after making these. Served them to a tough crowd and they loved them. Highly recommend yummmm
Omg so happy to hear that!! Thanks for the rating!
This was great, and so easy! I added diced carrots and chopped broccoli to the pepper and onion (trying to amp up the veggies for my kid). Don’t forget to toast the buns!
This was so delicious. The sauce was perfectly nostalgic and did not skimp on flavor. Just the right amount of cheese at the end really pulls it together to make it creamy. My husband is obsessed- “a top 5” in his book. We put it on Dave’s killer buns – perfect pair. Thanks!!
I made this in the slow cooker and had to add a little extra bbq sauce and water. Turned out great!
Nice!! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
This was quick easy and absolutely delicious!
Yay! So happy you tried and loved them!
Hi, Made this recipe a while back – very good! Used Stubbs original BBQ sauce. Nice kick, not too much.
Making again tonight and wondering what you consider “low sugar” BBQ sauce as far as grams of sugar? Thank you!
I know this recipe was posted a few years ago but I made these tonight (2021) after a quick Google search and they were delicious!!!!! My super picky 4 year old even ate some and that’s high praise from him!! I didn’t add cheese due to an allergy. And I didn’t have red wine vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar. Thank you for creating such awesome recipes! I’ll now be searching your website for more delicious gems!!
Aw I’m so happy you found and loved it, Karen! Glad your little one enjoyed it, too 🙂 Can’t wait for you to try more recipes!
Do you happen to know the sodium content in the 30 Minute Healthier Turkey Sloppy Joes with Homemade Sauce! I did see you mention other important nutritional facts except sodium. Thanks in advance.
This was delicious!!!! So easy and I had all the condiments at home. My mom would always serve sloppy joes with cucumbers and carrots, to add some vegetables. I did the same thing. I didn’t use any cheese. I sent this recipe to both of my sisters. I have made a bunch of your recipes and they all have been winners!!
Nice! I’m so glad you loved this one, Courtney! Thanks for sharing it with them, too 🙂
So good! I used 90/10 hamburger and a name brand barbecue sauce. The flavor is perfect and was a huge hit with the family!!!
So glad you all loved this one, Dana! 🙂
Made this recipe for my boyfriend and I who are on a health kick. Didn’t even need the cheese, so flavorful and hit the spot! We were both big fans. Roasted some broccoli in the oven at the same time and it all came out at once perfectly.
Yay! I’m so glad you both loved this recipe! Love the idea of roasted broccoli on the side, too.
Get OUT of here right now. Every time I make an AK recipe, I think, “THIS is the best one.” But OMG, is this Sloppy my new favorite recipe!?! It may just be (until I make something else of yorus tonight). Perfect combination of sweet heat. I didn’t have any Worchestershire sauce so I subbed soy sauce and it was totally fine. Manwhich who?
Ahhhh that makes me so happy!! SO glad they came out perfect. Soy sauce is a smart sub 🙂 Thanks for the review, Brooke!
I like to use grated carrots and a can of diced tomatoes with bell pepper as well, to further the “healthy theme”, you don’t really even notice them!
Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
I grew up eating sloppy joes, and I’ve tried many different recipes. This blows them all out of the water!!!! SO delicious, this recipe is going immediately into my recipe binder and straight into the regular rotation!! Thank you!!!
Ahh that makes me so happy! Thank you, Cathi! So glad you loved these 🙂
The phrase “one small onion” is very vague and as a result the mixture was very onion heavy. The sauce wasn’t enough to coat all of it. Please give specific quantities of ingredients in the future. The only reason this is getting 3 stars is that it did taste good (not amazing but good) and I had most of the ingredients already but I don’t think I’d make this again.
Sorry to hear it was too onion-y for you, Michele. We can definitely update that 🙂 Thanks for the feedback.
My family loves these sloppy joes! I make them twice a month – quick and easy!
Very excited to try these. I’d like to make it ahead of time and take it camping with us this weekend to heat up over a fire. How long do you think they’ll keep for if stayed in the refrigerator? I was hoping to make either Wednesday or Thursday for Saturday/Sunday meals. Thanks!
So fun! Yes I think as long as the filling stays chilled it should be totally fine for that long 🙂 Enjoy!
Best sloppy Joe mix I ever tasted! Wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
So good! I did mine lettuce wrapped no cheese with an avocado, tomato, corn salsa on top!! Yummmmmm!!
Unlike others in the reviews section of this site, I actually did make this recipe. Even though this was a recipe to clean out my shelves, boy was it good!
As far as the recipe goes I pretty much adhered to the directions excluding I added some dry spice to the sauce mix (since my bbq sauce was not spicy) and I toasted the buns (since my buns were stale).
Definitely would make this again! It was a hit!
Thanks so much for the comment — so glad you enjoyed it!
YUM. These were delicious. Much healthier than the ones I was served back in school. I love the added cheese and spice. Thank you!
Haha yes I remember those!! So happy you loved these more 😛
These t
Love the easy, uncomplicated and beautiful way you make food for us to explore and enjoy! New subscriber who is single and love to cook to appreciate that I am special. Thank you!
Aw thank you SO much, Sherri — that made my day! I’m so glad you’re here, and that you’re enjoying everything 🙂
Amazing! Used an orange bell pepper since I didn’t have a red one. Toasted the buns and melted sliced pepper jack cheese in the oven on hi broil. Yooom!
Full family approval!! This was so good and easy to prep the sauce and veggies ahead of time. Everyone loved it from my toddler to dad to my picky MIL! It gives all the comfort of a traditional sloppy joe with less guilt. We omitted the jalepenos and cayenne but it really didn’t need it! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks AK
YAY!! So happy you all loved it 🙂 Thanks, Lauren!
My husband loved this recipe! That’s always a win.
Well, that was absolutely delicious!!! Perfect flavor. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Absolutely! SO glad you found this recipe and are enjoying it 😊
After seeing your post of your husband’s favorites, I made the sloppy Joe’s for my boyfriend for dinner and family on Christmas Eve within a week. All of them loved it and I did too! Testing out freezing it for an even easier dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious!
Do you make your own hamburger buns? Are they gluten free? They look amazing! I’m gluten free and need to find a good gluten free hamburger bun recipe that isn’t filled with unhealthy ingredients.
Are the calories correct? It seems extremely high for one Sloppy Joe
Just made these and they are AMAZING!!!! I doubled the recipe to last through the week for my husband and I! I only made one swap and that was white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar because it’s simply what I had in the pantry. They still turned out delicious, can’t even tell a difference! Thank you for this!
Aw this means so much – glad you are enjoying this recipe and it turns out great for you!
Quick and easy recipe. Slightly sweeter than I anticipated. Next time, I will cut down the on the BBQ sauce and add more spices and acid.
Appreciate your feedback!
I made this last night as I had two pounds of ground turkey I needed to use and your recipe popped up in my search. I haven’t had sloppy Joes in forever and this recipe did not disappoint! This will go into regular rotation, my kids loved it as well!
Aw yay! This is so great, Heather. I am so glad this recipe is a hit for you and your family ❤️
Great Sloppy Joe’s , I omitted salt and used Monkfruit for my needs , delicious 😋
Excellent! Glad these turned out delicious for you 🙂
My first time ever making sloppy joes from scratch and this was bangin’! I increased all of the non-protein ingredients by 1.5 because I used only 3/4 lb of ground turkey and added an almost equal amounts of cooked brown lentils to stretch the recipe a bit and add some fiber. It’s also a fantastic way to use up ketchup, which doesn’t get used very often in our house but it’s always in the fridge. My husband was so surprised when I told him what dinner was, as we both grew up in the 1970’s and the days of canned “manwich” sauce. He loved it with the fresh sliced jalapeños on top. Thanks for a great, easy recipe that I see becoming part of our regular rotation.
WOO! This is the best, Kristy. I am so glad that you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you! Thanks for coming back and sharing your comment, I appreciate it!
We have made this recipe multiple times. I do not tweak anything for this recipe because it is perfect! So flavorful, easy to make and a weeknight favorite.
One of our fav weeknight meals, too 🙂 glad you love it!
As a busy mom to a toddler, this is one of my go-to recipes. Super easy and the whole family loves it!
FINALLY a sloppy joe recipe that everyone in my family likes! We love this one!
So happy to hear that!
I’ve been making this recipe on repeat for easy work lunch. If I don’t have ground turkey, I will substitute one and a half cups of dry lentils. If I don’t have peppers, I throw in a few handfuls of fresh spinach. Quick and easy!
Amazing! Great swaps!
My kids don’t like Manwich which is communist in my opinion, but I digress. I decided to make this with ground chicken (otherwise followed the recipe exact) and lo and behold, it was a winner! Everyone loved it!
Haha I’m so glad they loved this one instead!
This is a staple in our house as a fast easy meal. We preferred the flavor of ground beef. I serve on my homemade sourdough and my toddler loves it!
Perfect! Glad it’s a favorite 🙂
Another great recipe! I tripled the recipe and even added an additional 2 zucchinis and 16 oz of baby spinach. SO GOOD!!! Will definitely make this again and I’ll add diced mushrooms next time. Thank you, Monique! With your recipes, my last 4 meals have been really tasty!
Love it!! So happy to hear that!
Made this for dinner for my husband and I. Great flavor and I made it following recipe including cayenne pepper, used country Dijon mustard and TJ’s organic Kansas City style BBQ sauce. Delicious flavor and easy to make gluten free for my husband. Will make again!
Love it! Perfect meal 🙂
I haven’t had sloppy joes since I was a kid! These are wonderful and so easy to make with the convenience of using condiments and other pantry items I already have. I stretch this recipe further and add fiber by cooking a half cup of dried brown lentils and add those to the ground turkey (I also double the sauce ingredients). We love it on whole wheat buns or over baked potatoes. Thanks for the easy, non-fussy recipe!
Great idea to add lentils! Such a fab weeknight meal 🙂
Couldn’t make it. For health reasons I must have sodium and cholesterol so I can see if it works or I can adjust it .
This recipe is so quick and easy and really good!
One of our favs!
Absolutely the MOST delicious “Sloppy Jo” I’ve seriously ever had, and I’m 47 years young!!😂
But seriously, absolutely incredible!! I followed the recipe to the “T”!! My whole family loved, and our daughter is SUPER picky!! I’ll never make sloppy Joe’s any other way than this for the rest of my life! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Sincerely,
Tena Bird
Love that!! One of our all-time favs for the whole family 🙂
Does the nutrition include the bun ?
Yes!
I made this exactly as posted and it is a keeper! My husband claims to only want Turkey on Thanksgiving but, due to heart surgery, needs to limit his beef intake. We both thought they were delicious.
So glad you found this one! Perfect dinner 🙂
This is delicious. My family loves it! Wondering if it can be frozen?
So happy to hear that! And yes, it will freeze well 🙂
My family loves this recipe! We’ve been making it at least once a month for years and it’s always a hit!
So happy to hear that!
Very easy and delicious!
One of our fav dinners, too 🙂
Excellent recipe! I recommend trying it!
I love this recipe and have used it a few times now! Have you ever tried freezing it? If so, does it freeze well?
Yes, this freezes well!
I love this healthy recipe. I make it fairly often. I have to watch my added sugar so I use Primal kitchen sugar free ketchup, and instead of Bbq sauce added more ketchup.
Such a great dinner!
Can I use Dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard?
Sure!
This was so good! My husband and I both loved it. Will be making it on a regular basis. Easy to make and healthy too!
So happy to hear that!
I’ve made these so many times. My family loves them! I serve them on Kaiser rolls with a wedge salad on the side. It’s so good and easy to prepare. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Such a great dinner! Glad these are a hit!
I love this recipe, it is my go-to for sloppy joes! The sauce is so flavorful, you won’t go back to the canned sauce.
Homemade is the best! Glad you enjoyed!
Very good flavor and super easy to pull together quickly. I didn’t have worcestershire, so I subbed tamari (soy sauce). Can be served over rice for a GF option. Also goes great with Trader Joes organic corn chips for scooping.
Great swap! Glad you enjoyed!
My daughter & son-in-law make your healthy sloppy joes for their family , probably 2 or 3 times a month….I have loved being invited over for them and finally got the recipe.
I like how the ground turkey is not grainy like ground beef, does not dry out or give you that icky surprise bite of some sort of weird “hard” gristle found in hamburger meat.
We do add your referenced idea of chopped carrot & celery to the mix, makes for a nice crunch and a rustic “mirepoix” flavor flair for the adults , { as you said, the kids don’t notice they are getting more veggies!}
Us adults top our Joes with a jalapeño or two, sometimes a red cabbage slaw right on top too, or at least on the side, along with corn on the cob and pickles!!
If we run out of buns someone will always eat the left over sloppy joe meat with a fork, “bowl” style, meat, slaw, corn OFF the cob, jalapeño & cheese!
Love love love this recipe ! I have tasted many different sloppy joes recipes in my lifetime { 65 years old} , have to say this one is my favorite !
Amazing! So happy to hear that this is a favorite in your family 🙂 One of ours, too!
Easy and super tasty!
Glad you enjoyed!
This was quick, easy and soooo tasty! It’s a keeper for sure.
So glad you enjoyed!
This is such a staple in my house for my 2 picky eaters. I love how easy it is to sneak veggies in and quick to make as a full time working mom of 2 young kids. Thank you for sharing!
So happy to hear that! One of our family favs, too 🙂
I’m having my kitchen cabinets painted this weekend so I needed some meal prep recipes so we didn’t have to rely on carryout all week. This recipe is delicious and was so easy to make! I can’t do a lot of spicy food, so I omitted the jalapenos and pepperjack cheese. But I’d bet it’d be amazing with regular jack cheese and some pickle slices!
My coworker gifted your cookbook to me last year and I’ve gotten so many amazing recipes from it and your website. Haven’t tried a single recipe that wasn’t a huge hit! 🙂
This one’s great for meal prep! So happy to hear that you’re loving my cookbook and website recipes 🙂
This recipe was easy and fast which I always love. The kids really liked it. They are teens and initially had snarky comments about the appearance of sloppy of course. Thank you for making them healthier too.
So happy to hear that! And glad to win the teens over 🙂
SO good, my kids enjoy it and my husband and I love it!!! Love a one pan meal and it truly comes together so quickly
I’m so glad!
A staple in our household! Packed full of flavor AND easy/quick to cook – say no more. Tastes great on a bun or over a roasted sweet potato. Pairs perfectly with roasted carrots.
Absolutely! Glad they’re a favorite 🙂
These are so tasty. It’s a quick and easy meal the whole family enjoys. It’s even good without the cheese on top too.
Absolutely! Such a great weeknight meal 🙂
a weeknight staple! no notes!
This is one of our go to recipes for a quick, delicious, and easy meal. Highly recommend!
One of our favs, too! Glad you love it!