Healthy Sloppy Joes

Healthy Sloppy Joes are the perfect weeknight dinner. The familiar flavors of store-bought Manwich, made with lean ground beef, mushrooms and tomatoes!

If you love Sloppy Joes but are trying to eat healthier, then this is the Dinner Recipe for you. Just like the recipe for Greek Turkey Burgers, this is the healthy alternative to regular beef burgers. This Sloppy Joe recipe makes a few changes for a much lighter Sloppy Joe.

Healthy Sloppy Joes on a plate with vegetables

HEALTHY SLOPPY JOES

If you grew up loving Sloppy Joes but haven’t been able to find a healthier version that tastes as good, this is your dream recipe. Healthy Sloppy Joes are nutritious, family-friendly, full of veggies, lower in calories, and saturated fats than other Sloppy Joes have.

Easy Sloppy Joes are sure to become a go-to recipe for a quick weeknight dinners. You’ll love indulging in this low calorie version of a favorite childhood dinner. The total time for this great recipe is just 20 minutes from start to finish! So, you’ll have plenty of time to make equally delicious and low calorie side dishes. Some great ones to try are Healthy Coleslaw, Healthy Baked Beans, and Mashed Cauliflower.

Apart from sides, feel free to put out sauce options like BBQ Sauce and Ketchup. There’s no BBQ Sauce or Ketchup in the recipe because they add unnecessary amounts of sodium and sugar, but you can have them for people to use if they want. Especially since a lot of people consider ketchup a staple of the classic Sloppy Joe flavor.

Healthy Sloppy Joes in a pot

Once you’ve made your Healthy Sloppy Joes all that’s left is to serve them up with your favorite hamburger buns. These Sloppy Joes will be amazing no matter what kind of bun you serve them on. From classic hamburger buns, to whole wheat buns, or even finding a gluten-free bun, there are so many great options.

This Sloppy Joe recipe is loaded with veggies to make it as nutritious as possible, while keeping it low in calories. It uses mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. These veggies provide a lot of flavor, but don’t worry these sandwiches are still wonderfully kid-friendly! Along with adding these healthy ingredients, and leaving out less healthy ones like ketchup, Healthy Sloppy Joes also uses 90/10 ground beef. This is a lean ground beef option that is much lower in fat. So you and your entire family can enjoy Sloppy Joes guilt-free!

SLOW COOKER HEALTHY SLOPPY JOES

Healthy Sloppy Joes are oh-so easy to prepare in the slow cooker!

  1.  Add olive oil to a large skillet and simmer the ground beef, onions, mushrooms, minced garlic, and bell peppers until browned, stirring to break apart the meat.
  2. Add the salt and pepper and continue to sauté until browned.
  3. Put in the slow cooker.
  4. Add in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, water, and Worcestershire sauce to make the sloppy Joe sauce.
  5. After stirring to combine the ingredients cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6.

Healthy Sloppy Joes collage of prep steps

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SLOPPY JOES

VARIATIONS ON LENTIL SLOPPY JOES VEGAN

  • Turkey Sloppy Joes: Instead of using ground beef in your Sloppy Joes recipe, you can use ground turkey. It won’t taste as close to the classic Sloppy Joes, but turkey is a healthy meat option. All the other ingredients remain the same, Turkey Sloppy Joes will turn out absolutely delicious.
  • Maple Syrup: You can use maple syrup in your Sloppy Joes, instead of brown sugar.
  • Add-ins: There are plenty of easy and flavorful additions to try the next time you make this Healthy Sloppy Joes recipe. Try adding more veggies like chopped carrots, extra sautéed onions, or red bell peppers. Add seasonings like chili powder, red pepper, cloves or Italian seasoning.

Healthy Sloppy Joes on a plate side by side

MORE HEALTHY WEEKNIGHT DINNERS

HOW TO STORE HEALTHY SLOPPY JOES

  • Serve: Don’t leave your Sloppy Joes out at room temperature for more than a 2 hours.
  • Store: Once the Sloppy Joe filling has cooled to room temperature, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep the meat separate from the bun.
  • Freeze: Kept in a freezer bag or airtight container you can keep this Sloppy Joe recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Healthy Sloppy Joes closeup on a plate with vegetables

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Healthy Sloppy Joes

Healthy Sloppy Joes are the perfect weeknight dinner. The familiar flavors of store-bought Manwich, made with lean ground beef, mushrooms and tomatoes!
Yield 8 Servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground beef , (90/10)
  • 1 yellow onion , diced
  • 8 ounces crimini mushrooms , diced
  • 1 green bell pepper , diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar , packed
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • To a dutch oven on medium high heat add the ground beef, onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, salt and pepper, breaking the beef apart as you cook it, for 8-10 minutes until cooked.
  • Add in garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  • Add in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, then stir well to combine.
  • Cook for 2 minutes until bubbling, then serve on toasted buns.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 303IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg
Keyword: Healthy Sloppy Joes

Healthy Sloppy Joes Collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a trained professional chef who has cooked for private clients for over a dozen years. Experienced in handling dietary restrictions, allergies and picky kid eaters, she's well versed in coming up with healthy, yet flavorful recipes.

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