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You are here: Home / Beef / Healthy Sloppy Joes

Healthy Sloppy Joes

Last updated on September 2, 2020. Originally published April 16, 2018 3 Comments

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These Healthy Sloppy Joes are the perfect weeknight meal! These homemade sloppy Joes are ready in 30 minutes, made with simple ingredients and much lower in sugar than traditional Sloppy Joes! 

Overhead view of healthy sloppy joes recipe on a bun with pickles on a round black plate with ketchup and french fries and fresh thyme

You guys, I have another dinner recipe for you. Because you asked for them and I love sharing our favorite family dishes!

However, I need to be totally honest and tell you that taking pictures of meat scares me! Like seriously it’s SO difficult to make it look good. Or I think it is? I could just be scarred from my last pregnancy {with my sweet Mara} because during those 9 months I didn’t want to look at meat, smell it or eat it! LOL However I worked through my fears, and today I’m sharing our family’s recipe for Healthy Sloppy Joes!

Don’t get me wrong, I really do enjoy eating meat every now and then, but when I do I like it saucy and full of flavor {hence, these Healthy Sloppy Joes}! This recipe has much less sugar than traditional sloppy joe recipes, and it’s gluten & dairy-free!

One thing I have to note is that we like our Sloppy Joes to be thick. I am not interested in cleaning soupy red juice off out of all of my kids’ clothes! Also, I personally don’t like it when the meat makes the bun soggy! Anyway, it’s for those reasons that these Healthy Sloppy Joes are thicker {and dare I say tastier} than your average Joe! 😉 Serving them with bread and butter pickles is a must! 

Up close front shot of healthy sloppy joes recipe on a bun with the top of the bun off to the side and french fries in the background

How to make Homemade Sloppy Joes

Here are a few notes on making this recipe.

  1. Brown the meat. I thoroughly brown my ground beef every time I use it in a recipe. I think it enhances both the flavor and the texture. If you use a super lean meat you may need to add a tablespoon of olive oil to get it to brown.
  2. Thicken the sauce. Like I mentioned above, runny sloppy joes have no place in our house. So I like to remove the lid from the pan in the last 5 minutes of cooking so the sauce will thicken. If you like runnier sloppy joes then you do not have to do this!
  3. Storage. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator! If you will be packing leftovers to take to work I recommend packing the bun and meat separately to avoid a soggy mess!

Up close front shot of healthy sloppy joes recipe on a bun with pickles

Healthy Sloppy Joes: Ingredients & Substitutions

This recipe is fairly versatile! Here are a few potential substitutions!

  • Lean ground beef. I recommend 93% lean ground beef, however ground turkey or chicken can be used in it’s place if desired!
  • Green Pepper. Any variety of bell pepper works well in this recipe! I like the addition of a veggie to these Healthy Sloppy Joes, but if you have picky eaters you might want to leave it out. Or substitute a veggie like shredded zucchini that disappears when it’s cooked!
  • Onion powder. Real onion can be substituted for the onion powder! I recommend using about 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely diced onion depending on your tastes. Add it to the skillet when you add the meat!
  • Garlic powder. Minced garlic can be used in place of garlic powder. Add it with the meat and/or onion!
  • Brown Sugar. Coconut sugar can be used in place of brown sugar for a refined sugar free version! Honey is also a great choice!

A quick note on Ketchup.

 I implore you to check the ingredients on the ketchup that you buy! I recommend organic varieties like this. Because ketchup has sugar {why do you think it tastes so good} and I’m ok with that in moderation.

However I try to steer clear of corn syrup and most commercial ketchups are loaded with the stuff. This Heinz Organic Ketchup only has 7 ingredients and organic cane sugar is number 4, as opposed to other varieties that list “corn syrup” as the number 1 ingredient…YUCK!

Overhead view of healthy sloppy joes recipe on a bun with pickles on a round black plate with ketchup and french fries and fresh thyme

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5 from 1 vote

Healthy Sloppy Joes (Homemade in 30 minutes)!

These Healthy Sloppy Joes are the perfect weeknight meal! These homemade sloppy Joes are ready in 30 minutes, made with simple ingredients and much lower in sugar than traditional sloppy joes!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword healthy sloppy joe recipe, healthy sloppy joes, sloppy joes from scratch
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 176.3kcal
Author Laura

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 small green pepper finely diced
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 TBS brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 8 buns
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a small bowl mix together ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder garlic salt, mustard, and black pepper. Set aside.
  • Add ground beef to a medium skillet and cook over medium-high heat until it begins to brown.
  • Add green pepper and cook until soft.
  • Drain liquids and stir in the mixture made in step 1. Mix until combined.
  • Reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and simmer for about 5 minutes more or until the mixture thickens (if you like thicker sloppy joes)!
  • Serve with your favorite garnishes on your favorite rolls!

Notes

*Nutrition information calculated for the Sloppy Joe mixture alone, using 93% lean ground beef, making 8 servings. It does not include the bun since there are many bun options and all have varying nutritional information. 

Nutrition

Calories: 176.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.7g | Protein: 18.2g | Fat: 5.3g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 48.8mg | Sodium: 442.2mg | Potassium: 35.3mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 7.9g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 17.5mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Up close front shot of healthy sloppy joes recipe on a bun with pickles

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

You might also like:

Smoothie Bowl Recipe - 3 Ways (Video)
Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting
Homemade Healthy Coffee Creamer

Filed Under: Beef, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Recipes Tagged With: gluten free, main dish

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sheila

    April 28, 2018 at 9:46 am

    This is absolutely brilliant. I have some guests coming over tomorrow and I am thinking of serving this. Thank you for this wonderful idea. You just saved me from the stress brought my deciding what to serve.

    Reply
  2. Vesna Misoska

    April 25, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    I don’t like sloppy joe’s to resemble pasta sauce either. This is a great recipe! I made a huge vat of this the other day. I didn’t have enough ketchup, so I added some barbecue sauce. So delicious! Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Cheryl

    April 23, 2018 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight with a salad and oven baked steak fries. My husband and I both loved it. Thanks for a great tasting healthy sloppy joe recovery.

    Reply

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About Laura

 

Hello I’m Laura! I am a former chemistry teacher turned wife and mom of five beautiful babies with one on the way in 2021! I’m a green smoothie addict, lover of the outdoors, and a peanut butter & nap enthusiast! Click here to read more >>

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