Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe (2024)

3030-Minute MealDFDairy FreeEFEgg-Free

Emily RichterPublished 8/9/2019Updated 8/8/2019

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The perfectly savory and sweet Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe is here! Made with ground chicken and a flavorful sauce packed with clean ingredients, these Sloppy Joes will not disappoint!

If you love Sloppy Joes and other flavorful recipes with ground meat, you’re sure to love our Instant Pot Hamburger Soup and these Grilled Sweet and Sour Meatball Skewers and, of course, this Healthy Hamburger Casserole.

Table of Contents

Calling all Sloppy Joe Lovers!

Anyone else out there completely reminded of childhood when you think of Sloppy Joes? As a true midwestern staple, Sloppy Joes were always a fan favorite at our house growing up. So, we decided to take everything we love about this nostalgic fave, put a healthy twist on it, and serve it up to you guys!

The Key to Perfect Sloppy Joes

THE SAUCE! You absolutely cannot make a proper sloppy without a kickass sauce. And this Sloppy Joe recipe will not disappoint in the sauce department! It’s the most perfect savory and sweet flavorings from:

Worcestershire sauce
Apple cider vinegar
Frank’s hot sauce
Maple syrup
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Mustard powder
Salt
Pepper

Combined with that tomato-ey flavor you love in a traditional Sloppy Joe that we achieved through the just-right combination of:

Tomato paste
Tomato sauce
Ketchup

And we promise you, this sauce is NOT too runny (nobody needs a soggy bun!) and NOT too thick (this isn’t a thick midwestern chili recipe!).

Meat Options for Sloppy Joes

We love these healthy Sloppy Joes with ground chicken, but feel free to sub in ground turkey or ground beef. Just be aware that the fattier the meat you use, the more fat you’ll have to strain out of the pan before adding in the sauce to obtain that perfect Sloppy Joe thickness.

We haven’t tested this with Beyond Meat or other vegetarian or vegan alternatives, but if this works for you, let us know in the comments!

No Bun? No Problem!

Are you GF? Or looking for lower carb options that aren’t as bun-heavy to make the very best Sloppy Joe? Feel free to slap this delicious Sloppy Joe filling on:

A corn tortilla
A lettuce wrap
On top of a salad
In a buddha bowl with your fave accompaniments
Dipped with tortilla chips
In between grilled slices of eggplant, sweet potato or portobello mushrooms

What to Serve with Sloppy Joes

Looking for the perfect sides to round out your Sloppy Joe meal? Here are some of our favorite recipe pairings for these Joes:

Foil Pack Grilled Red Potatoes
Vegan Potato Salad
Healthy Baked Potato Salad
Olive Oil Parmesan Grilled Corn
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad

MORE of our best side dishes

More Healthy Sandwiches

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Lemon Dill Salmon Burgers
Roasted Garlic Black Bean Quinoa Burger
Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich

4.20 from 5 votes

Healthy Sloppy Joe

The perfectly savory and sweet Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe is here! Made with ground chicken and a flavorful sauce packed with clean ingredients, these Sloppy Joes will not disappoint!

Prep:10 minutes minutes

Cook:15 minutes minutes

Total:25 minutes minutes

Fat 11

Carbs 11

Protein 15

Yield: 6

Print Rate

Ingredients

Sauce

2 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Frank's hot sauce option to sub 1 more teaspoon apple cider vinegar instead
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Other

1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 lb. ground chicken

Instructions

First, prepare sauce by mixing together all ingredients in a large Pyrex or bowl. Set aside.
Next, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium/high heat. Once fragrant, add yellow onion and minced garlic.
Sautee for about 2 minutes before adding in ground chicken. Saute chicken for around 3-5 minutes until almost browned. Make sure to break the chicken up into small pieces.
Add sauce to to the ground chicken and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low and let simmer for around 20 minutes or until sauce reduces by half.
See Also
Frugal and Filling Depression Era Breakfast Recipes The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes Keto & Low Carb Cream Cheese Recipes (Sweet & Savory)8 Fermented Honey Recipes to Make This Year
Serve on your favorite bun*.

Tips & Notes

*Nutrition does not include bun.

Nutrition facts

Calories: 199kcal Carbohydrates: 11g Protein: 15g Fat: 11g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 7g

Author: Emily Richter

Similar recipes:

Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich
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Southwest Chicken Salad
Healthy Tuna Salad

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About Emily Richter

Emily is Fit Foodie Finds' editor-in-chief. She has a master's degree in strategic communication, and a passion for food. She is an incredible at-home cook making her writing an important part of the content creation process.

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Sam

Posted on 12/17/2022

Recipe Rating :

. This is more work than the classic recipe and the flavor is not worth the extra effort. It much easier to substitute chicken or Turkey in a simple recipe. Glad others like it. Just not to my liking Prefer the classic flavors. Won’t do again.