Healthy Sloppy Joes

Made in less than 30 minutes, this Healthy Sloppy Joe recipe is a true family favorite! Lean ground sirloin, fresh veggies, and beans are enveloped into a sweet and tangy homemade sloppy joe sauce. These Homemade Sloppy Joes are not only healthier, but they are the BEST sloppy joe recipe. PERIOD.

Pair this Healthy Sloppy Joe recipe with Oven Baked Fries or Sweet Potato Fries for a meal the whole family will love! Or ditch the bun and serve on Instant Pot Baked Potatoes or Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes.

Recently one of you told me that you loved Sloppy Joes but hadn’t eaten them in years because you only thought they were possible if made with a can of Sloppy Joe sauce.

I immediately knew that I had to share my Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe with you because my Sloppy Joe recipe is NOT from a can and tastes one thousand times better!

Not only is my recipe for Healthy Sloppy Joes low in sodium and fat, it is an inexpensive and easy recipe!

Healthy Sloppy Joes

These Sloppy Joes are a one skillet meal that always pleases my family.

My homemade Sloppy Joes are sweet, savory, with a hint of spice from the fresh jalapeno, creating the perfect balance of savory flavors. These are SO much better than any Sloppy Joe made with canned sauce.

The true secret to making sloppy joes healthier is not only the homemade sauce, but adding beans to the ground meat. This cuts back on fat and adds a boost of fiber to these sloppy joes. Plus it makes a little bit of meat feed A LOT more people! Trust me, you barely notice the beans!

I think your family will agree, these Healthy Sloppy Joes will be one meal that they will all LOVE!

How to Make Healthy Sloppy Joes

• Place ground beef, peppers, onions, and jalapenos in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium high heat.

• Cook, breaking up the meat, as it cooks.
• Once the beef is browned, drain off any excess fat that has been rendered in the skillet.
• Add in tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and beans, and stir well.
• Bring the sloppy joe mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
• Add in the apple cider vinegar, honey, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Stir well and let simmer an additional 5-10 minutes.
• Serve Sloppy Joes on buns or over a baked potato or baked sweet potato and top with cheese if desired.

Tips for Creating the Best Sloppy Joe

• I start with lean ground sirloin, but feel free to use ground chicken, bison, or turkey. I do find that beef produces the best flavor with this recipe and grass fed beef is filled with healthy nutrients like omega-3 acids, vitamin E and linoeic acid–plus ground sirloin is much lower in fat than ground turkey.
• My secret is to use 2 cups of pinto beans along with ground beef. They blend in perfectly with the flavors of the sloppy joes and make these sloppy joes full of fiber, lower in fat, and stretch further, therefore saving you money!
• I add in some fresh jalapenos to the homemade sloppy joe sauce for some spice, but you can omit the jalapeno for less spice.
• Fresh red peppers add a great freshness to these Classic Sloppy Joe Sandwiches, but use frozen chopped green peppers if you can’t find a reasonable price on fresh red peppers or don’t have any at home.
• The vinegar is a MUST in this sloppy joe sauce recipe. I love apple cider vinegar, but red wine vinegar works as well.
•  You can serve these Sloppy Joes on buns with cheese as a classic childhood favorite. But Sloppy Joes are just as delicious served in baked russet potatoes, baked sweet potatoes or gasp, scooped up with plain potato chips 😉
• If you want to make these Gluten-Free Sloppy Joes, use Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce,  Braggs Amino Acids ,or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce.

More Ground Beef Recipes

• Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper Skillet
• Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff
• Instant Pot Ground Beef (From Fresh and Frozen)
• Easy Pizza Meatloaf

Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe

Healthy Sloppy Joes

An easy homemade recipe for Healthy Sloppy Joes made with lean ground beef, beans and a tangy homemade sloppy joe sauce. 

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Healthy Sloppy Joes, Sloppy Joes, Sloppy Joes with Beans

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 221kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 small onion diced
• 1/2 jalapeno seeded and minced
• 1 small red pepper diced
• 2 cups canned or cooked pinto beans drained if canned
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Worceshestire sauce
• 8 buns
• 8 slices of cheddar cheese optional

Instructions

• Over medium high heat, brown the sirloin with the onion, jalapeno, and red pepper. Drain off any excess fat (which there rarely is any) and return to heat.
• Add in tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, garlic, salt and stir well. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer.
• Add in the apple cider vinegar, honey, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and let simmer 5-10 minutes.
• Serve on buns with cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Sloppy Joes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 221 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g 12%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 38mg 13%

Sodium 522mg 22%

Potassium 547mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 18g 6%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 7g

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 13.4%

Vitamin C 29.9%

Calcium 3.8%

Iron 14.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.