Turkey Sloppy Joe’s have a rich, delicious sauce that can be made spicy or not for a family favorite dinner everyone will love!
I cannot adequately express my love for sloppy Joe's.
I love the slow simmered bold flavors, the comfort they evoke, even the total messiness.
It's such a classic and such a family favorite in my house!
I've tweaked the recipe a bit and use ground turkey for my sloppy Joe's. It's leaner, doesn't require draining off any grease and we just love the flavor!
(I also use ground turkey for my tacos, spaghetti, chili and meatloaf recipes. I think I may be harboring a little turkey bias. 😉)
The ground turkey is mixed with peppers and a slew of ingredients that simmer together to make that scrumptious sauce.
I love to make mine a bit on the spicy side unless I'm serving it to the kiddos, too.
I've made the spicy parts optional in the recipe below so you can adjust it to your liking.
But let's walk through how to make turkey sloppy Joe's.
Easy Instructions:
Step 1. Cook the turkey. Heat the oil then cook the green pepper, jalapeño (if using one) and ground turkey until the turkey is cooked through. Add the garlic and chili powder
Step 2. Make the sauce. Meanwhile combine the beer (or broth or water), ketchup, sriracha or chili sauce and the Worcestershire sauce.I like to do this in a large measuring cup so that I can measure and mix all at once. (Less dishes for later too!)
Step 3. Simmer the sauce. Add the sauce to the pan and let it simmer over medium-low heat until it's thickened, about 15 minutes.
Step 4. Finish and serve. Stir in the green onions and adjust the seasonings. Add more salt or pepper if needed. Then serve it up!
Those deep flavors and thickened sauce is seriously swoon-worthy.
Now, one valid complaint against the sloppy Joe is that it can be a sloppy mess. All that saucy goodness comes with a price.
I've learned a few tips and tricks over the years that I wanted to share with you.
How to avoid a soggy bun:
- Toast the bun. This gives it a bit of a barrier to stand up to the sauce. But if you like a soft bun, and even if you toast it, I also suggest,
- Spread butter or mayonnaise on the bottom bun. The fat acts as a shield so the sauce doesn't soak into the bread, or at least not as quickly. (This trick is also good for burgers, so the grease doesn't get the bun soggy.)
My bonus third trick is what I often do myself for sloppy Joe night. I eat my sloppy Joe mix over a quick and easy microwave baked potato.
I'm one of those people who eats the whole potato, skin and everything, and so it acts as an edible bowl.
Totally delicious!
It's always a good night when turkey sloppy Joe's are on the menu. I hope you have them soon.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. You may also want to check out cheesy Sloppy Joe casserole for a twist on this favorite!
Turkey Sloppy Joe's
Turkey sloppy Joe’s have a rich, delicious sauce that can be made spicy or not for a family favorite dinner everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey (I use 93% lean)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped (can omit for less heat)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 ¼ cups liquid of choice: beer, chicken broth or water
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sriracha or spicy chili garlic sauce (can omit or reduce for less heat; see notes)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced (green and white parts, about ¾ cup)
For serving:
- 4 whole wheat rolls or buns
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise or butter
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, green pepper and jalapeño, if using. Saute until the ground turkey is cooked through.
- Add garlic and and chili powder and cook for another minute.
- Add liquid, ketchup, chili sauce (if using) and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until mixture is thickened.
- Mix in green onions. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Prepare the buns: Toast and spread the bottom half with mayonnaise or butter. (These tricks help prevent the bun from getting soggy.) Top with sloppy Joe mix and serve!
Notes
Spicy: You can adjust the level of heat in this recipe to make it spicy or not. For more spicy, use the jalapeño and opt for all of either the sriracha or spicy chili garlic sauce (or a combination of the two).
For less spicy, omit the jalapeño and use a scant tablespoon of a mild chili sauce.
Tricks on how to avoid a soggy bun:
- Toast the bun. This gives it a bit of a barrier to stand up to the sauce. But if you like a soft bun, and even if you toast it, I also suggest,
- Spread butter or mayonnaise on the bottom bun. The fat acts as a shield so the sauce doesn’t soak into the bread, or at least not as quickly. (This trick is also good for burgers, so the grease doesn’t get the bun soggy.)
- Sometimes I serve mine over a fluffy baked potato instead of using a bun.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 490
Lauren @ Create Bake Make
I love how versatile this recipe is and how it can be made to suit everyones taste. What a great easy weekend meal! Thanks for linking up with us for Fabulous Foodie Fridays, have a great weekend 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks Lauren! It's SO tasty 🙂 Hope you're having a great weekend!
Eileen
This was great, like it spicy! Toasted the buns first, open faced with a bit of garlic butter, then topped with the turkey mixture and shredded cheese. Back under broiler, very good!!
Kathryn
I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Yay for the spicy and I love the idea of adding the cheddar cheese and broiling them to get it all melty - yum!!
Amy
This looks delicious! But I don't see the green onions in the ingredients list -- how many do you use? Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Amy! Sorry about that, it must have gotten dropped. I just updated the recipe card. It should be about 3/4 cup of sliced green onions. I end up using the whole bunch I get from the store. Thanks for letting me know and I hope you love this!