Swapping out ground chicken for beef results in a healthier version of a Sloppy Joes recipe, without losing any of the classic sandwich’s bold saucy goodness. The great thing about this recipe is that you can replace the meat with pretty much any other protein of your choice: pork, lamb, tempeh, even beans.

For more, check out our Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches, Chicken Fried-Chicken and Pickled Pepper Sandwiches, and Red Curry Sloppy Banh Mi Sandwiches. And read about the origins of the sloppy Joe here.

  • Yield: 12 small or 6 large sandwiches
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 30 mins 
  • Active: 30 mins 

Ingredients (17)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup small-diced yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup small-diced carrot
  • 1/2 cup small-diced celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground back pepper to taste
  • 12 slider size buns or Hawaiian sweet rolls, or 6 regular size buns

Instructions

  1. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. When it’s hot but not smoking, add the ground chicken and cook, stirring, until it’s browned, about 8 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until tender but not brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute, until it’s fragrant.
  3. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Stir and bring to the simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, until mixture has thickened and come together. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
  4. Split the buns and spoon some of the Sloppy Joes mixture in each. Serve while hot.