This delicious Sloppy Joe recipe is family-friendly, made with ground beef and some hidden minced veggies – great for those picky eaters!
Sloppy Joe Recipe
I always have ground beef in my freezer, and one of the ground beef recipes I make all the time is this Sloppy Joe recipe. We love to serve it on potato rolls but I have also served it over baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes and roasted spaghetti squash. I used lean ground sirloin and minced up some carrot, mushroom, bell pepper and onion for flavor and bulk. I mince them in the food processor so no one notices the veggies. For a slightly different on Sloppy Joes you may also like this Sloppy Joe Baked Sweet Potato which is also gluten free or Crock Pot Italian Sloppy Joes.
My Sloppy Joe Redemption Story
Growing up, my parents (immigrants who cooked everything from scratch) never made Sloppy Joes. They looked so good in commercials,
I’d beg for the canned sauce every grocery trip. Finally, Mom gave in. It was not good.
This homemade Sloppy Joe recipe is my way of righting that childhood wrong. Packed with veggies and tastes great, it’s leagues better than those sad memories. Plus, it’s healthy! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
- A great way to use up a package of ground beef.
- Made with easy to find ingredients.
- Quick and easy!
- Kid-friendly and a great way to sneak more veggies in their meal.
Ingredients
Using lean ground beef sirloin, veggies, and a flavorful sauce, this dish is sure to create a satisfying and filling meal. Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make healthier Sloppy Joes:
- Lean ground beef sirloin: Using lean beef sirloin helps to reduce the fat content of this dish without sacrificing flavor or protein. You can also use 93% lean ground turkey, if you prefer.
- Steak seasoning or seasoned salt: This adds flavor and a bit of seasoning to the beef.
- Vegetables: carrot, red bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and garlic all minced small.
- Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds a tangy flavor to the dish.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce adds a tangy and slightly sweet flavor to the dish,
- Tomato sauce: Canned tomato sauce serves as the base for the sauce that gives this dish its signature “sloppy” texture. It’s low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds richness and depth of flavor to the sauce.
How To Make Sloppy Joes
I adapted this recipe from Rachel Ray’s Sloppy Joe recipe, which was a great place to start, as it was rated five stars with rave reviews. To make it a bit lighter I use lean ground beef and minced up veggies. Instead of brown sugar I used minced carrot for a little natural sweetness.
How to Eat a Sloppy Joe
The nutritional info for this sloppy joe filling is just for the meat. Below are some ideas for serving them.
- Sandwich – Serve on a hamburger buns, whole wheat roll or potato roll, which is my family’s favorite way to eat them. Just make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand!
- Sliders – If you’re feeding kids, use slider buns for a smaller sandwich.
- Over Veggies – Make it gluten-free and serve it over baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, or roasted spaghetti squash.
- Sides – serve them with a green salad, veggie sticks or baked potato chips.
How to Freeze Sloppy Joes
The meat will last in the fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for three months. To freeze, store in single-serving airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.
Variations:
- Swap the ground sirloin for ground turkey or bison.
- If you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to skip them and add more bell pepper or carrot or grated zucchini. You really can’t taste them, though!
- If you don’t have steak seasoning, you can add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- To make it spicy, add some red pepper flakes to the beef.
More Family-Friendly Recipes You’ll Love:
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
- Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- House Special Fried Rice
- Burger Sliders
Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground beef sirloin
- 1 tbsp steak seasoning , or seasoned salt
- 1 medium carrot, minced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
- 4 oz mushrooms, minced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
Instructions
- Chop all the vegetables really fine, using a chopper or food processor.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks.
- Season with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns.
- Add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 5 more minutes.
- Add tomato sauce and paste to pan, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Using a measuring cup, pile 1/2 cup of sloppy meat onto toasted buns.
