The Best Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe
No, really. They are the Best Sloppy Joe’s Ever. According to us, anyway.
“Best Ever” can be fightin’ words. Especially when talking about chili. Or chocolate chip cookies. Or *gasp* pie crust. That last one can be a direct assault on a grandma if said to the wrong person.
I’m sure everyone (at least in the US — are these a thing outside the country?) has a recipe for Sloppy Joe’s. Homemade Sloppy Joe’s are SO much better than that icky canned mix. Don’t buy that. Please.
So, why are these the best Sloppy Joe’s ever?
Homemade Sloppy Joe Ingredients
First, this is a great recipe because the sloppy joe meat isn’t overly sweet or fussy. You don’t even need a knife for this.
For reals. No chopping anything. Not even onions. Or bell peppers. This is a green bell pepper free recipe.
And there’s just a handful of ingredients. Most of them you probably have on hand already:
- chili powder
- dried onions
- ketchup
- mustard
- (here’s the secret ingredient: ground sage)
- And no extra sugar. The only sugar is from the ketchup, which can be a pretty low amount depending on what kind you buy.
And second, it’s my grandma’s recipe. No, not Grandma Inez. My Grandma LaRue, who claims she’s a “horrible cook.” I sense that she doesn’t enjoy cooking, but I have to disagree with her. In fact, two of my favorite family recipes come from her, my favorite chocolate cake. And these Sloppy Joe’s.
My mom made these for us all the time when I was growing up. Our family loves them. When I eat them now I think about a typical night around the table. . . .
Dad watches the news. Mom tries to convince my picky baby sister to eat. And my younger brother and I make faces and stick out our tongues (full of chewed-up dinner) at each other from across the table while my mom’s preoccupied. Then we do the “I have a secret” giggle, and my mom wonders what’s so funny.
We still do that as adults. We’re so mature. And my mom still wonders what’s funny. :)
I think there are two types of family recipes. Those that stay exactly the same for decades and those that evolve with each generation.
This one has evolved somewhat. My mom didn’t like cooking with fresh onion, so she used dried. She also likes hers with pickles, and that’s how I like them, too.
I threw my little spin on these as well, using plain tomato sauce in place of condensed tomato soup (fewer ingredients in that can and much cleaner!), using a gluten-free thickener (Or not. Most of the time I don’t even add it), and using lettuce leaves (on occasion) instead of hamburger buns. Grains for greens!
Different Ways to serve Sloppy Joe meat
I have to admit — eating these as a lettuce wrap gives a whole new meaning to the word “sloppy.”
Most of the time we make them easier to eat and turn them into Sloppy Joe Salads. Or “Salad Joe’s”. It’s much easier to eat! I actually prefer to eat them over a pile of Sweet Potato Fries. Like chili fries, but better.
If you’re not into salads, but still want these to be gluten-free, try serving the sloppy joe meat over a baked potato or baked sweet potato. Or with some jasmine rice. Or roasted cauliflower rice. Or in a bowl with assorted roasted vegetables. Sloppy Joe’s definitely don’t have to be confined to a bland hamburger bun.
Speaking of…. I have a story for you.
We were visiting my family and my mom made Sloppy Joe’s for everyone. I made my 3-year-old one with a bun and gave it to her. She handed the plate back to me and said, “NO, MOM. I want a Sloppy Joe!”
I handed the plate back to her and said, “This IS a Sloppy Joe.”
She pulled off the bun and flings it to the other side of her plate and said, “I don’t want THIS.”
I started laughing hysterically. That little girl had never had a Sloppy Joe with a bun in her life and that strange thing I handed her was DEFINITELY not the Sloppy Joe she was used to. #brainwashed #proudmommoment
Anyway, everyone who has tried this, loves this recipe. It’s quick, easy, made in under 30 minutes.
Grab a large skillet and go to town, guys. You wouldn’t be disappointed if you doubled this recipe, either. Our little family has started eating a full batch, and I like having leftovers for a couple of days for lunches.
You might be tempted to substitute ground turkey for the beef. I have a feeling that you’d be disappointed, my friends. The beef gives these a richness that ground turkey definitely doesn’t have. And if you get grass-feed beef, it’s much healthier than most ground turkey you find in the grocery store.
If you’re looking for a vegan version, try mushroom and cashew-based Vegan Sloppy Joes!

The Best Sloppy Joe's Recipe Ever
Why are these the best Sloppy Joe's ever? Well, they're not overly sweet or fussy. You don't even need a knife. (Honest!) And eating it over a pile of sweet potato fries puts chili fries to shame.
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (organic, grass-fed, if possible)
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (two 8-ounce cans are also fine)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried, ground sage
- 2 Tablespoons plain yellow mustard
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons tapioca or arrowroot starch (see note)
Instructions
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. If your beef is extra lean, you may want to add a tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking to the pan. Drain off any oil, if needed.
- Return pan to skillet and add the remaining ingredients plus 1/3 cup of water. Stir well and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Serve with buns or lettuce leaves, shredded cheese, Sweet Potato Fries, and (our recommendation) pickles.
Notes
Nat's Note:
- I used arrowroot powder to make this recipe grain-free. You can also substitute the same amount of cornstarch or double the amount of all-purpose flour.
- To make these Whole30 compliant, omit the honey or replace it with 1 Tablespoon of Date Paste.
I can see why these would be the best ~ looks like amazing sloppy joe’s!
These do look amazing!
I can’t wait to get sloppy’d!
I’m not sure how you take a picture of a simple sloppy joe and make it look like the world’s fanciest dinner, but you did. I think I need these for dinner this weekend!
Haha. Thx Karly :) I think I just get lucky sometimes!
I love family recipes like this that evolve over time. And I second Karly! If I tried to photograph this…it would look like brown mush.
This sounds soooo good, Natalie! I have been craving sloppy joe’s lately. Perfect!
My son has been asking for sloppy joes so thanks for the great recipe!
These look delicious!
I will have to try these on lettuce wraps as well!! :)
These look WAY better than Manwich! And I love the idea of putting it in a lettuce wrap =)
I going to try this out soon with the lettuce wrap. I don’t have arrowroot powder but maybe I’ll add some coconut flour to thicken it a bit.
Not a fan definitely not the best sloppy joes ever :(
Sorry they weren’t your thing, Dan!
I’ve been searching for a Sloppy Joe recipe that doesn’t have bell pepper in it…can’t wait to try these!
Just took my last bite of these – good! I was nervous after Dave wrote, but we approve and my husband is quite critical. I did add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and in the future would decrease the mustard (my hubby isn’t a big fan). The GREAT thing about this was I have been looking for a sloppy joe recipe without condensed soup because of the corn syrup in it…found it! Thanks, Natalie.
PS. I feel like we “know” you because I told my hubby this dish was yours and that you were the same person who posted the garbanzo salad from Carla’s book. :)
Did not turn out the way I was hoping. Had a very strange taste.
Made these today and they were delicious. Thanks a million; I think these just became a staple in my house!
I made these tonight and they were amazing. I added 1 tablespoon of honey just to cut the mustard taste since hubby isn’t a fan and served it over cornbread. Thanks for the recipe!
Fantastic…..planned on making Sloppy Joes for dinner…Crap! Realized I didn’t have any Manwich……good ol Pintrest…..never again will I buy Manwich these were GREAT!
Used fresh diced tomatoes and cornstarch…
These are really good! Glad I added the salt a little at a time, though…1/4 teaspoon is perfect! And I love salt! Maybe you used some low-sodium products in yours? Not sure, but it’s a great recipe. Thanks :-)
These are amazing sloppy joes. This will be the third time we will be enjoying them, my husband loves the lettuce wraps!!!
Made these last night….I added a few tablespoons of brown sugar too and did need to add any thickener. I used fresh onion instead of dried. The soppy joes were perfect like this at least for me and the boyfriend he loved them and is now asking if we can have them again next week. Thanks for the recipe
After 5 years of being together, my husband suddenly says he loves Sloppy Joe’s. So having recently gone organic, I was able to make these and made homemade hamburger buns to go with them. My husband and I loved them and we also found a new hamburger bun recipe on Pinterest.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. It is now written into my new recipe book I started for ‘from scratch’ recipes.
Congrats on making such a big step! I’m so glad you liked our sloppy joes. Best of luck in your cooking ventures! :)
Just made this for the first time, I thought it was very good. I can taste the mustard but I think it tastes good! Will for sure make this again! Also super quick and easy!!
I’ve never been a fan of sloppy joes, but my son really enjoys them, so I made these to freeze for his lunches. They are good! I freeze individual portions in jars, and then we have sloppy joes at the ready whenever he needs them for lunch. I have to say, I may be a convert! Thanks so much for the recipe. :)
Making these tonight for the second time. They are delicious and fast. And I like making them myself so I know what’s in them. I used cornstarch for thickener. The pickles are a must! We love them on small split top potato rolls for sloppy joe sliders. Fun and yum!
So glad you like them! Thanks!
Found this on FBHEO and I just had to hop on over here an pin it! Looks phenomenal and super easy!!
Could you tell me what you could substitute for sage? My husband hates sage. I would hate to make this and have to throw it out. Thank you.
Hi Margaret! The sage flavor isn’t prominent in these, but if you feel like you need to omit it, go ahead. You don’t need to replace it with anything.
We never had canned sloppy joe before as a family, but this has become a favorite at our house. My daughter makes it and we love it. I did use cornstarch instead of the arrowroot, but otherwise kept the recipe as is.
Thank you!
Cristina M.
I’m so glad to hear that!
My favorite way to eat these *sans bun*, is over a baked sweet potato! Seriously though, try it!!
Yes! We love that, too!
Hi Natalie! I’ve made your sloppy joe recipe many times before (love it!), but tonight was the first time I served it over sweet potato fries…I’m giving you a ton of high fives because WOW! I’ll never eat them any other way again : )
Thanks for another regular menu item!
Warmly,
Dana
Amazing, right??
Natalie, thank you for sending me this recipe!
Our family loves Sloppy Joes !!!
I am Greek background so ours is plain tomato sauce from the can, parsley, Olive oil, real onion chopped & real garlic pressed, just a little brown sugar or honey, never too sweet. I add hot sauce to my liking at the end.
I like that “never too sweet” part. I don’t like most Sloppy Joe recipes for that reason! It’s always too sweet!