Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes are a healthier spin on a classic, an easy weeknight meal that's customizable and is ready in under 30 minutes!
Ground turkey makes a cheaper lean protein sloppy joe compared to ground beef, and even picky kids can't tell the difference! I'm a big fan of using turkey in chili because it's cheaper and tastes virtually the same as ground beef with all of the spices in it, so I knew it would work well in sloppy joes.
We love to pair sloppy joes with coleslaw, a veggie tray with Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing Dip, and pickles and cheese!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Very similar to ground beef sloppy joes, with less fat. Nice rich tomato base with a tang to it.
- Ease: Beginner level, just chopping onions, cooking them with the turkey, and adding in all of the spices.
- Time: 5 -10 minutes to brown the ground turkey and onions, and another 10 minutes to simmer.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Ground Turkey - found near the ground beef in most grocery stores, 85-93% fat is best for flavor and texture.
- Onions - use a sweeter variety like yellow or white.
- Tomato Paste - more concentrated flavor than tomato sauce, without adding a lot of liquid. Turkey can add quite a bit of liquid to the recipe, so this helps to keep all of the tomato flavor without making the sauce too sloppy.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Use ground bison, elk, venison, or the classic, ground beef.
- Spicy or smoky - add flavor boosters like red pepper flakes, BBQ sauce, jalapeños, chipotle peppers, or smoked paprika.
- Veggie Version - add ½ cup chopped mushrooms, bell pepper or grated carrots to add in veggies.
- Gluten Free - skip the buns and serve over potato skins, rice, or over lettuce.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Brown the raw ground turkey and onions together, for about 5 minutes until cooked through. Make sure to break apart the big chunks of turkey as it cooks.
- Step 2. Add all of the spices, brown sugar, and wet ingredients together to the pan and mix them in really well.
- Step 3. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The turkey breaks up more as it cooks, absorbing the juices and spices.
- Step 4. Serve warm on a hamburger bun with a slice of cheese and/or pickles (optional). Delicious!
📌 Troubleshooting
| Problem | Quick Fix |
|---|---|
| Dry mix? | Add beef broth or tomato sauce |
| Runny sauce? | Simmer longer or stir in a spoonful of tomato paste |
| Bland taste? | Adjust seasoning; add a splash of vinegar or a pinch of sugar |
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe is dairy free and gluten free, just make sure to use gluten free hamburger buns or bread to serve it with and skip the cheese.
85% to 93% makes the best flavor/texture combo.
No, leftover Thanksgiving turkey is already cooked and pre-seasoned, so the texture and taste would be different, and not in a good way. You are always welcome to try it.
More Easy Summer Dinner Recipes
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📝 Printable Recipe
Healthy Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1¼ cups) 150 g
- 1 teaspoon salt 6g
- ½ teaspoon onion powder 2g
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder 2g
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar 27g
- 12 oz tomato paste (1 large can)
- ¼ cup ketchup 60 mL
- ¼ cup vinegar 60 mL
- 3 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce 30 mL
- 8 hamburger buns
- 8 slices of cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and onions and cook until brown and crumbled, and onions are translucent.
- Add all spices (salt, onion & garlic powder, and ground pepper), brown sugar, and all wet ingredients (tomato paste, ketchup, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce). Mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve on hamburger buns with slice of cheese (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Sara says
So easy to make ahead and freeze for later. We love this in the in the crockpot, it makes it so easy for dinner.