Easy Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes

These Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes have all the flavors of the American classic but made with in one pan using pantry staples in less than 20 minutes. This flavorful and easy meal can be added to buns, lettuce wraps, salads or over rice. 

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If you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal that’ll get your family excited, these sloppy joes are it. They taste exactly like the nostalgic meal you had as a kid, are high in protein and super easy to make.

The homemade sauce is a savory mix of ground chicken, tomato sauce, coconut aminos, mustard and Worcestershire. We don’t use ketchup so these have just a hint of sweetness from the syrup without going overboard. 

I love making these because there’s so many ways to serve them. Go classic and add to a bun with tomato, a slice of cheese and pickle. For a less traditional way, serve with noodles or over a bed of lettuce. Whip up a batch of air fryer smashed potatoes or make a small side salad for a complete meal.

If you want a classic sloppy joe with a little flair, try these Big Mac sloppy joes, too!

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for these ground chicken sloppy joes.

• Lean Ground Chicken: ground turkey, ground pork or ground beef are all great options. Cook the meat prior to adding to the vegetables. If using a higher fat ground meat and don’t want these to be over-the top sloppy, drain the fat before making the sauce. If you want them extra saucy and hearty, keep some of the fat in the pan with the sauce ingredients.
• Coconut Aminos: or soy sauce.
• Mustard
• Syrup: for sweetness. You can also use light syrup or honey.
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Liquid Smoke
• Green Bell Pepper: green bell pepper are less sweet than red bell peppers so I prefer them in the sloppy Joe mixture for the perfect balance.
• Sweet Yellow Onion: or white onion.
• Tapioca Flour: this is optional if you prefer a thicker sauce. You can substitute with cornstarch or flour slurry. 

How to make ground chicken sloppy joes (a step-by-step guide):

Step 1: cook the chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, spray with cooking spray and add the ground chicken and season generously with salt and pepper (image 1). Break into small pieces and cook until no longer pink (image 2). While the chicken cooks add all the sauce ingredients to a bowl (image 3) and whisk together to combine (image 4). 

Step 2: add the vegetables & sauce

Once the chicken is cooked through, add the bell pepper, diced onion and garlic (image 5). Mix together and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes until the bell peppers begin to soften (image 6). Once the peppers are softened, add the sauce to the chicken mixture (image 7). Mix together well and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened (image 8). 

Step 3: thicken your sloppy Joe’s

Combine the tapioca powder and water in a small mixing bowl (image 9) and whisk to combine (image 10). Pour the mixture into the sauce (image 11) and stir to thicken (image 12). Continue adding 1/2 tsp. mixtures until you reach your desired sloppiness.

Recipe FAQs

What can I serve this with besides a bun?

You can eat this with rice, cauliflower rice, a bowl of spinach or greens or even wrap it up in a low carb wrap or tortilla. I love eating these with zoodles (zucchini noodles) and it’s almost like a bowl of pasta.

Can I use any ground meat?

Yes! Pork, turkey and beef are great options. Pork and beef are fattier so drain the fat after cooking the meat unless you want these to be extra sloppy and saucy.

How to store leftover sloppy joes?

These are great leftover. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Check out some of our other easy recipes!

• Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Bowl
• Ground Chicken Stir Fry
• Taco Mac and Cheese
• Cracked Out Tater Tot Casserole

Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes

Danielle Lima

These Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes have all the flavors of the American classic but made with in one pan using pantry staples in less than 20 minutes. This flavorful and easy meal can be added to buns, lettuce wraps, salads or over rice. 

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 5 servings

Calories 317 kcal

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lbs. ground chicken 96/4
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper, chopped 110g
• ▢ 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 130g
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ salt and pepper for chicken
• ▢ 5 brioche buns 150 calories each

Sauce

• ▢ 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz.
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. syrup
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
• ▢ 1 tsp. yellow mustard
• ▢ 1 tsp. hickory liquid smoke
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. salt to taste
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• ▢ 1/4 tsp. pepper to taste

Optional

• ▢ 1 tsp. tapioca flour for thickening
• ▢ 1 tsp. water for thickening

Instructions

 

• Heat a pan over medium, spray with cooking spray and add the ground chicken. Break into small pieces and cook until no longer pink. Season generously with salt and pepper as the ground chicken is very plain and needs some assistance. 
• While the chicken cooks add all the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk together to combine. 
• Once the chicken is cooked through add the bell pepper, onion and garlic. Mix together and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes until the bell peppers begin to soften. 
• Once the peppers are softened, add the sauce to the chicken mixture. Mix together well and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 
• Combine the tapioca powder and water in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the sauce and stir to thicken. Continue adding 1/2 tsp. mixtures until you reach your desired sloppiness.

Notes

• I have provided nutritional information in the recipe card for sandwiches using Brioche buns that are 150 calories each. 
• Use ground turkey, pork or beef.

Nutrition information for sloppy joe mix only 195 grams: Calories 167 Total Fat 4 g Sodium 800 mg Potassium 360 mg Carbohydrate 13 g  Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 8 g Protein 20 g

All nutritional information is an estimate. 

Nutrition

Serving: 195g. + BunCalories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 25gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 1000mgPotassium: 420mgFiber: 5gSugar: 14g

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