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    Categories: Recipes

Easy and Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe Without Ketchup


Do your kids and family like sloppy joes? I realized, recently, that my kids had never had sloppy joes! The thing is, I don’t really like traditional sloppy joes. For me, they are too sweet and I don’t like ketchup. I know, I’m weird. I don’t like a lot of condiments. But sloppy joes are a family staple, so I decided to create a healthy sloppy joe recipe without ketchup in it and I’m so glad I did.


This recipe is super simple to make and you can definitely make it ahead, too. The flavors actually get better with time, kind of like chili. It stores well in the refrigerator and you can easily reheat it for a simple weeknight meal.

You might be wondering why I served them in hot dog buns. Well, that’s what we had on-hand. You could serve these healthy sloppy joes on basically any bread you’d like. I just happened to have hot dog buns on hand. I also decided to serve this with many topping options, such as avocado, tomatoes, green onions and shredded cheese. You can add whatever toppings work for you and your family.

Overall, this recipe turned out so well! Next time, I might opt to try it without the sugar. It does help cut down the acidity from the tomato paste, but it is slightly sweet. Most people like that sweet taste; I happened to like mine a bit more savory. Nonetheless, this recipe turned out so well and it’s so healthy! It really is a great recipe to have in your back pocket when you need to whip up a family meal quickly.

Healthy Sloppy Joe Recipe Without Ketchup

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey meat
  • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry oregano
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 8 buns
  • optional toppings: shredded cheese, avocado, diced tomatoes

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring often until very soft, translucent and browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add beef, and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until broken up and browned.

Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture, and stir to coat. Add tomato paste and broth and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, oregano, pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thick and glossy, 5 – 7 minutes. Serve on buns and top as desired. Stores well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Looking for other healthy recipes? Click here for a healthy chili recipe and a healthy eggplant parmesan recipe.

 

Stacey Freeman: I am a Style Maven, Mommy, Educator, and Traveler.

View Comments (1)

  • I typically use bbq, a little bit of soy, honey mustard, and a dash of franks red hot - then a bunch of seasonings! I’m not a huge ketchup fan either!