Ready in about 30 minutes, these homemade Turkey Sloppy Joes are a little sweet, a little spicy, and a lot of delicious! A great recipe when you need to get dinner or lunch on the table fast!
For most of my childhood, Sloppy Joes were not on my list of favorite things to eat. We didn’t have them at home much, so my dislike of them was most likely due to the ones they inevitably served once a week for lunch at school. (Is anyone else singing Lunch Lady Land in their head right now?!?)
When I started teaching myself how to cook, I decided to give Sloppy Joes another try. At the time, I was totally into watching as much Food Network as I could in my free time, and I saw Rachael Ray make Sloppy Joes on 30-Minute Meals. They looked delicious and so easy!
Off to the kitchen I went. I made them. They were easy! I ate them. They were delicious! And it really did only take me about 30 minutes. Hey, I do like Sloppy Joes!
Brown sugar makes them a little sweet, and the “secret” ingredient that gives them a little spice and a great flavor punch? Montreal Steak Seasoning! There’s some vinegar in there for a little tang and some Worcestershire sauce for a little bit of meaty richness. It’s a delicious balance of flavors!
Plus, they’re full of peppers and onions, so you get some veggies in there too!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE TURKEY SLOPPY JOES:
- Olive oil
- Ground turkey (93% lean)
- Dark brown sugar
- Montreal Steak Seasoning (or your favorite steak seasoning)
- Onions
- Red bell peppers
- Garlic
- Red wine vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Sandwich buns (I use potato buns)
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE TURKEY SLOPPY JOES:
Like I said, EASY (and QUICK)!
Over the years, I made only a few minor changes to Rachael’s original recipe, the biggest one being that I use ground turkey instead of ground beef (just because I happen to like ground turkey better). I also make a bigger batch (enough for about 8 sandwiches) because … leftovers! It gets even better as it sits!
This freezes really well too, so even if you don’t think you need to make enough for 8 sandwiches for dinner tonight, I would suggest making the whole batch anyway so you could freeze some. Future dinner in the bank!
They are also a crowd-pleaser and are great to make for parties, picnics, and potlucks.
COMMON QUESTIONS:
- Can I use ground beef instead of ground turkey? Yes, absolutely! Use 2 pounds of ground beef.
- Does it freeze well? Yes!
I hope you try this recipe for Turkey Sloppy Joes and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 8 sandwich buns, I use potato buns
Instructions
- Brown the ground turkey in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain off any excess fat.
- Add the brown sugar, steak seasoning, onions, and bell peppers. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers have softened.
- Add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until heated through and the sauce thickens a bit. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Place turkey mixture on sandwich buns and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute 2 pounds of ground beef for the ground turkey.
- Freezes well.
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray.
If you made this or any of my other recipes, take a photo and tag @nowcookthis on Instagram and hashtag it #nowcookthisrecipes.
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