Two ways to cook Sloppy Joes
Good ol' Sloppy Joes! They are an American standard. A kid-friendly classic and can be super easy and fast to make (making them a perfect weeknight meal).
I used to feel intimidated by the thought of making them! I guess growing up in the days of popular canned versions (which taste terrible in my opinion) led me to believe that buying was better than making.
While that may be true occasionally, it isn't in this case. This homemade version tastes way better! Plus, it's easy to make, freezes well (if you have leftovers), and comes together quickly for a great weeknight meal.
Another great thing about this recipe is that you can cook it two different ways. Stovetop is great when you need dinner in 20 minutes. It is truly dinner in under 30 minutes!
Another option: try the slow cooker version. It's my favorite method because the flavors have a longer period of time to marry together. I also love the slow cooker method because I can get it going in the morning, go about my day, then come home and dinner is ready! No trying to squeeze in cooking while working on homework or rushing to activities.
More popular slow cooker recipes:
Slow Cooker Peach Crisp
Spaghetti Squash in the Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Tangy Barbeque Chicken
Another bonus for me is that the slow cooker version gives the celery and onion time to cook down and get soft. That makes it perfect for anyone with texture issues!
The right tool for the job:
If you don't have a slow cooker, I have and highly recommend the Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. This slow cooker is the best I have found because of its lid locking feature.
The locking feature allows me to cook a meal or side dish and then take the entire slow cooker with me to any function (a potluck or teacher appreciation dinner, for example) easily.
No more struggling to keep the slow cooker from spilling while I'm driving! Other great features: a probe that you can insert through the lid to check the temperature of your food and a cooking program feature. This slow cooker is the best!
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4-6 people | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 5-10 minutes | 4-5 hours |
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Easy, kid-friendly, weeknight dinner! This can be made with either ground beef or ground turkey. It makes a lot, so use it for leftovers or freeze for an easy dinner down the road.
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- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1 sm onion, minced
- 2 stalks celery, minced
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 16oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1-2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
- Brown ground turkey with onion and celery with olive oil in a skillet on the stove, over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray. Add remaining ingredients to crock pot.
- Once turkey is browned, add turkey, onion and celery to the other ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Turn slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
- Serve on toast or whole wheat hamburger buns. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 1 week.
Alternatively, if you want a quick version on the stove top here is what you do:
- Brown the turkey with onion and celery with olive oil in a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once meat is browned, add remaining ingredients. Cook 20-25 minutes, until all the flavors are married and everything is cooked through.
- Serve on toast or whole wheat hamburger buns.
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 1 week, or freeze any leftovers.
I do look for recipes that are beef substitutes, I love this one, Best Sloppy Joes. And it would be a good for kids to help make, too.
Hey Rosie! I am usually looking to substitute beef as well. If you find a recipe on my site that calls for ground beef, you can bet that I regularly substitute ground turkey whenever I make the recipe for our family! In this dish, you can’t even really tell it’s not beef because the flavors all come together so well 🙂
Thanks for the ideas and recipes.
You’re welcome Debbie! I hope you love them!
Ohh as soon as I saw the slow cooker version I got excited. I’m still just trying out my newish slow cooker, and this sloppy joe recipe sounds perfect!
It’s super easy, Rosie, which is my number one criteria for my family! I hope you love it like we do!
My family loves sloppy joes! Thanks!
I’m not sure I’ve ever made sloppy joes for my kids before, but I think my oldest would love it. Definitely going to give this a try!
There is something about sloppy joes that is just so comforting! These look amazing. I might have to make them this weekend now because I’m craving this! Great post!
Thanks Megan! I hope you love them! Thanks for visiting 🙂
I love ground turkey! This recipe look simple and delish!
Yummy! I’d like to do this recipe at home 🙂
My family loves sloppy joes! I never thought to make them in my slowcooker!
I never make sloppy joes because I’m not really a fan, but your recipe sounds good and I’m a HUGE fan of crockpot meals.
I haven’t had sloppy joes in a long time! I think I need to make them this weekend. Thanks for the idea!
Oh my! That seriously looks amazing!
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Yummy! Nice recipe, will try it out this week 🙂
Il try this over the weekend! ?
Looks delicious, great recipe
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!!
Omg this is so easy to make and looks so yummy !!
Thanks! It’s definitely super easy and super yummy! And it freezes and reheats well!
Loved the recipe! I like making sloppy joes with a little less sugar, and more spice, but this version looks tempting too!
Thanks, Poorna! I’m a total wimp when it comes to spicy foods, but it would be so easy to add spice to this recipe 🙂