How do you thicken sloppy joes?

If you find your sloppy joes too sloppy, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the pan and stir in to combine. Cook a couple of minutes and see if it helped. Depending on the brand, some crushed tomatoes are more watery than others, which can lead to watery sloppy joes.

Can you freeze sloppy joes?

Yes. To freeze, put the sloppy joe mixture in a container with a tight-fitting lid, label it, and put it in the freezer. To heat, defrost partially or fully in the fridge. Pour into a pan and heat on low until hot. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit of tomato paste. If it's too thick, add a few tablespoons of water until it's reached your preferred consistency. Then assemble the sloppy joes as you like.

Is ground chicken healthier than beef?

Ground chicken is lower in calories and fat than ground beef and if you're looking to reduce your red meat consumption, chicken is a good choice. However, it's up to you to decide if one food is a healthier choice for you than another.

Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes

Description

These ground chicken sloppy joes are packed full of vegetables and flavor. A great one-pan, 30-minute, weeknight dinner recipe you can feel good about.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 medium onion
1 medium green bell pepper
1 small - medium zucchini
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeno
1 pound ground chicken
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 hamburger buns, for serving
pickles and cheese, for serving (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prep the vegetables. Chop the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, jalapeno, garlic, and celery into small pieces. Remove the seeds from the pepper and jalapeno. For spicy Sloppy Joes, use all of the chopped jalapeno. For a mild version, use only half and save the remainder for another use.
Cook the vegetables. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until everything has softened and cooked down a bit.
Cook the chicken. Add the ground chicken, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika to the pan. Break the chicken with a spoon and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and keep cooking. Pour in the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and crushed tomatoes. Stir in the brown sugar and raisins. Lower the heat a little and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Taste and serve. Stir in the vinegar, then taste the mixture. If needed, add more salt, brown sugar, vinegar, or chopped jalapeno to your liking. Serve the Sloppy Joes on buns (lightly toasted, if desired) with pickles, cheese, onions, and maybe some chips.

Notes

This recipe makes four large Sloppy Joe sandwiches. If you were serving with multiple sides, you could stretch it to five or six servings.

If you don't like any degree of heat, leave out the jalapeno.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Main Dishes
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American