Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
A thick, tangy sauce coats tender turkey crumbles and sweet pepper in these sloppy joes. Barbecue sauce gives the filling a smoky sweetness, while mustard and cider vinegar add a savory sharpness. Golden toasted buns make a satisfying base for the saucy meat.
- Prep
- 7 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 16 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Toast buns first
Brown the cut bun surfaces briefly in hot oil, then place cut side up on a cooling rack.
2. Drain the turkey mixture
Cook turkey, onion and pepper together until the turkey is done, then drain before adding the sauce ingredients.
3. Watch sauce thickness
Stir often during the final simmer and stop before the sauce reduces enough to make the filling dry.
Get to know the ingredients
Turkey
Ground turkey cooks with minced onion and bell pepper, broken into crumbles before draining and seasoning.
Mustard
Spicy brown mustard is listed, with regular mustard allowed as an alternative in the sauce.
Bell pepper
Mince the green pepper before cooking it with the turkey so small pieces spread throughout the filling.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Spoon onto toasted buns
Remove the thickened turkey mixture from the heat and serve it over the toasted bun halves.
A little more help as you go
Use the spoon trail
Try a sauce that leaves a trail briefly when a spoon is dragged through it.
Stir the sauce thoroughly
Combine the ketchup, barbecue sauce and seasonings well with the drained turkey before lowering the heat to simmer.
A few questions you might have
Can I use regular mustard?
Yes. Regular mustard is listed as a substitute for spicy brown mustard in the turkey sauce.
Why toast the buns first?
Toast them for their browned texture before the saucy turkey filling is added.
How thick should the filling be?
Look for a trail from your spoon that stays open briefly. Don't reduce the mixture so far that it dries out.
Should I drain the turkey?
Yes. Drain the cooked turkey and vegetables in a colander before combining with the sauce ingredients.
How long does the final simmer take?
Cook over medium to medium low heat for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring often until thickened to your liking.
Any more cooking tips?
Calorie count (which is an estimate) does not include buns, as these will vary from person to person. Toast the buns - Before you get started with making the sloppy joe mixture, toast your buns. Toasting the bun makes ALL the difference, and only takes a few minutes. Just crank up the heat under the skillet to MED HIGH/HIGH, and add a drizzle of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the buns, cook just 30 seconds to a minute or until they're golden brown, then place the buns cut side up on a cooling rack after they've been toasted. Consistency - Watch the sauce so that it doesn’t reduce too much. When too much of the sauce reduces, it gives you a dry sloppy joe mixture. Everyone likes theirs a little differently, but for me, I cook it down so that I can see the bits of meat, and when I drag my spoon through the sauce, it leaves a trail where the sauce is parted. If the sauce immediately flows back into that trail, it’s too liquid-y. I want a few seconds before the sauce covers the trail, which gives me a saucy consistency that’s not too liquid.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thechunkychef.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
