This delicious Buffalo Sloppy Joe recipe is an easy and healthy 30-minute dinner that is big on flavor. Serve the meat the traditional way, on a bun, or alternatively, over a baked sweet potato, salad, in a taco or on a bed of cauliflower rice.
Sloppy Joe's originated in the mid-20th century as a sandwich containing ground beef seasoned with a tomato-based sauce. Here, I've used ground turkey to lighten up this classic and given it a twist with an easy homemade buffalo sauce to produce a Buffalo Sloppy Joe has just a touch of spice but is still mild enough that all of my kids enjoy it.
This Buffalo Joe is the perfect game day fare! Serve it with Roasted Mini Potatoes, raw vegetables and dip,or Creamy Cucumber and Onion Salad for a complete meal the whole family will love. Looking for other spicy crowd-pleasing recipes? Try this Takis Chicken.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Buffalo Sloppy Joe:
- ground turkey
- extra virgin olive oil
- light brown sugar
- hot sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- tomato sauce
- apple cider vinegar
- garlic powder
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Buffalo Sloppy Joe:
1. Add the olive oil and ground turkey to a skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain off the extra fat.
3. Add the tomato sauce, hot sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and garlic powder to the pan.
4. Give everything a good stir and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve meat on a bun, or your desired method.
Hint: I like Frank's hot sauce best for this recipe as it produces a classic buffalo flavor.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient for Buffalo Sloppy Joe? Here's how:
- Ground turkey - use an equal amount of ground chicken in place of the ground turkey for Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe's.
- Brown sugar - use an equal amount of a sugar alternative such as honey, monkfruit or coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar.
- Olive oil - use an equal amount of a different mild oil such as canola oil or avocado oil in place of the olive oil.
- Apple cider vinegar - use an equal amount of red wine vinegar or white vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar.
- Worcestershire - use an equal amount of soy sauce or tamari in place of the Worcestershire sauce.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Buffalo Sloppy Joe:
- Spicy - increase the hot sauce to ⅓-1/2 cup to add more heat to this recipe and add ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Deluxe - top the sandwich with lettuce, crumbled blue cheese and a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing for extra flavor.
- Vegan - replace the ground turkey with an equal amount of a plant-based burger to make this vegan. You will also need to use soy sauce or tamari in place of the Worcestershire sauce.
- Gluten-free - use gluten-free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten-free or serve the meat over a salad or baked sweet potato. Make sure that your soy sauce and hot sauce are both gluten-free.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy to make Buffalo Sloppy Joe:
Storage
Store leftover cooked Buffalo Sloppy Joe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. (Check out this article for more details on how to properly freeze and thaw cooked meat.)
FAQ
Buffalo Sloppy Joe sauce is made of a combinations of tomato sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and garlic powder.
Related
Looking for other easy turkey recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve Buffalo Sloppy Joe with one of these side dishes:
Recipe
Buffalo Sloppy Joe
Equipment
- 1 pan
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup hot sauce
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 buns
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and ground turkey to a pan over medium heat. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain off the extra fat.
- Add the tomato sauce, hot sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and garlic powder to the pan. Give everything a good stir and simmer 5-10 additional minutes to let the flavors combine.
- Serve meat on a bun, or your desired method.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
Anything ‘Buffalo’ will s my jam!