Veggie-Loaded Turkey Sloppy Joes Recipe
This Veggie-Loaded Turkey Sloppy Joes recipe offers a delicious, healthy twist on the classic sloppy joe by incorporating grated carrot, zucchini, and chopped spinach into a savory ground turkey sauce seasoned with tomato paste, brown sugar, and Worcestershire. Perfectly balanced and packed with nutrients, these sloppy joes are served on whole wheat buns, making it a wholesome, family-friendly meal that comes together quickly on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Produce
- ¾ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 small zucchini, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Meat
- 1 pound ground turkey
Pantry
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- ⅓ cup water
Other
- 6 whole wheat hamburger buns or other sandwich rolls, toasted
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil to warm.
- Sauté onions: Add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes golden brown and soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add and cook grated vegetables: Stir in the grated carrot and zucchini, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until they have released most moisture and softened. Then add garlic, kosher salt, and pepper; cook for another minute to infuse the flavors.
- Brown the ground turkey: Add the ground turkey to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the turkey is browned through and no longer pink.
- Make the sauce: While the turkey cooks, combine tomato paste, brown sugar (or honey/maple syrup), Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (or tamari), and water in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and mix well.
- Combine and finish: Once the meat is fully cooked and crumbly, stir in the chopped spinach. Pour the prepared sauce over the mixture and cook on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes until everything is well coated and flavors blend. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Spoon about ¾ cup of the sloppy joe mixture onto each toasted whole wheat bun and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey with ground chicken or lean ground beef as preferred.
- If you prefer not to grate carrots and zucchini, finely chop them by hand or use a food processor to pulse into small pieces.
- This sloppy joe mixture also pairs well served over rice or quinoa instead of buns.
- Prepare the meat mixture up to 2 days in advance and reheat gently with a splash of water to maintain moisture.
- Add extra water at the end of cooking if you prefer a thinner sauce consistency.
- Adjust flavors at the end of cooking by adding more brown sugar, honey, or Worcestershire sauce according to taste.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free Worcestershire sauce and tamari, and serving on gluten-free buns or grains.
Keywords: turkey sloppy joes, veggie-loaded sloppy joes, healthy sloppy joes, ground turkey recipe, family-friendly dinner, whole wheat buns, quick dinner, easy stovetop meal
