Veggie-Loaded Turkey Sloppy Joes

These turkey sloppy joes are the perfect weeknight dinner….a lighter, veggie-loaded twist on a classic family favorite. Made with lean ground turkey, a rich, flavorful homemade sauce, and three added veggies (carrot, zucchini, and spinach), they come together in one skillet in just 20 minutes and are just as satisfying as they are crowd-pleasing.

Homemade turkey sloppy joes made a little healthier with some hidden veggies

This one is for you, my beloved TNNers.

You all know I have a soft spot for taking those classic comfort-food dinners we grew up with and giving them a little veggie-loaded glow-up. Dinners that are familiar, maybe “safe” feeling… just with some veggie action added in. My homemade Hamburger Helper veggie-loaded remake has been a longtime favorite around here and in many of your homes, and after sharing that (and many others), the requests for more started rolling in….especially for sloppy joes.

So here we are. And these turkey sloppy joes *do not* disappoint! Veggie-loaded ✅ and a lighter take on the classic many of us grew up eating. Made in one skillet and ready in about 20 minutes, this is the kind of weeknight dinner that gets the job done, won’t bum out the sloppy joe love in your life and also makes you feel a little like a kitchen superhero because you got 3 veggies in at dinner without anyone complaining! The grated carrot, zucchini, and spinach kinda melt right into the filling as it cooks, adding a boost of veggies while keeping that saucy, nostalgic sloppy joe vibe very much intact. A classic… just with a little veggie glow-up!

4.98 from 38 votes

Veggie-Loaded Turkey Sloppy Joes

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Author: Taesha Butler

These turkey sloppy joes are the perfect weeknight dinner—a lighter, veggie-loaded twist on a classic family favorite. Made with lean ground turkey, a rich, flavorful homemade sauce, and three added veggies (carrot, zucchini, and spinach), they come together in one skillet in just 20 minutes and are just as satisfying as they are crowd-pleasing.

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ¾ cup finely chopped onion
• ▢ 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• ▢ 1 small zucchini, grated
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• ▢ 1 pound lean ground turkey
• ▢ 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 teaspoons brown sugar, or honey or maple syrup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, sub with coconut aminos for gluten-free
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce , sub with coconut aminos for gluten-free
• ▢ ⅓ cup water
• ▢ 6 whole wheat hamburger buns , or other sandwich rolls of your choice, toasted

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in the large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in the carrot and zucchini and cook to release most of the moisture, 3 to 4 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft and cooked down, stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook an additional minute.
  
• Add the ground turkey to the pan and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
  
• While the meat is cooking, make the sauce:  Stir the tomato paste, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and water together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
  
• Once the meat is cooked and well crumbled, stir in the spinach and pour in the sauce. Stir and cook on medium-low until the sauce coats the meat and the flavors combine, about 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
  
• Scoop about a ¾ cup of the warm sloppy joe mixture onto each of the toasted buns and enjoy.

  The filling for these healthy sloppy joes can be made ahead of time or leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.

  To reheat: pour the filling into a pan and add a little water. Stir together and heat until warmed through. Or you can reheat it in a microwave.

  To freeze: Place cooked and cooled sloppy joe filling in a freezer safe container and freeze to enjoy for up to 2 months. Defrost in fridge overnight before following reheating directions above.
  

Notes

• • Instead of ground turkey, you can use ground chicken or lean ground beef.
  • Don’t want to grate the carrot and zucchini? You can finely chop them by hand or pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped.
  • Instead of buns, the sloppy joe mixture is great served on top of rice or quinoa.
  • Add a little extra water towards the end of cooking for a thinner consistency.
  • Amp up the flavors. Taste your turkey sloppy joes at the end of cooking and adjust the flavors to fit your personal taste. Add a little more brown sugar/honey or Worcestershire sauce to the sauce if desired.

Serving: 1sloppy joe, Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 785mg, Potassium: 549mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 3165IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 94mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.