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Chicken sloppy joes.
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4.56 from 123 votes

Chicken Sloppy Joes Recipe

These sauce-y ground chicken sloppy joes are bursting with flavor, and ready to serve in 30 minutes! Made with ground chicken, this sloppy joe meat is cooked in one skillet for an easy weeknight meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Sandwiches
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 255kcal
Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken *
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ onion diced**
  • ½ green bell pepper diced***
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ½ tablespoon mustard ****
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup water

For Serving:

  • 4 hamburger buns

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add ground chicken and salt to the pan; brown the chicken.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound ground chicken, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    Breaking apart ground chicken in a skillet as it cooks.
  • Stir in onion, bell pepper, and garlic, then cook for a couple of minutes, until softened.
    ½ onion, ½ green bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
    Ground chicken cooking in a skillet with green peppers, onions, and garlic.
  • Stir in chili powder, ketchup, mustard, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and water.
    1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ cup ketchup, ½ tablespoon mustard, ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup water
    Ketchup and other ingredients added to a ground chicken mixture.
  • Cover the pan, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Give the mixture a stir; add in more water if needed. Season with salt to taste.
    Ground chicken sloppy Joe mixture in a skillet.
  • Serve the ground meat on buns with slaw and/or pickles, or keep it classic without toppings.
    4 hamburger buns
    Chicken sloppy Joe sandwiches on a serving platter.

Video

Notes

*This sloppy joe meat works great with ground chicken or beef too.
**White or yellow onion works best, but you can use red onions if you like a little bite.
***Green bell peppers are best for this recipe, because they're not as sweet as red, yellow, or orange. 
****You can use yellow mustard, whole grain mustard, or Dijon mustard depending 0n your flavor preference.
Tips:
  • For even cooking, let the ground meat sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Dice the onion and bell pepper into small, bite-sized pieces, so they're easier to incorporate into the mixture.
  • If you are sensitive to spicy foods, you can reduce the amount of chili powder.
  • Let the mixture simmer until it reaches your desired consistency. If it's too watery, a few minutes without the lid will help thicken it. If you'd like it a little looser, add a small amount of water at a time to thin it out.
  • Be sure to toast the buns before serving, to help the bread hold up under the saucey chicken.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Brown the ground meat first, then add all ingredients to a Crockpot. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or LOW for 4-6 hours. Set Crock Pot to WARM while serving.
Serving Ideas: Serve sloppy Joe meat over pasta, noodles, or rice; or serve with your favorite sandwich buns, bread, or sliders.
Storage: Store chicken sloppy joe meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, or freeze for 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 662mg | Potassium: 920mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 607IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg