Made with ground turkey, vegetables, and a super easy homemade sauce, this turkey sloppy joes can be on your table in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- Ground turkey - I recommend not going any leaner than 93% lean turkey for the best flavor and texture.
- Vegetables - I like to use green bell pepper and onion but feel free to use whatever you wish. Mushrooms, carrots, or zucchini are all great options!
- Dates - A great refined-sugar-free alternative to the traditional brown sugar/ketchup. They also help cut through the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Pumpkin puree - Makes the sauce nice and creamy while boosting nutrition.
- Tomato sauce - This is a great place to use your favorite jarred sauce, like marinara sauce. If sharing this meal with your baby, you can use no-salt-added tomato sauce or this homemade veggie pasta sauce!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the sauce - place all the ingredients in a food processor/blender and blend until smooth.
- Cook the turkey. Add the vegetables and cook for several minutes.
- Add sauce to the pan and combine.
- Cook until thickened.
Tips for Success
- Be sure to soak the dates in hot water for at least 15 minutes, until soft and just starting to fall apart. I suggest reserving the date-soaking water to use for thinning out the sauce, if necessary.
- Toast the buns! Spreading on some butter is always a good idea 😉
- Add the sloppy joe mixture to the bun right before serving. Otherwise the bread will get too soggy.
- I actually like to keep the vegetables a bit larger so my kids can see them and also for added texture. If you'd like to finely chop instead, I recommend using a food chopper like this one! It's so handy for quick vegetable prep.
- Double or even triple the recipe! It freezes beautifully.
How to serve turkey sloppy joes
Besides on a toasted bun, here are some other fun ways to enjoy this delicious meat mixture!
- Add to grilled sandwiches
- Serve with pasta
- Combine with oatmeal for a savory version
- Pour over roasted sweet potatoes
How to serve to babies
Start by serving a very small portion to make it less overwhelming for your baby. You can always offer more, following your baby's lead.
Is your baby 6 months old and up?
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How to serve to toddlers
If your child has a difficult time biting into burgers (or sandwiches), cut into smaller, more manageable pieces.
And if your child is not a fan of foods touching, try serving it deconstructed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely!
Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Leftovers taste even better! You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave or in a skillet before serving.
Lentils will be a great, flavorful alternative!
Other ground meat recipes to try
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 3-4 medjool dates see note
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup no salt added tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
beef mixture:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 medium bell pepper diced
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper can add less or leave out
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook for 3 minutes or so until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the vegetables and cook until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, place all the sauce ingredients into a food processor or blender and puree until completely smooth.
- Add sauce to the pan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes, until mixture gets thickened. If too thick, add reserved soaked date water to desired consistency.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published in 2020.
FromPineapples says
Any ideas for a pumpkin puree substitute? Hard to find in Japan (unless I can use Kabocha? but the taste is a bit diff). Sweet potatoes maybe?
Min says
Slightly different but either one of those will work. I would try with kabocha first!
Jenny says
This was absolutely delicious, and easy! It's so different from our typical sloppy joe recipe, but still amazing in flavor! And I actually like it better. My 13 month old wanted seconds - he cleaned his plate in no time. I served it to him with bite size pieces of lightly toasted Ezekiel bread. This recipe is definitely a keeper 🙂 Thanks Min!
Min says
Oh this makes my heart sing! I'm so glad! Thank you for sharing, Jenny :).
Kruthi says
Hey Min,
We are vegetarians.What can be the replacement for groud beef?
Thanks!!
Min says
Try lentils!
Janet says
Are we able to make the sauce ahead of time and keep in fridge to be used later in the week? Trying to meal prep and make it easier for my husband to throw together during the week!
Min says
Absolutely! I do it all the time. In fact, you can even double or triple the recipe and freeze extra for the future 😉
Tola says
I made this today and my daughter loved it. Actually, we all did. Thanks for such a great and easy recipe.
Min says
Yay!! Thanks for letting me know!
Christa says
My 6 mo old son devoured this last night! Thank you for this delicious baby friendly recipe. How long do you recommend freezing leftovers?
Min says
LOVE hearing this! You can freeze for up to 3 months 😉
Sheri says
This one is on constant rotation in our house! Baby loves it, husband loves it -- it's a win win. I love how, as with most of Min's recipes, this one is customizable based on what I have on hand in my fridge.
Min says
Thank you so much for trying my recipes!