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Home » One Pot » Chicken Sloppy Joes

Chicken Sloppy Joes

Jul 1, 2021 · Modified: Jan 31, 2024 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

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Sweet and tangy, this ground Chicken Sloppy Joes recipe is a healthier version of the classic version of sloppy joes! It's made in one skillet and is ready in less than 30 minutes, making for the perfect weeknight meal!

This ground chicken version of sloppy joes is so easy to make and is one of my go-to weeknight meals. It only takes a couple of minutes to make and always hits the spot! It's saucy and so flavourful and I love serving them up in burger buns to soak up every last drop of sauce. After your first bite, you're going to want to make this every night for dinner!

A plate of sloppy joes with ground chicken in a burger bun.
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients You'll Need
  • How To Make Chicken Sloppy Joes
  • Recipes Variations
  • Tips and Notes
  • Recipe
  • More Recipes You May Like

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • It's fast to make, perfect for busy evenings. It takes less than 30 minutes to cook up and there's not a ton of prep work needed.
  • It's made in one pan so clean up is easy. You can even toast your burger buns in the same pan before or after making the chicken sloppy joes.
  • You can double or triple the recipe and freeze the extra servings for later. It's perfect as a make ahead meal!

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredients needed to make chicken sloppy joes.
  • butter — use unsalted butter as you don't want this to be overly salty.
  • olive oil — or neutral oil of your choice.
  • ground chicken
  • onion — diced finely.
  • minced garlic
  • tomato paste — did you know tomato paste is freezer-friendly? Since this chicken sloppy joe uses only 1 tbsp of tomato paste, I usually freeze the rest of the canned tomato paste in 1 tbsp servings.
  • ketchup
  • chicken broth
  • brown sugar — feel free to use light or dark brown sugar.
  • chili powder — I am referring to American-style chili powder and not chile powder.
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper

How To Make Chicken Sloppy Joes

  • Ground chicken in a pan.
  • Cooked ground chicken in a pan.
  • Add the butter and olive oil into a skillet over medium heat and add the ground chicken. We use both butter and olive oil as the butter adds flavour and the olive oil helps keep the butter from burning. Stir and break up the chicken as it cooks.
  • Onion and garlic added to the ground chicken in the pan.
  • Tomato paste added to a pan of ground chicken, onion, and garlic.
  • Once the chicken is mostly cooked, add the diced onion and minced garlic. Drain any excess oil if necessary. 
  • Add the tomato paste and mixed thoroughly.
  • Ketchup, chicken broth, brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper added to the pan of ground chicken.
  • Chicken sloppy joes in a pan.
  • Next, add the ketchup, chicken broth, brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir well until evenly combined.
  • Cook until the mixture has thickened. Serve with some hamburger buns.
Two plates of chicken sloppy joes in a burger bun.

Recipes Variations

  • Make it spicier with the addition of sriracha sauce to the ground chicken.
  • If you're out of ground chicken, this sloppy joes recipe works with ground turkey as well. And of course, ground beef works too.
  • Instead of ketchup, BBQ sauce can be used as well, but the flavour profile will change.
  • Sometimes if I want to make this into a "bowl," I add some frozen corn and peas to the mixture at the end, mix until it's cooked, and serve it over a bed of rice.
Close up of chicken sloppy joes in a burger bun.

Tips and Notes

  • If you're not a fan of burgers, you can eat this over some regular fries or waffle fries.
  • To toast my buns in the pan, I add some oil or butter to a hot pan, then add the burger buns (cut side down) to the pan for a minute or two.
  • Make sure the onions are diced into small pieces so it blends in with the ground chicken.
  • Make sure to not let the sauce reduce too much as you don't want the sloppy joe to be dry.
  • Sometimes I like to make these Easy Cheddar Cheese Buns to serve with my sloppy joes.
  • Storage: Leftover sloppy joes can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: allow the sloppy joes to cool completely, then add to freezer-safe airtight container containers and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop or microwave before serving.

Recipe

Close up of chicken sloppy joes in a burger bun.

Chicken Sloppy Joes

Sweet and tangy, this ground Chicken Sloppy Joes recipe is a healthier version of the classic version of sloppy joes! It's made in one skillet and is ready in less than 30 minutes, making for the perfect weeknight meal!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • Nonstick Pan, 12"

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • ½ onion, diced finely
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste

Instructions

  • Add the butter and olive oil into a skillet over medium heat and add the ground chicken. Stir/break up the chicken as it cooks.
  • Once the chicken is mostly cooked, add the diced onion and minced garlic. Drain any excess oil if necessary. 
  • Add the tomato paste and mixed thoroughly before adding in the ketchup, chicken broth, brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir well until evenly combined.
  • Cook until the mixture has thickened. Serve with some hamburger buns if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 4serving | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 766mg | Potassium: 779mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: One Pot
Cuisine: American
Author: Carmy

More Recipes You May Like

  • Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken
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  • One Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta with Peas

More places to find me: @onepotonlyrecipes on Instagram and One Pot Only on Facebook

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