These sloppy joe bowls combine ground beef and sweet potatoes to create a high-protein meal loaded with veggies. Ready in 40 minutes, you can whip it up for a healthy and family-friendly dinner tonight.
If you like sloppy joes, but are trying to eat a little healthier, you’re going to love this sloppy joe bowls recipe. These bowls had a bit of a viral moment earlier this year, and after a bit of trial and error, I decided to share my own perfected version.
This recipe combines lean ground beef with roasted sweet potatoes to create a well-balanced meal that is high in protein and full of fiber, and that works equally well as a healthier dinner or meal prep idea.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Quick and Easy – Ready in 40 minutes, this recipe is a perfect addition to your weeknight dinner menu.
- High in Protein – These sloppy joe bowls are loaded with over 30 grams of protein per serving.
- Keep Well – The beef and sweet potatoes keep well in the fridge for days, making it great for meal prep.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Ground Beef – To make the sloppy joe mixture and add some protein. The recipe calls for lean ground beef, but you can use any style you like. Ground turkey and ground chicken would also work well.
- Sweet Potatoes – To add some complex carbohydrates. While the recipe calls for sweet potatoes, white potatoes will also work well. You could also use white or brown rice instead. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Bell Pepper – To add some veggies to the ground beef mixture. The recipe calls for a green bell pepper, but any color will work.
- Onion + Garlic – To flavor the sloppy joe mixture. The recipe calls for a whole onion and garlic cloves, but you can use onion powder and garlic powder if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Tomato Paste – To flavor the ground beef and make the sloppy joe sauce.
- Spices – A mixture of paprika and chili powder to season the beef.
- Worcestershire Sauce – To flavor the beef mixture. Soy sauce will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Vinegar – To add some acidity and tangy flavor to the sloppy joe sauce. The recipe calls for red wine vinegar, but
- Mustard – To flavor the sloppy joe sauce. The recipe calls for yellow mustard, but Dijon mustard will also work well. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Olive Oil – To add some healthy fats, avocado oil will also work well.
- Pickles – A mixture of sliced pickles and pickled red onions to serve, although optional.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make them Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
To Make them Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
Not only is lean ground beef one of the leanest cuts of beef, but it’s a great source of iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B12, making it a great addition to this healthy dinner recipe.
Serving Suggestions
These sloppy joe bowls are a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. They can be enjoyed as is or adapted to suit your personal calorie or macro needs. For example:
- To make it lower in fat, swap the lean ground beef for extra-lean ground beef.
- To make it higher in fiber, add some steamed or roasted broccoli to the bowls.
- To make it low-carb, swap the sweet potatoes for cauliflower rice or roasted spaghetti squash.
- To add some heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to the sauce mixture.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the sloppy joe mixture and roasted sweet potatoes to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container(s) and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, transfer the sloppy joe mixture and roasted sweet potatoes to an airtight container(s) to the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, the sloppy joe mixture and roasted sweet potatoes can be reheated in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
More Ground Beef Bowls:
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Sloppy Joe Bowls
These sloppy joe bowls are high in protein, easy to make, and full of flavor. Enjoy them as a family-friendly weeknight dinner or a healthy meal prep idea.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 25 minutes
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Total Time: 35 minutes
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Yield: 4 bowls 1x
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Category: Dinner
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:Ingredients
Sloppy Joe Mixture:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Sloppy Joe Sauce:
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Bowls:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large (or 4 small) sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
To Serve:
- Pickles, sliced
- Pickled red onions
- Parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes to the lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Using your hands or a spatula, toss the sweet potatoes until they are well coated in the seasonings. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
- In a medium bowl or jar, add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients: water, tomato paste, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, and salt, and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large pan or cast-iron skillet, warm the olive oil on medium-high heat, then add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, for 4-5 minutes or until mostly cooked through.
- Add the diced onion, diced green bell peppers, and minced garlic to the pan, stir to combine with the beef mixture, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the beef is completely cooked through.
- Pour the sloppy joe sauce into the pan, stir to combine with the ground beef mixture, and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes until the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened.
- Once all of the components are cooked, assemble the bowls with a portion of the sloppy joe mix and roasted sweet potatoes. Top with pickles and pickled onions.
- Any leftovers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Ground Turkey: Swap the ground beef for 1 pound of ground turkey in step #4.
To Use White Potatoes: Swap the sweet potatoes for 4 medium white potatoes in step #2 and increase the cooking time to 25 to 35 minutes.
To Use Rice: Omit the sweet potatoes and skip step #1 and #2. Instead, use 1 1/2 cups of white rice or brown rice and combine in a pot with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes (white rice) or 40 minutes (brown rice) until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice can be fluffed with a fork.
To Use Soy Sauce: Swap the Worcestershire sauce for 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in step #3.
To Use Dijon Mustard: Swap the yellow mustard for equal parts Dijon mustard in step #3.
To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder in step #5.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in step #5.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 475 calories
- Sugar: 20 grams
- Fat: 15 grams
- Carbohydrates: 58 grams
- Fiber: 9 grams
- Protein: 30 grams
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