Sloppy Chicken Recipes
Try a healthy twist on a family favorite when you make a sloppy chicken recipe with ground chicken.
Sloppy joes the name alone transports a lot of folks back to their childhood. The aroma of meat cooking slowly in a seasoned tomato sauce made mouths water long before supper was served.
When I was a kid, we walked to school, and hot lunches were all homemade. Back then, the cost was 25 cents and included a bottle of milk with a paper cap. (I know, I’m dating myself.) My absolute favorite was the homemade, cafeteria-style sloppy joe with a side of slaw. I always looked forward to the “sloppy” part — that small amount of filling that spilled over the bun.
Sloppy joes are typically made with beef, but what we’re seeing now is a shift toward sloppy joes made with healthy, lean poultry.
The recipes I’m sharing are no-fuss and yummy. And yes, just sloppy enough to escape a bit over the bun. After all, we’re talking tradition here!
The first recipe is nice for those who like the traditional-tasting sloppy joes. Want a more complex flavor? Check out the second recipe with a base of spicy chili sauce.
Because coleslaw and beans are a given at our house when I make sloppy joes, I’m sharing recipes for those as well.
If you find yourself with a good amount of ground poultry, make a big batch and freeze some for later. It reheats easily and is nice to have for a quick meal after a day spent outside or running the kids around for events. And oh, don’t forget plenty of napkins!
Traditional Sloppy Joes Recipe
Use white or dark meat or a combination. Dark gives a deeper flavor. Go to taste on the seasonings.
Serves 6.
Ingredients for Chicken Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, finely diced
Ingredients for Sauce
This can be made ahead.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1-1/2 cups ketchup
- Brown sugar — start with 3 to 4 tablespoons and go from there Worcestershire sauce, to taste Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions for Chicken and Sauce
- Pour olive oil into large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chicken, onion, and bell pepper, crumbling chicken with a spoon or potato masher. Cook until chicken is done.
- For Sauce: Whisk sauce ingredients together.
- Pour sauce over cooked chicken mixture and stir. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook 20 minutes or more, until thickened to your liking.
Spicier Chicken Sloppy Joes
Serves 4.
This recipe uses bottled chili sauce, so it ups the flavor profile of the sloppy joes. Use white or dark meat or a combination. Dark gives a deeper flavor. Go to taste on seasonings.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/3 cup onion or more, finely diced
- 1/4 cup bell pepper or more, finely diced
- 1 bottle chili sauce, 12 ounces or so
- Brown sugar to taste — start with 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pour olive oil into large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chicken, onion, and bell pepper, crumbling chicken with a spoon or potato masher. Cook until chicken is done.
- Add chili sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook 20 minutes or until mixture has thickened to your liking.
- Adjust seasonings to taste.
Tips
- Sub in shredded chicken for ground, or turkey for the chicken.
- Light or brown sugar works well. A brown sugar substitute can be used, too.
- By cooking in a large skillet, the chicken mixture cooks down quicker, making for saucy, not runny, sloppy joes.
- For extra kick, toward the end of cooking time, add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce.
Pair these recipes with a Buttermilk Coleslaw Recipe
Rita Heikenfeld comes from a family of wise women in tune with nature. She’s a certified modern herbalist, culinary educator, author, and national media personality. Most importantly, she’s a wife, mom, and grandma. Rita lives on a little patch of heaven overlooking the East Fork River in Clermont County, Ohio. She’s a former adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, where she developed a comprehensive herbal course. AboutEating.com column: rita@communitypress.com
Originally published in the July/August 2024 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
