Healthier Chicken Sloppy Joes

These healthy Chicken Sloppy Joes are tangy, saucy and a delightfully messy low calorie dinner option that’s sure to be a hit with everyone in the family! You’ll need just a few simple ingredients, your crockpot and some buns to get this filling, high protein meal ready. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: It’s so easy to make, and the perfect no-brainer meal to make on a weeknight. Simply toss everything in a slow cooker, and it’ll be ready in a few hours. 
• Low calorie: This is a low calorie sloppy joe sandwich, with just 215 calories, leaving you with room for lots of healthy options to serve it with.
• High protein: With 34 grams of protein per serving, these shredded chicken sloppy joes are incredibly filling. 
• Versatile: It’s perfect for a crowd, and is versatile enough to be tweaked to your liking. You can easily experiment with different mix-ins and seasonings. 

Ingredients

• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You could use another boneless cut of chicken too.
• Mustard: For that deep, earthy flavor. Feel free to use Dijon mustard or ground mustard if that’s what you have at hand.
• Veggies: I cook the chicken with some shredded carrots to boost the nutrition. It cooks down and blends in with meat and sauce, perfect for picky eaters. You also need green onions to garnish and shredded cabbage to layer up on the sandwiches while serving. 
• Apple cider vinegar: For that tangy deliciousness. You can also use white vinegar instead if you don’t have it.
• Sauces: Use regular jarred tomato sauce or diced tomatoes. I love using my healthy tomato sauce. You’ll also need some soy sauce for the umami. 
• Tomato paste: For a bit of deeper flavor and hints of acidity.
• Seasonings: To season, you’ll need some onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. 

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations & Dietary Modifications

• Gluten free: Swap the regular soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos to make the dish gluten free. 
• Paleo: To make this recipe Paleo-friendly, use apple cider vinegar for the vinegar and coconut aminos for the soy sauce.
• Swap the meat: Turkey tenderloin, turkey breasts or pork tenderloin work well as substitutes. You may need to adjust the cooking time for these other meats.

How to Make Chicken Sloppy Joes

To make healthy chicken sloppy joes, here’s what you’ll need to do. 

Step 1: Prep and cook. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook 4-6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Step 2: Shred and serve. Shred the chicken with forks when it's ready. It should shred easily if it's cooked all the way. Stir the chicken into the sauce, garnish with green onions, and serve.

Storage Directions 

• Storing: Store the leftover sloppy joes with shredded chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the mixture for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. 
• Reheating: Reheat the leftovers on the stove over low to medium low heat until warmed through. You can also use the microwave for reheating, just make sure you pause at every 20-second interval and give it a quick mix. If frozen, allow it to defrost overnight in the refrigerator, and then reheat it the way you want to. 

Serving Suggestions

To assemble the sloppy joes, you can use a regular bun, a whole wheat bun or a low carb version such as wraps, leaf lettuce, or Unbun, a low carb bun alternative.

• Enjoy these healthy sloppy joes with chicken on their own, or pair them with some healthy coleslaw, Waldorf salad, or Asian broccoli salad to make it more filling and healthy. 
• Sloppy Joes are typically served with fries, but I like to stick to healthier options in my household, and end up making some roasted broccoli or roasted cauliflower. 
• Sometimes, when I have some leftover mixture, I team it up with my 3-ingredient tortillas or gluten-free tortillas for a quick lunch.
• Use it as a topper on a toasted slice of sweet potato heated in a toaster or toaster oven or over a baked potato.
• Enjoy it with a side of cauliflower rice, half rice with cauliflower rice, a side of quinoa or cooked brown rice on its own.
• If you're craving fries or something that feels starchy try them with some regular fries, tots, veggie fries or this garlic mashed cauliflower.

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