These healthy sloppy joe bowls are high in protein and BIG on flavor! The combination of classic sloppy joe beef with crisp roasted sweet potatoes, creamy coleslaw, and a few fresh finishes is perfect any night of the week.
A Childhood Classic With a Healthier Twist!
I LOVE classic sloppy joes, but when I want to mix things up, these sloppy joe bowls always deliver. They channel a lot of the flavor I love, but made even more nourishing. There’s so much to love!
Happy cooking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
Our sloppy joe bowl recipe revolves around 4 main components–the beef, the sweet potatoes, the coleslaw, and the fresh finishes. Let’s take a look at the ingredients you’ll need:
How To Make Sloppy Joe Bowls, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- PREHEAT OVEN & ROAST POTATOES Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine diced sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Stir to coat evenly, then spread out in an even layer on a greased sheet pan. Roast 30-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- MAKE THE SLOPPY JOE MIXTURE. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add ground beef. Cook 8-10 min until ground beef is fully cooked through, then add onion and bell pepper and cook 4-5 min, to soften. Add garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and cook 1-2 min till fragrant. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Ketchup, and water. Cook 5-8 min till thickened. Taste & add a pinch of brown sugar, if desired.
- MAKE COLESLAW. Add slaw mix, mayo, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and celery salt (if using) to a large bowl. Stir to coat evenly with dressing. Taste and add sugar, if desired. Chill until you’re ready to serve. (Slaw can be made several hours in advance!)
- BUILD BOWLS. Layer bowls with sweet potatoes, sloppy joe mixture, and coleslaw, and garnish with pickles or pickled onions, as desired. Store leftovers in separate containers 3-4 days in the fridge.
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Sloppy Joe Bowls
MEAL PREP THEM! Meal prepping fans LOVE these bowls since they re-heat like a dream. I like to store the coleslaw separately so I can add it on top after re-heating, but you do you!
TEXTURE ISSUES? Feel free to skip the bell peppers! You can also grate the onion for a finer texture that blends more seamlessly into the ground beef.
TRY IT ON BUNS! Don’t think your kids will go for a bowl? Pick up a package of gluten-free buns, like Udi’s, Canyon Bakehouse, or Trader Joe’s. Just serve the sweet potatoes & slaw on the side!
CAN I USE TURKEY OR CHICKEN INSTEAD? Yep! If you like the taste of ground turkey, feel free to use it instead. I’m personally not a fan, but I’ve had good results using ground chicken before!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our high protein Sloppy Joe Bowls recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Sloppy Joe Bowls With Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
FOR THE SWEET POTATOES:
- 1.5 pounds Sweet Potatoes diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 TBSP. Olive Oil
- ½ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp. Paprika
- ¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp. Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp. Smoked Paprika
FOR THE SLOPPY JOE MIXTURE:
- 1 tsp. Olive Oil
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef I like 93% lean
- ½ cup Diced Onion
- ½ cup Diced Green Bell Pepper optional
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- ¾ tsp. Chili Powder
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 TBSP Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp. Yellow Mustard
- ½ tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- ⅔ cup Ketchup
- ⅓ cup Water
- pinch brown sugar optional
FOR THE SLAW
- 14-16 oz. pkg. Tricolor Coleslaw Mix
- ½ cup Mayo
- 1 ½ TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Black Pepper
- Pinch Celery Salt optional
- 1 tsp. Sugar optional
TO SERVE:
- Sliced Dill Pickles or Pickled Red Onions
Instructions
- PREHEAT OVEN & ROAST POTATOES. Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine diced sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Stir to coat evenly, then spread out in an even layer on a greased sheet pan. Roast 30-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- MAKE THE SLOPPY JOE MIXTURE. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add ground beef. Cook 8-10 min until ground beef is fully cooked through, then add onion and bell pepper and cook 4-5 min, to soften. Add garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and cook 1-2 min till fragrant. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Ketchup, and water. Cook 5-8 min till thickened. Taste & add a pinch of brown sugar, if desired.
- MAKE COLESLAW. Add slaw mix, mayo, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and celery salt (if using) to a large bowl. Stir to coat evenly with dressing. Taste and add sugar, if desired. Chill until you’re ready to serve. (Slaw can be made several hours in advance!)
- BUILD BOWLS. Layer bowls with sweet potatoes, sloppy joe mixture, and coleslaw, and garnish with pickles or pickled onions, as desired. Store leftovers in separate containers 3-4 days in the fridge.
Notes
- BEEF. I like using lean ground beef (93% lean), so I don’t need to drain any extra fat from the pan. If you use something like 80/20 or 85/15, you may prefer to drain extra fat from the pan before adding the veggies.
- MOM TIP. If your kids have texture issues, feel free to skip the bell peppers. You can also grate the onion for a finer texture that blends more seamlessly into the ground beef.
- MAKE-AHEAD TIPS. The coleslaw can be made several hours in advance. Keep in mind it’ll soften the longer it sits, so I love it best within 2-3 hours. If you like softer slaw, feel free to make it further in advance! To speed up prep later, you can also dice the sweet potatoes or mix up the spice blends.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/sloppy-joe-bowls/