Low Sodium Sloppy Joes Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis Low Sodium Sloppy Joes recipe is a delicious and fresh take on classic sloppy joes- without all the salt! Loaded with fresh veggies, lean meat, herbs, and spices, these delicious sandwiches are much better and tastier than the canned mix.
This is one low sodium dinner recipe the whole family will love! Ready in under 30 minutes, anyone can make this easy recipe by following our step-by-step instructions and photos below.
Want more easy low sodium weeknight dinners? Try our low sodium chicken kabobs, low sodium stir fry, or our favorite low sodium pad Thai for tasty meals!
These low sodium Sloppy Joes are THE best easy weeknight meal, we had them a few nights in a row and even after a few days they still got a 10/10! I used to have Sloppy Joes all the time growing up, but never bothered to make them much as an adult. Now that we have this great low sodium version, we keep it in our dinner rotation on a monthly basis.
These Sloppy Joes are just as simple to make as using canned no-salt-added tomato sauce and spies! All you have to do is add in a few vegetables as you brown the meat, and add a few pantry staple spices and tomatoes to make a delicious sauce.
These Low Sodium Sloppy Joes Are
- Bright
- Tangy
- Loaded with Vegetables
- Flavorful
- Fall-Apart Delicious
- Messy as all Heck
- An Easy Weeknight Meal Ready in Under 30 Minutes!
Ingredients
- Onion, Garlic, Bell Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Lean meat – you can use lean ground beef or ground turkey for this recipe, or substitute lentils for a plant-based version.
- Apple Cider Vinegar, which gives the filling a little extra tang which is really fantastic!
- Crushed Tomatoes: I only use no salt added crushed tomatoes.
- Low Sodium Worcestershire Sauce: for that unbelievably tangy umami flavor that bring the classic taste to these Sloppy Joes!
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Powder: for a really nice flavor in this dip – the chili powder isn’t spicy but will give you a rich and bright flavor.
- Onion Powder
- Black Pepper
- Low sodium buns
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Additions and Substitutions
Instead of tomato paste and sugar, you can opt for using a no-salt-added ketchup instead.
Add 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or hot sauce for a spicier mix!
Try this recipe with ground turkey, or even with lentils for a tasty plant-based version.
Meals in 30 Minutes
If you’re looking for a quick weeknight meal, this low sodium sloppy joes is the best recipe when you’re short on time. This easy one-pot dinner is made fast.
Browse all our 30 Minute low sodium recipes, which are low sodium and weeknight-friendly.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a large pan, add the olive oil, ground beef, and onions, and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat until meat browns. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté for 4 more minutes until the pepper begins to soften.
Step 2: Add the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining ingredients to the pan, and cover. Sauté on low heat for 15 minutes until peppers are soft.
Step 3: Add the cooked meat to the tomato mixture and stir well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes to heat meat all the way through. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.
Step 3: Toast buns, and add a generous scoop of sloppy joe mixture to the buns. Top with fresh chopped onion and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
While store-bought hamburger buns can vary in sodium amounts, I usually get Martin’s Potato Rolls (which I find in my local grocery stores, Walmart, and Target). They come in regular sandwich size for 170mg per bun, or slider size with 115mg sodium per serving.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Reheat and enjoy within 3 days.
I like to heat and enjoy the extra filling on baked potatoes for a hearty addition! Or enjoy it in butter lettuce cups or lentil wraps. Or add some to unsalted nacho chips for a fun twist on loaded nachos!
While traditional sloppy Joe’s can vary in sodium amount, these sloppy Joe’s have ~275 mg sodium per serving, including the buns that I used. See notes below in the recipe card for details on the ingredients.
More Low Sodium Dinner Recipes
- Low Sodium Pesto
- Low Sodium Pizza Sauce Recipe
- Salt Free Orange Tofu Recipe
- Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
- Low Sodium Mole Sauce Recipe
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Low Sodium Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lbs ground beef
- ½ cup onion chopped plus extra for garnish
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 14 ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce low sodium
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
- 4 Hamburger Buns *see note below for sodium notes
Instructions
- In a large pan, add the olive oil, ground beef, and onions, and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat until meat browns. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté for 4 more minutes until the pepper begins to soften.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining ingredients to the pan, and cover. Sauté on low heat for 15 minutes until peppers are soft.
- Add the cooked meat to the tomato mixture and stir well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes to heat meat all the way through. Taste, and add pepper if needed.
- Toast buns, and add a generous scoop of sloppy joe mixture to the buns. Top with fresh chopped onion and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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Do the nutritional amounts include the bun?
Hi Marlys,
Yes the nutrition does include the bun – the bun is estimated at 210mg of sodium each, but may vary based on what you are able to find at your store. Let me know if you make these and how they turn out!
– Kelly
Can u help me figure out how much a serving is? I’m making 2batches- 2lb beef. My husband won’t use a bun. I’m not sure how to figure out how much a serving is
Hi Amber, if you are just using the meat filling, it is about 1/2 cup per serving. If you are doubling the recipe, then you would have about 8 servings total, I hope that helps! Let me know how it turns out when you make it.
– Kelly
Cheaper better tasting than making it out of canned ingredients
This dish flies out of the pan into stomachs with pleasure
Very yummy
Super great flavor
So good! My mom is 99 years young and on a very carefully low sodium diet so I served this sloppy Joe sauce over your recipe for low sodium baked potatoes. We both loved it and it will be on our weekly rotation. Thank you!
Hi Lillian,
Thank you SO MUCH for that wonderful review and comment – it made my day to hear that! Funny enough, we also had sloppy Joe’s tonight (but I made ours with brown lentils instead of beef in this recipe) so I’m glad to see this is being enjoyed by folks of all ages. Best wishes to you and your mother, and thank you again for the kind words!
– Kelly