Protein Packed Spicy Sloppy Joes Recipe

Who doesn’t love a delicious sloppy joe? I know I do. This recipe for spicy sloppy joes kicks it up a notch with sautéed poblano peppers and avocado which makes for a protein and flavor-packed, adult-friendly upgrade to standard sloppy joes. Don’t worry, you still get the sweet and savory quality that makes the originals so delicious. This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes. I like to serve them with oven-baked sweet potato fries.

A serving of these protein packed  spicy sloppy joes weighs in at 452 calories and 30 grams of protein.

Protein Packed Spicy Sloppy Joes Recipe

Spicy sloppy joes sautéed poblano peppers and topped with avocado makes for a protein and flavor-packed, adult-friendly upgrade to standard sloppy joes. Don’t worry, you still get the sweet and savory quality that makes the originals so delicious. This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes.

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion (finely diced)
  • 2 medium poblano peppers (finely diced)
  • 1 pound low-fat ground beef, chicken or turkey
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 14 ounce canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot or other hot sauce (more or less to taste)
  • 1 pinch kosher salt and black pepper (more or less to taste)
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 1 sliced avocado
  • sliced onion and pickles (for garnish)
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until well-browned. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up into small chunks. Cook until meat browned and cooked through.

  2. Drain fat and return pan to heat. Add sugar and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until reduced to thicker, sauce-like consistency. Stir in hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. 

  3. Spoon mixture onto toasted burger buns, top with avocado, pickles and onion, and serve.