Vegan Sloppy Joes ~
A plant-based version of the old-school American classic!
This easy recipe is simple to make and always a crowd favorite.
Vegan ground beef, peppers, and onion are simmered in a sweet and savory homemade sauce and then piled onto toasted buns for a tasty throwback meal the whole family will love!
Originally published September 30, 2015. Updated with new photos May 19, 2021.
Everyone loves these sloppy joes and the recipe is one that has remained virtually unchanged over the last 14+ years.
The only tweak was made back in 2012 when I became vegetarian (I’ve been vegan since 2017) and switched the ingredients to make vegetarian sloppy joes that also happened to be a vegan version with all the flavor of traditional sloppy joes. Definitely a great recipe to start with and a change for the better! Lots of vegan sloppy joe recipes use cooked lentils in place of the traditional ground beef and you could certainly do that with this recipe as well. The tangy tomato sauce is what really gives these vegan sloppy joes their robust flavor so go with whatever good source of plant-based protein you want to use.
I like to make these vegetarian sandwiches for easy weeknight dinners, campouts, Super Bowl Sundays, and even Halloween.
For years, homemade sloppy joes have been part of our go-to meal for fueling up before heading out for a night of trick-or-treating. It’s a great way for the kids to get something filling in their tummies before loading up on sugar for the rest of the night.
Serve with a side of Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese or a baked potato and they’re good to go!
Ingredients for Vegan Sloppy Joes
You will need the following:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces vegan ground beef, such as Impossible or Beyond Beef
- 1/4 cup yellow onion
- 1/4 cup green bell peppers
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 hamburger buns or 8 slider buns
How to Make Vegan Sloppy Joes
STEP ONE: Into a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.
STEP TWO: When the oil is hot, add the ground beef, onion, and green pepper. Cook until ground meat is browned and vegetables are softened.
STEP THREE: To make the sloppy joe sauce, stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
STEP FOUR: Reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serving Suggestions
- Pile the sloppy joe filling onto toasted burger buns for classic sloppy joes.
- For a lighter Skip the buns and serve as a lettuce wrap.
- Swap the beyond meat for cooked brown lentils.
- Top with dill pickles or pickled jalapeno peppers.
Quick Tip
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. I like to prepare the sloppy joe filling and then transfer it to a slow cooker on the Warm setting. Set hamburger buns and any other toppings such as hot sauce or dill pickles on the side so each guest can build their own delicious sandwich.
More Vegan Ground Beef Recipes You’ll Love!
- Vegan Chili Mac Casserole
- Beefy Bean and Cheese Vegan Enchiladas
- Vegan Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
- Asian Style Lettuce Wraps
- Beyond Impossible Burgers & Sliders
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Vegan Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces vegan ground beef
- 1/4 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Into a medium-size skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the vegan ground beef, onion, and pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegan beef is browned and vegetables are softened.
- Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Reduce heat to low simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pile the sloppy joe mixture onto toasted burger buns and serve warm.
Charlene Wieschowski
cant wait to try the recipes
Doug
Very good and very easy. My non-vegan parents loved it. I used Impossible instead of crumbles. I also added a little Worcestershire and soy sauce. Thanks for sharing.
thiswifecooks
I’m so glad they loved the sloppy joes! I’ve actually started using Impossible or Beyond Meat for these as well. Nice additions with the vegan Worcestershire and soy sauce. 🙂
Kayla DiMaggio
Yum! These sloppy joes are amazing! It is the perfect weeknight meal! Pinned so I can make over and over!
thiswifecooks
Thanks, Kayla! My family LOVES these sloppy joes!
Julia
We loved this recipe. It was full of flavour, took very little time to make and everyone loved it – Sloppy Joes will be turning up here again soon. Thank you.
Lucy
This tastes just like the classic. Such a quick and easy yet delicious and comforting meal.
Anaiah
I love these vegan sloppy joes! They bring back so many childhood memories. I’m so happy to find a plant based version of this recipe. It tastes amazing and definitely does not lack in flavor!
Choclette
I’ve never really looked at sloppy Joes before as they’re all about the meat. So it’s really interesting to finally see a vegetarian version. It sounds really good.
Kayla DiMaggio
Loving the idea of these sliders! They are so delicious and I love all the flavors!
Michelle
This is the perfect family dinner for any night. It is so quick to make and super flavorful. The kids love it!
Andrea White
these are everything! it has the perfect texture and flavor! YUM!
Aleisha
Yum! My toddler will love these 😍
Natalie
These sloppy joes sliders are amazing Holly! I will make them for friends gathering next week, I am sure it will be a winner, thanks!
Andrea
loved how easy these sloppy joes were to whip up. soooo delicious!
Gabriela
The brown sugar gives this joes the perfect sweetness.
Nancy
Thanks for this classic in vegan version. I add this to everything including tacos, rice and etc
Katie
Such a perfect vegan sloppy joe recipe! I love making this for summer cookouts
Lori
So good! Tastes exactly like a Sloppy Joe! Very easy and quick.
thiswifecooks
Thanks, Lori! 😊
Ginger
These sloppy Joe’s are great, I probably make this recipe weekly since it’s so simple and quick! I use Beyond ground and sub honey for the brown sugar. Sometimes I add thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms and I also add a tablespoon of vegan mushroom stir fry sauce for extra umami.
thiswifecooks
Thanks, Ginger! I have not tried adding mushrooms to these sloppy joes but that sounds interesting.😊
Iggy
So good! We’re two people so I used 2 Impossible burgers. I cooked the onion/peppers first, put them on a plate, crumbled and cooked the burgers, added the cooked peppers and onions and the other ingredients. I cut back a little on everything since I used 8 oz. of meat instead of 12 oz. I subbed honey for the brown sugar, added a splash of white vinegar and a little water. Delicious!! Will be making again and again!!
thiswifecooks
Your version sounds good! I like the way you adjusted the recipe for two people. 😊
MoJo
I made these 3 times now and they are very good. I double the amount of green peppers and onions and a little less katsup.