Try vegan sloppy joes for a recreation of this meaty and messy childhood classic. Lentils are simmered in a sweet, tangy, and spicy tomato sauce before being layered onto soft kaiser buns. All you need is 30 minutes and a big appetite!
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Plant-based: This is a great Meatless Monday option, even for those who don’t usually eat vegan. Once cooked, the flavors and textures emulate traditional recipes quite well.
- Quick & easy: With simple-to-follow instructions, widely-available ingredients, and only 30 minutes of prep time, anyone can join in on making lentil sloppy joes!
- Protein-packed: Expect over 20 grams of plant-based protein in a single 300-calorie serving. Plus, there’s the added benefit of fiber to help with digestion and feeling full.
- Budget-friendly: If you think eating vegan is expensive, double-check your grocery bill after purchasing these ingredients. Everything is affordable!
If you love easy dinners like vegan sloppy joes, you should really check out our vegan meatloaf, vegan fried chicken, vegan Spam, vegan chicken, and vegan fish.
🍔 What are vegan sloppy joes?
Vegan sloppy joes are a spinoff of one of the messiest, meatiest, and tastiest sandwiches that many of us grew up on. This nostalgic recipe is made with 100% plant-based ingredients, and it’s just as delicious as we remember!
If you’re new to vegan cooking, lentils are one of the most popular whole-food meat replacements you can choose. They’re high in protein, shaped similarly to ground beef, and have a chewy texture that is often described as “meaty.”
We’ve kept most of the original ingredients the same, so you can expect a sandwich that’s equally smoky, sweet, tangy, and savory! Packed between kaiser buns, both kids and adults will love this behemoth of a meal!
📜 History
Sloppy joes are thought to be an American invention, but history may tell us otherwise! One popular theory is that the dish originated in Sioux City, Iowa in the 1930s by a cook named Joe.
However, many others think the story of sloppy joes actually started in Havana, Cuba! A certain club owner there, José Garcia Rios, potentially tried to make a modified version of the Cuban dish “ropa vieja.”
From there, this new invention made its way into Key West, Florida and the rest of the United States. Regardless of the origins, lentil sloppy joes are the latest and greatest variation! Where do you think they actually came from?
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Lentils: Brown or green lentils work best for vegan sloppy joes since they hold up better than red lentils. Both canned and home-cooked lentils work, although we prefer cooking our own from dried.
- Olive oil: To sauté the veggies, we typically opt for olive oil. You can substitute it with avocado oil or another neutral vegetable oil.
- Vegetables: For a hearty, savory, and aromatic sauce, add white or yellow onion, fresh garlic, and green bell pepper (or another bell pepper color).
- Tomato paste & sauce: Tomato paste provides sweet and intense umami notes. Tomato sauce brightens the overall taste. Use tomato paste from a tube for the most vibrant flavors.
- Seasonings: Yellow mustard and apple cider vinegar impart tanginess, ketchup adds sweetness, and Frank’s Red Hot sauce provides a touch of heat. Feel free to use any hot sauce variety that you prefer.
- Herbs & spices: Our go-to herbs and spices are garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin powder, cayenne powder, and fresh oregano. If you don’t have fresh oregano, replace it with a reduced amount of dried oregano.
- Brown sugar: Adds a touch more sweetness and layers of complexity. You can also use coconut sugar or maple syrup.
- Sea salt & pepper: Lentils need quite a bit of seasoning, so don’t be shy with the salt.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make vegan sloppy joes
Step 1: Cook the lentils
Rinse the lentils, then add them to a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water. Cook on high for 8-10 minutes. We usually cook ours ahead of time in our Instant Pot, but you can use canned lentils if you’re short on time or don’t have a pressure cooker.
Step 2: Sauté the aromatics
With a few minutes left of cooking the lentils, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium. Add the diced onions and sauté for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add minced garlic and diced bell pepper, cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the seasonings
Next, add garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, fresh oregano, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Pour in both cans of tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Frank’s Red Hot sauce.
Step 4: Mix in the lentils
When the lentils are done, drain any excess water off in a strainer. Mix them into the pot of sauce, cover with a lid, and simmer over low-medium for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Toast the buns
In the meantime, slice the buns open and lightly brush each half with olive oil or vegan butter. Lightly toast them face down in a skillet over medium.
Step 6: Assemble
Taste the lentil sloppy joes and adjust seasonings as needed. Add salt and pepper, then serve over toasted buns with sliced green onions or avocado on top. Happy eating!
If you have questions about making vegetarian sloppy joes, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🍕 How to serve sloppy joes
This meal isn’t just for serving on buns. Here are some other uses for your vegan sloppy joes:
- Classic: For a classic option, serve them on hamburger buns, kaiser buns, or even pretzel buns.
- Grilled Cheese: Load up a vegan grilled cheese with a few spoonfuls of sloppy joe mixture.
- Pizza: Prepare some vegan pizza dough, and make it extra meaty by adding this mixture on top.
- French fries: Add a few spoonfuls of this meaty lentil mixture to French fries (or potato wedges) to make loaded fries.
- Baked potatoes: If you’re a fan of baked potatoes, add a dollop or two of lentil sloppy joes for a protein-rich meal.
- Chili dogs: Do you enjoy vegan hot dogs? Make a vegan chili cheese dog with a little extra sloppy joe mixture.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
For leftover vegan sloppy joes, follow these storage and reheating tips:
- Fridge: Once cooled, transfer the sloppy joes to an airtight container and store them for up to 4-5 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: Add the mixture to a freezer-safe bag or container, then freeze it for up to 3-4 months.
- Thaw: Thaw vegan sloppy joes in the fridge overnight before serving again.
- Reheating: Heat a touch of olive oil in a pan over medium, then add your sloppy joe mixture. Stir occasionally for about 5-6 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, warm it in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.
♻️ Variations
- Buns: Swap the kaiser buns out with whole wheat buns, pretzel buns, gluten-free buns, or even lettuce wraps.
- Meat: Instead of lentils, use a ground beef replacement like Beyond Meat, Impossible, Gardein, Lightlife, or textured vegetable protein (TVP).
- Vegetables: Try mixing in different vegetables to switch up the flavors. Other choices include celery, carrots, or potatoes.
- Spicy: If you’re wanting to turn up the heat, add chopped jalapeño peppers, serrano peppers, or habaneros.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- The right lentils: For the most ideal texture, use only green or brown lentils. They stay firm and provide a meatier “bite” when cooked.
- Don’t overcook: Cook your lentils just until tender so they don’t become mushy.
- Toast your buns: Before serving vegan sloppy Joes, toast the buns for extra flavor and crispiness.
- Watch the sauce: Reducing the sauce too much may result in a dry vegetarian sloppy joe mixture. Keep an eye on it so it remains “sloppy.”
- Thicken it up: If your sauce is too runny, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water) to the mixture to thicken it up.
💬 FAQ
Other than lentils, you can use a variety of ingredients to make vegan sloppy joes. Try Beyond Meat, tofu crumbles, tempeh, TVP, or black beans.
Yes, this recipe is simple to make in the slow cooker. Add all of your ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours.
Yes! If you follow this recipe, the vegan sloppy joe mixture is gluten-free. Just remember to swap out the bun for a gluten-free variety or serve it on lettuce.
🍴 More “meaty” vegan recipes
If you enjoyed this vegan sloppy joes recipe, don’t forget to check out more of our most popular “meaty” recipes made plant-based:
- Jackfruit Carnitas: A Mexican-inspired recipe for crispy citrus-infused carnitas.
- Vegan Biscuits and Gravy: Flaky biscuits covered in meaty vegan sawmill gravy.
- Vegan Birria Tacos: Corn tortillas stuffed with oyster mushrooms and cheese, then charred on a comal.
- Vegan Al Pastor: A vegan version of Mexican al pastor tacos made from TVP.
Best Vegan Sloppy Joes
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Strainer
- Large pot
Ingredients
Lentils
- 2 cups uncooked brown lentils
- 4 cups water
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 27 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Seasonings
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
For Serving optional
- Kaiser buns
- Sliced green onions
- Avocado slices
Instructions
Lentils
- To start, rinse the lentils. Add them to a pressure cooker with water, and cook on high for 8-10 minutes. We usually cook ours ahead of time in our Instant Pot, but you can use canned if you’re short on time or don’t own a pressure cooker.
Sauce
- Once the lentils are almost done, heat olive oil in a large pot on medium. Add in diced onions, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add in minced garlic and diced bell pepper, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add in garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, fresh oregano, and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
- Then, pour in both cans of tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Frank’s Red Hot sauce (you can omit the hot sauce if you don’t want as much spice).
- When the lentils are done, drain any excess water off in a strainer. Mix them into the pot of sauce, put the lid on, and simmer on low-medium for 10 minutes.
Assembly
- In the meantime, prepare the buns by slicing them and lightly brushing each half with some vegan butter or oil. Crisp them up in a toaster oven or in a stovetop pan on medium.
- Once buns are toasty brown, taste lentil sloppy joes and adjust seasoning as needed. Add apple cider vinegar or mustard for tang, brown sugar or ketchup for sweetness, and Frank’s or cayenne for more heat.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste, and serve over toasted buns with sliced green onions and avocado on top. Happy eating!
Notes
- The right lentils: For the most ideal texture, use only green or brown lentils. They stay firm and provide a meatier “bite” when cooked.
- Don’t overcook: Cook your lentils just until tender so they don’t become mushy.
- Toast your buns: Before serving vegan sloppy Joes, toast the buns for extra flavor and crispiness.
- Watch the sauce: Reducing the sauce too much may result in a dry vegetarian sloppy joe mixture. Keep an eye on it so it remains “sloppy.”
- Thicken it up: If your sauce is too runny, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water) to the mixture to thicken it up.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
