Spicy Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes

Spicy buffalo ground chicken sloppy joes and our old fashioned 3 ingredient recipe we love. Family friendly loose meat sandwiches made in a skillet or slow cooker for dinner.

Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes

You may have only used this type of meat to make Chicken Nuggets with Ground Chicken before, another fun dinner idea. If you are looking to eat healthy this year but don’t want to give up deliciousness this is a great way to do just that. Same sauce but less grease.

If you are interested in How Long to Cook Ground Turkey for this instead of poultry that really doesn’t make a difference as far as the cook time goes. Both are lean proteins that taste fairly similar and much lower in fat than the beef variety.

Spicy Sloppy Joes Recipe

There are a number of ways to serve these. Hamburger buns is the old fashioned boring method of course but you can add into crescent rolls like our Buffalo Chicken Rolls, bake and create a finger food type of meal as this as the filling too!

• For both you are going to use;
• 2 lbs. ground chicken or ground beef can be used
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• For our hot sauce version you need;
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 c Franks Hot Sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp worchestershire sauce

For our Not So Sloppy Joe Sauce you basically use ketchup, mustard and brown sugar. This will yield a Manwich like taste you can adjust to be sweeter or tangier just for your tastebuds.

You could use these same basic ingredients to make our Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Meatballs too. In that case you would first make the raw meat into balls, bake and toss with the same sauce explained below.

Loose Meat Sandwich Recipe

Yes you can of course make this as a lean ground beef recipe as well. If you do 80/20 is typically the best so there is a little fat = flavor. I will say that there is a different flavor profile with chicken vs. beef. The latter does have a deeper richer flavor overall but typically the protein content is pretty similar.

• In a large skillet over medium high heat add your diced onion (chopped green pepper is good too) and ground chicken. (plus diced celery if you choose to add that) Cook until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
• Skillet sloppy joes – If you want to cook on the stovetop, after you brown the meat and saute onions together add all other ingredients and stir to combine. Put lid on and reduce heat to low. Allow meat mixture to simmer for 10 – 20 minutes until flavors deepen.
• Instant Pot Sloppy Joes will use the same ingredients but the cook time and directions listed here. Use any pressure cooker brand you have.
• NOT Spicy Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes – Saute 2 lbs ground chicken in a skillet with diced onion. Lower heat to low and mix in 1.5 c ketchup + 1/3 c mustard yellow + 3-4 tbsp brown sugar or more if you want it sweeter + 1/4 tsp garlic powder + optional 1/8 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes to deepen flavors.

Slow Cooker Spicy Sloppy Joes

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes – Add this ground chicken mixture to your slow cooker. To the slow cooker add your salt, pepper, tomato sauce, buffalo wing sauce, honey and worcestershire sauce. Stir everything to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours just for flavors to deepen.

Garnish this easy 30 minute weeknight dinner with scallions if desired. Serve on brioche buns with crumbled blue cheese and/or ranch or blue cheese dressing. Printable recipe card is below for you to follow, let us know what you think.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Whether you make this as a chicken recipe or with turkey or beef the outcome is always amazing. If serving to guests they are sure to ask for the recipe, go ahead and share, because it is out of the box thinking like our Sloppy Joe Philly Cheesesteak dish too!

Next day or fresh, we have a bunch of great Sloppy Joe Sides you can serve on the side or inside the bun itself.