Best Vegan Sloppy Joes

Name: Best Vegan Sloppy Joes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 yellow onion (peeled and roughly minced); 1 bell pepper (small dice (I used half of a red pepper and 1/2 of a green pepper for colour)); 1 cup shredded carrot; 4 cloves garlic; 1 (12-ounce) package plant-based "meat" crumbles (about a 3/4 pound package); 1 (19-ounce) can lentils (rinsed and drained ); 1 tablespoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste); 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce; 1 to 1.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth (depending on the consistency you want); 1 tablespoon yellow mustard; 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional (adds a touch of sweetness if the tomato sauce is a little acidic)); 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar); Vegan Burger buns (for serving (cut buns in half horizontally if not already precut))

Published: November 14, 2018 Updated: June 3, 2022 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 28 Comments

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A twist on a classic, these vegan sloppy joes are chock-full of hearty and delicious ingredients, like lentils, plant-based crumbles, veggies and spices. Best part? These homemade sloppy joes are made in one pot and can be on the table in under 30 minutes!

Vegan sloppy joe and basket of fries on a plate in front of two glasses of water.

Sloppy joes are a classic comfort food meal and for good reason! Unlike these lentil sloppy joes, the traditional version is made with ground beef.

I grew up on those classic ground beef sloppy joes and totally enjoyed them (and still do). These days, though, I often mix things up a bit and love to try meatless versions of some of my favourites.

Like these sloppy joe sliders, these vegan sloppy joes are so tasty, even meat lovers will devour them!

This easy sloppy joe recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and it all comes together in one pot (so it’s awesome for an easy weekday dinner). Just don’t forget the napkins, because these sloppy joes are all kinds of messy and delicious (but so worth it!).

Fan of sloppy joes? Check out these buffalo chicken sloppy joes and ground turkey sloppy joes!

How To Make Vegan Sloppy Joes

Here is an overview of how to make these vegan sloppy joes (refer to the recipe card below for full details):

Cook some veggies in a little olive oil just until they start to soften.
Add the plant-based meat crumbles, canned lentils and seasonings.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute just to get the flavours going.
Pour in tomato sauce, broth, mustard and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sloppy joe filling has reached the consistency that you like best.
Stir in balsamic vinegar and add a little more salt if you feel it needs it.
Pile that deliciousness onto hamburger buns and dig in!

Collage of steps to make sloppy joes with lentils, veggie "meat" and vegetables.

Type of Lentils To Use

For this vegan sloppy joe recipe, I used canned lentils.

I regularly have them stocked in our pantry because they’re just so darn convenient and super budget friendly (just make sure to rinse and drain them before using to get rid of any excess liquid and salt).

Tips for Making This Recipe

Because tomato sauce can vary quite a bit in salt content (and everyone’s preference is different), you may need to add a little bit more salt if you feel the sloppy joe filling needs it.
If you like a little more spice, feel free to add more ground cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, a dash or two of your favourite hot sauce or freshly minced chili pepper.
Veggie broth is used in this recipe, but mushroom broth is a great substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
I generally find it takes about 10 minutes to get the consistency I like best for the sloppy joe mixture. If you want it less saucy, you can cook the mixture a little more.

Besides Buns

The classic way to serve sloppy joes is on hamburger buns. But if you want to mix things up, the sloppy joe mixture is also yummy served with spaghetti, gnocchi or over fries (think something like chili fries).

Overhead shot of a sloppy joe and fries next to a pan of the mixture, ketchup and glass of water.

What To Serve With Sloppy Joes

These vegan sloppy joe sandwiches are nice and hearty on their own, but they’re even better with sides. Some sides you can serve with them are:

Fries or turnip fries
Soup
Green salad
Mac and cheese
Onion rings
Pasta salad, coleslaw, potato salad or macaroni salad
Corn on the cobb
Potato chips
Crunchy pickle

Two hands holding a sloppy joe sandwich.

More Delicious Lentil Recipes

If you make these vegan sloppy joes, be sure to leave a comment below!

This recipe was originally posted November 14, 2018 but has been updated.