If there's one dish that screams comfort food while also being ridiculously easy to throw together, it's sloppy joe sliders. These bite-sized beauties are everything you love about classic sloppy joes, sandwiched between sweet and fluffy Hawaiian rolls.
They're a total game-changer for busy weeknights, game days, or any gathering where you want something simple yet satisfying.
The best part? This easy weeknight dinner uses simple ingredients like ground turkey, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to create a sloppy joe filling that's savory, slightly sweet, and packed with great flavor.
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Recipe at a Glance
- Cook Time: Making the sloppy joe meat sauce takes minimal time, and with a quick bake in the oven, you're looking at dinner on the table in just 40-45 minutes.
- Cook Level: This sloppy joe sliders recipe is incredibly easy to prep ahead of time and excellent as an entry level cooking recipe.
- Taste: Savory, a little sweet, slightly tangy, and paired with buttery and airy rolls, this is a flavor bomb in a handheld sando.
- Best Served With: Make a large salad to go with these sliders like my spring greens mix salad or a soup like my classic minestrone soup. Going the low carb route? Make my sautéed green beans or roasted rainbow carrots.
Tips and Key Reminders
- Stick to just one cup of sauce. More sauce than this will yield a watery consistency. We want thick, comforting, hearty sauce when making Sloppy Joes.
- Be sure to season the meat well. The meat should be seasoned when it's 50% of the way cooked. You can also add an additional pinch of paprika after adding in the recommended measurements. I typically eyeball paprika when adding it.
- Let the meat simmer on a low flame once all the ingredients are incorporated. This will give the sauce some time to thicken and marry all the flavors together.
- When baking the sliders in the oven, be sure to keep your eye on them as the tops can brown quickly. I highly recommend keeping to the 12 minute mark, anything longer than that you risk burning the buns on the top and they become hockey pucks. You can also tent the sliders with aluminum foil to avoid the tops crisping and burning.
The Main Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: A lean, flavorful protein that soaks up all the delicious seasonings and sauces.
- Garlic: Adds depth and a punch of flavor to the meat mixture.
- Carrots and Celery: Finely chopped for texture and a subtle sweetness that balances the savory notes.
- Tomato Paste and Tomato Sauce: These create the rich, tangy base of the sloppy joe mixture, making it thick and satisfying.
- Worcestershire Sauce: The secret ingredient for a savory, umami kick.
- Chili Powder and Paprika: Add warmth and a touch of smokiness to the sloppy joe filling.
- King's Hawaiian Rolls: The ultimate slider buns-soft, sweet, and perfectly sized.
- Provolone Cheese: Creamy, melty cheese that ties all the flavors together.
- Parsley or Basil: A sprinkle of dried herbs for a fresh, aromatic finish.
- Butter: Brushed on top of the rolls for that golden brown, buttery perfection.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Step by Step Process Photos
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grab a medium frying pan. Chop the garlic, carrots, and celery finely so they blend seamlessly into the meat mixture.
Step 2: Mix in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, then pour in the tomato sauce. Lower the heat and let it simmer until thickened. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and veggies until they're soft and translucent. Add the ground turkey to the pan and cook until it's halfway done. Season generously with salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika, stirring to combine.
Step 3: Add the top buns and brush them with melted butter mixed with dried parsley or basil. Slice the King's Hawaiian Rolls in half, keeping the top and bottom buns connected. Place the bottom buns on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spoon the sloppy joe meat evenly over the bottom buns, then layer on slices of provolone cheese.
Step 4: Cover the sliders with aluminum foil and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops of the rolls are golden brown. Let the sliders cool for a minute before slicing them into individual portions. Serve with french fries, a salad, or enjoy them as-is!
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- Use other types of slider rolls like potato, traditional slider rolls, or if you can find gluten free, go for it.
- Add more veggies into the sloppy joe sauce by wilting some spinach, mincing zucchini or cauliflower.
- Make a secret sauce by mixing relish, mayonnaise, ketchup, and garlic powder to slather on the top of the inside of the bun for more flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Ground beef works just as well in this recipe and adds a slightly richer flavor. You could also use ground chicken or even pork.
Store any leftover sliders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven to keep the buns from getting soggy. If you can, avoid assembling more than you need to in order to store the bread and the sloppy joe meat separate.
Yes! The meat mixture freezes really well. Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw and reheat before assembling the sliders.
Yes! Assemble the sliders, cover them tightly, and refrigerate until you're ready to bake.
Hungry for more?
Here's some other delicious sandwich recipes to prep for the week:
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Homemade Sloppy Joe Sliders Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
- aluminum foil
- sharp bread knife
- medium frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or basil
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- 1 pkg King's Hawaiian or Aloha Rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º. On medium heat, drizzle olive oil into a medium frying pan, then sauté the garlic and chopped vegetables until soft and slightly translucent.
- Add in the ground chicken or turkey, and brown until 50% of the turkey is cooked.
- To the turkey, add in the seasonings and mix to combine.
- Add in the tomato paste, stir in well. Pour in the tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
- Reduce the heat to a medium low and let the ground turkey simmer until the meat becomes thick.
- Slice open the rolls and scoop the meat onto the bottoms of the rolls.
- Top with the provolone cheese, then add the tops of the rolls.
- Spread the melted butter and parsley mixture on top of the rolls then bake for 12-13 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Layla C says
This recipe couldn't be more delicious and is SUPER kid friendly. I am not the biggest red meat eater so I love that this recipe is turkey based! 10/10!
Morgan Peaceman says
Thank you for sharing!!! We love making these in my house especially with the ground turkey!
Jessica H says
Finally! A turkey sloppy Joe! We don’t need red meat in this house so the second I came across this recipe I knew I had to try. SO GOOD!! Highly recommend!
Maggie says
Easy to follow and came out delicious. A lot of ingredients I already had in the house. 10/10
Laurie says
Once I saw these get posted on the website I immediately made them. They are so perfect. The flavor of the sauce is really very tasty. We used ground beef, not turkey, but these sliders will be made again and again.