Vegan Sloppy Joes

We loved the flavor of this, but didn’t feel it went well on a bun. We’ll use the leftovers as a side, sort of like baked beans. We’ll probably make it again purely for a side, because the flavor and texture would be perfect for that purpose!

This recipe is delicious with such a great flavor! I will be making this on the regular. The only thing I will do differently is either use 1/2 or 3/4 can of tomato sauce, or add tomato paste. While this recipe has a fantastic flavor, it is too “sloppy” to be eaten on a bun. It’s so sloppy the bread immediately just falls apart. Other than that, it was fabulous!!

I made these for a potluck dinner. I wanted something a little different. It was a huge hit! Thank you! I used honey and molasses in place of the coconut sugar and I quadrupled the recipe. I started the seasonings/”sugar” etc. off on the lower end and added to taste.

Wow!! I haven’t had sloppy joes in YEARS… This was so delicious and nostalgic.. Absolutely spot on! THANK YOU🤗

This recipe is quite delicious and easy to make! Thanks

Used this to make sloppy joe biscuit cups with homemade sourdough biscuits for my gluten sensitive family member.
So. Delicious.

I have a vegan celiac in our house and this recipe is perfect. Sometimes I add 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes. Usually substitute soy sauce for the worsteshire sauce..always delicious.

Made this for dinner tonight and my husband and I loved it! I didn’t have any Worcestershire sauce so subbed Soy instead and worked out great. Served on fresh burger buns and topped with thinly sliced cucumbers. Will definitely add this in rotation for easy and fast meals.

I just subbed the lentil with soy chorizo..it was quicker,n delicious,thanks

I’ve made this a couple times and it’s always a hit. I’m currently making a batch for my mom as she enjoys having it in fridge for the week. Mom is vegetarian but ALL who’ve had it enjoy it. I like being able to adjust flavors and it’s a budget friendly dish too.

We make this probably once or twice a month. It’s a great quick meal and one that our meat-eating friends love. It’s also easy to make while camping, especially using canned lentils.

I make this over and over and over again! Great meal prep for quick wraps, bowls or sloppy joes. Flavor is amazing!!! Its a great topping for baked sweet potatoes, hearty salads and on and on! Always a hit at parties, I make nachos with this as well. Thank you for such a great and versatile recipe!!!!

This was so delicious and yummy, I can’t stop thinking about it! I made it for my family tonight and everyone just ate it up with so much joy. It was tremendous to see how much everyone enjoyed it considering how easy it was to prepare, and how nourishing it is. Thanks for this amazing recipe. Looking forward to more!

My church group cooks a supper of sloppy Joe’s and French fries for a residential recovery group of about 100 men once a month. Recently a few fellows have commented they don’t eat meat- which left them with a meal of French fries! I tried this recipe last month to offer an alternative- those who had it loved it- I must agree- I’m not vegan, but I kept some for my husband and me! Making it again this month-

So good! The first bite totally transported me back to my childhood—the flavors, the saucy fingers and all :-) Will definitively be making again! I didn’t have Worcestershire sauce so just subbed with soy sauce and increased the cumin + chili powder + smoked paprika. Tasted fabulous!

I am vegan and love all of your recipes, THANK YOU!

When I made this recipe, I used my immersion blender to blend up about half of the cooked lentils, and I really liked how that changed the overall consistency and texture. Make it less “lentil-y” and more “meaty”-looking and tasting, which I think might appeal a little more to some, particularly meat-eaters.

I make this all winter, as written. It is my go to lentil recipe (along with Moroccan Spiced Lentils.) I serve this not on buns, but with a side of mashed potatoes and a green veggie. I happily eat the leftovers for lunch the next couple of days. Looking forward to cool weather to make this again. And again.

This is our go-to comfort food! Whatever lentils we have goes in. Whatever papper we have goes in. It is such a flexible recipe. We usually serve it open face with melted cheese from the broiler. Now THAT’S comfort food! Thanks so much for the recipe.

I had brown lentils which resemble ground beef I suppose and worked well. I used a sweet onion and I think that was a mistake as it seemed a little too sweet. I had half a red pepper to use so I chopped that up and threw it in too. Also put about a half cup ketchup which my Mom always used and really upped the flavor for me! Really good on top of baked sweet potatoes.

Delicious. Smoky and sweet with the right amount of heat. Next, Going to make it with red lentils and top carrot dogs with it.

I didn’t realize the recipe said tomato sauce- i thought it said diced tomatoes. anyways- i didn’t have regular diced tomatoes so I used fire roasted diced tomatoes and WOW I will continue to do this because it gives the sloppy joes a smoky authentic flavor – EVERYONE at them- I actually put them in little pillsbury crescent dough cups and baked them with a cheddar/gruyere cheese topping. They were gone in minutes!

This was so good! My whole family loved it! I used red lentils, because that’s what I had on hand, and cooked them for 7 mins, as instructed, and they were perfect – cooked, but still meaty, not mushy.

I will definitely be making this again! Thank you so much for this recipe! 💗

Amaizing! Both my husband and I love this. Though neither of us are vegan, we do love beans and lentils so I was excited to experiment with this recipe. Was not disappointed! We plan on making this again soon. I didn’t have paprika or chili powder and I don’t have coconut sugar either so I used cane sugar. Still turned out perfectly and it’s very affordable to make too

I was looking for a healthy topping for baked potatoes (rather than butter and cheese) and discovered this recipe. It did go very well with the potatoes and I would recommend others try it (also added a dollop of sour cream). I followed the recipe, with 2 exceptions: I reduced the oil to 1 tsp and subbed turbinado sugar for the coconut sugar. Today I had the left overs for lunch and it was soooo good. It really gave the opportunity for all of the flavors to work their magic. I will definitely make it again, but will likely use a whole bell pepper and whole onion and maybe add some mushrooms and/or celery.

I made this and it was delicious! I didn’t have tomato sauce so I just added 6oz of tomato paste to the green pepper, onion, and garlic then let the tomato paste cook a bit to sweeten it up. I kept a bit extra water with the lentils and mixed it all together to form the “sloppy joe”. I’m not vegan but this is a great way to get in extra veggies, fiber, and protein!

I made this and I was shocked at how easy and delicious it was!! Definitely recommend.

I make this almost every 2 weeks bc I’ve memorized the recipe and it never fails me!! I love your site. I almost always have the ingredients. Thank you 💜

Wow! Although I’m not a Vegan, I am trying to make more days nutritionally Plant based. The flavor here is outstanding! I did make a small change, because I don’t normally have coconut sugar in the house, and my Mom’s old Untidy Joseph recipe included brown sugar-so I subbed in 1 TB dark molasses for the 2 TB coconut sugar. It turned out great. Thank you for posting this! I think next time I make this (AND I WILL) I will also add about 1/2 of a minced jalapeno for a tiny bit more heat.

I thought this was fantastic. I added a little more coconut suger and ate it on a lettuce wrap like a taco

This is one of the most used recipes in my house — any time we need to feed a crowd as there’s always a variety of dietary needs around!

I use canned lentils (my concession to laziness!), usually one and a half cans for the base recipe (although I always double or triple). I’m of the “that looks/smells/tastes right” school of cooks so I kind of just meddle until there’s enough.

When it comes to serving, we always have coleslaw, usually some lightly spiced rice and sometimes pickles alongside — just anything that will make it stretch! For the dairy eaters, we have sour cream and grated cheese.

Thanks for such an amazing, simple recipe!

I made this recipe tonight. I used precooked lentils from Trader Joe’s. So good! Great for days I don’t feel like cooking.

This was a great recipe. So satisfying and tasty. I did not have vegan Worcestershire, so I substituted 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 1Tbsp soy sauce, and it was perfect. I also added some cayenne pepper too, I need everything spicy haha. Definitely a keeper!!

I just made this tonight, it was delicious! I used Braggs aminos(didn’t have Worcestershire), liquid smoke, ketchup and brown sugar since I didn’t have coconut sugar. Green lentils were perfect after 20 mins with some bite still. I added some riced cauliflower as well, I like its meaty texture. Family and I enjoyed this on brioche buns. My meat loving husband loved it! Thanks!

I just made this tonight, it was delicious! I used Braggs aminos(didn’t have Worcestershire), liquid smoke, and brown sugar since I didn’t have coconut sugar. Green lentils were perfect after 20 mins with some bite still. Family and I enjoyed this on brioche buns. My meat loving husband loved it! Thanks!

This can be a little messy when eating (sloppy, I get it!) so my trick is lightly pulsing the mixture in a food processor. (I also add a little bit of mustard in the mix too, and instead of Worcestershire sometimes adding a few drops of liquid smoke does the trick!)

I made it with red lentils and also some mayo-maustrad-honey sauce.
It turned out amazing and much lighter than meat or soy protein sloppy joes.

I have made this many times and it is always amazing, i love to top with extra sweet raw onion and sliced jalapeños and super delicious on the Dave’s killer wheat hamburger buns. It checks a lot of boxes, protein + veggies + fiber + low salt + no sugar + low oil. I recently made without the olive oil instead sautéed the veggies in a small of veggie stock and literally could not tell a difference but saved lots of oil.

Delicious!! I made this recipe last night and it turned out excellent! I used 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 2 pinches of paprika. I also added about 1.5 packed cup of shredded zucchini at the end and cooked for a bit longer. It was awesome!

I shredded half a large zucchini in my food processor and then pressed the water out of the zucchini using a clean kitchen towel.

Delicious recipe. I am thankful you included how to add different types of tastes so I am able to adjust accordingly. I like mine smokier so I put more cumin. My family is a big fan of this recipe, thank you for sharing

Just beginning my vegan journey. I found this recipe to be easy and I love beans. I toasted my bread and added some vegan cheese. It was very good and the beans were cooked to the right consistency with a little crunch. However, since I’m cooking for only me, the recipe was too much. So instead of freezing the leftovers, I made a (kitchen sink – cleaning out the frig) lentil pasta dish with a few added spices, added some wilted some spinach near the end of and melted vegan cheese…Delicious
P.S.: Though I enjoyed the recipe, I like lentils for other dishes and not particular use as a sandwich.
Thank you for the great recipe for my vegan journey
@minimalistbaker #minimalistbaker

Love this recipe! If you’re looking to add even more iron to your vegan sloppy joes I used 3 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses instead of the 1-2 Tbs coconut sugar as a sweetener and it tastes delicious.

This is easily one of my favorite go-to recipes. I have made it countless times and it is always phenomenal. Love it!

I’m trying to do more plant based meals and this recipe looked intriguing. I tried it and loved it. I substituted Maple syrup for the coconut sugar. The batch was large for just one person so I froze a portion. After 2 or 3 meals of the ‘sloppy joes’ it was gone. Instead of thawing the other portions I just had to make a second batch a couple days later! I’ve had this on open face bread, pasta, alone warm or cold and heated in a large precooked portobello mushroom. I will try it on spaghetti squash in the fall and maybe in a zucchini ‘boat’. Great recipe. Thank You!

This is another family favorite at our house and we always double the batch so we have plenty of leftovers. I had to write to tell you I have been craving these for a week and decided tonight was going to be the night. My husband started the lentils while I was on my way home from work. I got home only to realize we were out of bell peppers (which I swear we had one lone pepper left) and a quarter of an onion (what kind of vegetarians run out of onion?). I begrudgingly improvised and added zucchini at my husbands suggestion. Then I absent mindedly threw in a jar of marinara instead of the puree we usually use. I was sure dinner was ruined. It was not. It was still delicious! This recipe is really failproof! I still prefer the recipe as written, but it was great to satisfy the craving with a couple substitutions!

Made this fir dinner tonight and it was amazing! My husband and I were vegetarian for 4 years before our return to meat eating. This reminded me of why I loved our old way of eating. Because we aren’t vegan, I was able to use regular Worcestershire sauce and I did top it with smoked cheddar.

IT. WAS. FANTASTIC! The sauce is the closest I have come to the flavour I remember from my mom’s homemade recipe.
My husband even said he prefers this over the meat version!
Win win!

This will definitely become part of our usual meal rotation!

I’m not vegan , more “plant forward” but this recipe does not disappoint, the flavor just jumps out at you and the texture of the lentils is perfect !! I added some df cheddar cheese (violife) onion, tomato, and classic potato chips. ALL the nostalgia!

We had this for dinner tonight. I did use some lefter lentils I steamed in my pressure cooker. I also doubled the seasoning. Used a 20 ounce jar of tomato puree. Used jarred red bell pepper, what I had. This recipe is delicious. I put out sliced pickles, chopped onion, and mustard, since some in reviewers enjoyed theirs this way, let family build their own. Big hit!
Thank you,
Trina

My husband loved this dish. I liked it too and I liked that it only took 1/2 hour to make. Next time I make it though I am going to cut down on the amount of lentils. I prefer a more tomato-type sauce for Sloppy Joes. For me, the recipe was a bit too heavy on the lentil side. I didn’t have smoked paprika but I did have some liquid smoke and this gave it a nice BBQ flavor.

I absolutely loved this recipe. We put the filling on brioche burger buns from the local bakery and perhaps we reached heaven. It was flavorful, filling, and fun. What more I could ask for?

This recipe is in our regular rotation now! We put it in whole grain pitas and top with sautéed onions. Delicious!

It was delicious. Thank you!

I made the Sloppy Joe using extra garlic, roasted red peppers, tomato sauce canned from the garden, and a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar. It was DELICIOUS. I had mine on brown rice and my husband had it on sourdough bread. A quick meal to make!

I made this with Beyond Burger and liked it a lot, served on toast with shredded cheese. Next time I’ll make it with lentils.

All the adults in the family enjoyed this recipe and it was very easy to make. The kids thought it was too spicy, so next time I will forgo the chili powder totally and reduce the cumin. Thanks for creating a healthy recipe that is fast for weeknights!!

Wow was this soo good!! I have tried multiple veggie sloppy joes recipes in the past and always been disappointed. This was a great hit. Did a double batch half French lentils half red lentils. I added some celery seeds because my moms sloppy joes always had a little celery. Served open faced with red onions tomatoes and spicy pickled peppers – yum!!!

We love this recipe, I made it again tonight! I have a half vegetarian, half meat eater family (super fun) and EVERYONE loves these sloppy joes! I constantly go to your website for inspiration so thank you for sharing so many awesome ideas!

I compared three different Lentil Sloppy Joe recipes and this was the easiest, using ingredients I already had on hand. I have been trying to get more lentils in my diet and thought I wasn’t a fan but this recipe changed my mind! Both my husband and I loved it. I used red lentils, added 2 Tbsp tomato paste for richness and regular paprika and a tiny dash of liquid smoke as a substitute for smoked paprika. As per another comment I topped with dill pickle and mustard. Thanks you so much for the delicious recipes!

So yummy! I didn’t change a thing — used red lentils, and the upper end of the recommended spices. Loved it.

My family and friends are obsessed with these sloppy joes and ask me to make it all the time. I always follow the recipe exactly and season to taste. I have surprised so many meat-eaters who end up loving this recipe and going back for seconds. We particularly love to eat it with dill pickles as a topping. Thanks for the great recipe!

I didn’t have high expectations for this recipe but it was incredible! It also made a lot, perfect for freezing the extra and having later!

So tasty and easy!

I cannot tell you how much I love this recipe! It tastes even better than how I remember the Sloppy Joe’s of my childhood. I substitute tvp for the lentils, and add a quarter tsp of liquid smoke.

Absolutely delicious. The smoked paprika is a must add because it gives it that lovely smokey taste.