Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Sloppy Joes are a delicious mash-up. This sweet and savory recipe combines the comfort of sloppy joes with a delicious, Asian-inspired honey-garlic sauce. It is an easy meal that will please the whole family!

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📝Shopping list
To make these amazing homemade sloppy Joes, you will need these simple ingredients available in any grocery store:
- ground turkey or chicken
- tomato paste
- honey
- garlic minced
- soy sauce
- chicken broth
- potato starch optional - for thickening
- cold water also for thickening
- salt and black pepper to taste, if needed
💜Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ease: This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. There is nothing to make in advance. Just toss the ingredients in your slow cooker and go about your day.
- Flavor: The honey garlic sauce in this dish is reminiscent of a delicious take out meal from your favorite Asian restaurant.
- Options: You can make this dish with either ground turkey or ground chicken. And - there are a limitless number of ways to serve it!
- This easy meal is picky eater approved!
🔪Instructions
These great crock pot sloppy joes involve just a few simple steps:
Preparing Ingredients
Prepare your slow cooker by coating it with a non-stick agent. Any nonstick cooking spray or oil will work. Olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to coatings.
NOTE: some slow cooker inserts come with a nonstick surface. Use of a non-stick agent is still suggested. However, oil is sometimes recommended rather than spray to protect the longevity of the non-stick surface. Check your slow cooker's manual if you have any concerns.
Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner for this great recipe.
Cooking
- 🍔To a greased slow cooker, add ground turkey or chicken. Use a wooden or rubber spatula to break it up slightly.
- 🍔Add in all remaining ingredients (other than the optional ones) and stir to combine
- 🍔Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours
- 🍔Once cooked, use a wooden or rubber spatula to break apart any clumps of turkey and fully mix
- 🍔Optional: to thicken sauce, make a slurry using a small bowl to mix potato starch and water. Stir slurry into turkey. It should thicken within a matter of minutes.
- 🍔 Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed (I don't add any to mine)
🍽Serving suggestions
There are many delicious ways to serve your sloppy Joe mixture including:
- On a brioche bun or hamburger bun (can be toasted if you like). For a complete meal, add a side salad and french fries or potato chips
- Topped with sesame seeds and sliced green onion
- Wrapped up in large lettuce leaves
- In a bowl with brown rice or quinoa and grilled veggies
- On top of mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower
- Over zoodles or rice noodles
- On a pretzel roll with melted cheddar cheese and pickled red onion
- Scooped up with your favorite tortilla chips
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How do you serve this dish?
If you have a favorite way to serve this dish that is not listed here, please share it in the comment section below
🔁Substitutions
- Substitute ground chicken for ground turkey in this healthy sloppy joe recipe
- Replace tomato paste with ketchup for a different flavor burst
- Stir in red pepper flakes and diced jalapenos for a spicy kick
- Swap maple syrup or brown sugar for honey to change the flavor profile a bit.
- If you are a fan of honey garlic, Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is another one you will love!
- Are you loving the slow cooker sloppy Joe concept? If so, you will love Chicken Satay Sloppy Joes, Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, Buffalo Sloppy Joes, and Taco Sloppy Joes.
Storing
Store leftover honey garlic turkey sloppy joes in an airtight container or freezer bag. They will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or about 3 months in the freezer.
If you love this recipe...
Please let me know in the comment section below!
😉Hints & hacks
- Using a slow cooker liner is an optional but helpful step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
- I suggest the use of 93% lean turkey (rather than 99%) as the fat content helps to keep the turkey moist.
- Use a meat thermometer for confirmation that turkey is fully cooked. According to the FDA, turkey is ready to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
- This family favorite recipe is perfect to double for a crowd. Just double all ingredients in the same proportions. Do not change the cooking time.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
- Always double check to make sure your slow cooker is on and plugged in!!! Coming home to a cold slow cooker is the worst feeling ever!
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๐ Recipe
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Sloppy Joes Recipe
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Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground turkey or chicken
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ⅔ cup honey
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste, if needed
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 2 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Place 2 lbs ground turkey in a greased slow cooker
- Use a rubber spatual to gently break apart
- Add 6 oz tomato paste, ⅔ cup honey, 2 tablespoon garlic, ⅓ cup soy sauce, and ½ cup chicken broth and stir to combine
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed
- Optional step: If you want you sauce to be a bit thicker make a slurry using a small bowl to mix 1 tablespoon potato starch with 2 tablespoon cold water. Stir slurry directly into turkey mixture in slow cooker.
- serve promptly and enjoy!
Final Step
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Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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