Chef John’s Turkey Sloppy Joes

Description

This made for a very enjoyable lunch, and kept warm in a slow cooker, could also work very nicely for a Super Bowl party. It tastes enough like a traditional beef Sloppy Joe to provide that satisfying comfort food fix, yet seems much lighter.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 ¼ pounds ground turkey
  • ½ cup cold water
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup water, or as needed
  • 6 hamburger buns, split
  • ⅓ cup chopped green onions
  • ½ cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in butter until lightly brown
  2. about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
  3. Mix turkey and 1/2 cup cold water into onions. Cook and stir
  4. breaking up the meat
  5. until it begins to brown
  6. about 2 minutes. Add ketchup
  7. brown sugar
  8. cayenne pepper
  9. salt
  10. and black pepper. Cook and stir until liquid is reduced
  11. about 5 minutes.
  12. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and cocoa powder. Cook
  13. stirring frequently
  14. until meat is cooked through and liquid is reduced and thick
  15. 20 to 30 minutes
  16. adding up to 1 cup water if needed.
  17. Preheat the oven’s broiler. Set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
  18. Toast hamburger buns under the preheated broiler until golden
  19. 2 to 3 minutes.
  20. Remove turkey mixture from the heat; mix in cheese and green onions. Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Servings: 6

Leave a Comment