Grab a fork, napkin and those tangy toppings, we’re getting sloppy y’all! Freezer friendly vegetarian and vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes are tender, slightly spicy, a little sweet and oh SO crave-worthy. Serve these easy veggie sloppy joes up with your favorite tater tots, Crispy Oven Fries or Texas Potato Salad.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review: “WOW! A HOMERUN!!! What an amazing use of lentils! Beyond impressed with this version of healthy sloppy Jo’s that have an absolutely yummy recipe!!! On my rotation for this winters recipes!! GREAT JOB!!!” ~ Bertha
A Tasty Discovery: Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
If you love homemade Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes, you are in for a treat!
Flashback to the 1980’s when Manwich was a weeknight staple. Ma would whip up sloppy Joes in no time flat and she always served them with tater tots or potato salad. They were one of my favorite things. At the time, vegetarian sloppy joes were unheard of in our household.
I didn’t even know what a lentil was back in the day, let alone be able recognize it if it appeared on my sloppy joe. Never would I thought one day I’d be singing the praises of these veggie sloppy joes!
About the Key Ingredients
Like my other Easy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes, this veggie sloppy joe recipe is all about pulling pantry staples together to make a delicious dinner! Here are a few ingredients that make this recipe pop!
- Dry French Lentils – also known as de puy lentils, purchase in the bulk section for best value. They hold their shape after cooking and have a nice firm texture.
- Pickle Juice – a flavor builder for a little tang.
- Smoked Paprika – offers a hint of spice and smoky flavor.
- Vegan Worcestershire – adds saltiness, umami and a little spice. This ingredient is also made in a gluten free variety if needed.
- Prepared Yellow Mustard – adds flavor and a tangy hit of acidity.
- Maple Syrup – this recipe isn’t sweet, however the maple adds just a bit to balance the spicy.
At a Glance: How to Make Veggie Sloppy Joes
These vegan sloppy Joes are super simple to make and can be meal prepped days in advance (they’re freezer friendly too)!
- First, put the lentils on to cook.
- Next, while the lentils are cooking, make the sauce.
- Last, when the lentils are done cooking, stir them into the sauce.
Spoon onto buns, like my Sourdough Burger Buns and top with tangy anything like pickled onions, Pickled Jalapeños, pickles, plenty of mustard and/or a big pile of cooling, creamy coleslaw.
A few glugs of Tabasco are a nice addition too.
It’s simple dinners like this that I like to keep in mind when I’m craving comfort food, yet need it quick. Vegetarian sloppy Joes deliver every time!
Traci’s Tips
- Pair this veggie sloppy joes recipe with your favorite coleslaw, Broccoli Slaw with Golden Raisins and Walnuts, tater tots, Crispy Oven Fries, onion rings and/or Texas Potato Salad for the full experience!
- Adding a few onion rings on top offers a little crunch too.
30-Minute Tangy Lentil Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 C (215g) Dry French Lentils *see note
- 4 C (815g) Water
- 1 tsp Sea Salt divided
- 1 Tbs Coconut or Olive Oil unrefined, virgin
- 2 C (245g) Yellow Onion diced (about 1 medium onion)
- 2 C (230g) Green Bell Pepper diced (about 1 large pepper)
- 2 Large Cloves of Garlic minced
- 2 1/2 Tbs Chili Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Smoky Paprika
- 3 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 1 1/2 C (426g) Tomato Sauce (1 Can)
- 1 Tbs Pickle Juice or other pickling brine like olive
- 2 tsp Vegan Worcestershire
- 3 Tbs Yellow Mustard
- 2-3 Tbs Maple Syrup or more to taste
Serve with (Optional):
- Hamburger Buns
- Pickles, Tabasco, quick pickled onions, jalapeños, extra mustard, coleslaw.
Instructions
- In a small sauce pot, add the lentils, water and 1/8 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low. Cook for about 20-22 minutes, or until tender. Drain the lentils. Set aside.
- While the lentils are cooking, add the oil to a large saute pan and heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook on low with 1/8 tsp salt for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper during the last 7-8 minutes of cooking the onions and soften, stirring occasionally.
- To the onion/pepper mixture add the garlic, chili powder, paprika and 3/4 tsp salt continuing to cook on low. Stir to coat the veggies. Add the tomato paste, sauce, pickle juice, Worcestershire, mustard and maple syrup. Stir to incorporate. Add the cooked lentils and stir again cooking on low for 5-10 minutes to warm through and to thicken a bit. Serve with warmed buns and condiments.
- Store the sloppy joes in a lidded container for up to three days or freeze for up to two weeks.
We tried this last night because our grandkids are mostly vegetarian and this sounded like “kid” food. I’m happy to report my husband, grown son and the kids all like the lentil sloppy joes. If making again for smaller children, I might cut back on the chili powder otherwise it’s a keeper!
Hi Mary! Hooray for tasty kid food! SO glad it was approved all around. Thank you for letting us know!
The flavors were really making it taste like a sloppy jo. I only used 1 Tbsp of chili powder and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup. I also used Dijon because that was all I had. It tasted great with these changes.
I made a few modifications to accommodate what I had on hand and it’s a testament to the flexibility of the recipe because it was still delish -with a can of diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce and red/orange mini peppers instead of green. A winner that even my meat eating hubby thought was awesome! 👏
Best news ever, Sue! Thank you for your note, tips and giving the sloppy joes a go!
This recipe was perfection! I used spicy mustard and chili lime seasoning since I unexpectedly ran out of chili powder and it turned out delicious. thank you!!
While I am not vegetarian or vegan, I do prefer a lower meat diet and love lentils. I always struggle with getting enough protein without the meat. I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind:
1. Do you think beluga lentils (black) would work with this recipe?
2. I don’t use canned or jarred tomato sauce but always have tubes of tomato paste. While there is some garlic, salt, onion and red pepper in canned tomato sauce, do you think I could use all tomato paste, add a little liquid and maybe a touch of the spices?
Thanks!
Hi Bill! Thank you for your note. 1. While I have no experience with black lentils, I’ve read that they hold their shape well and that French Lentils are a good substitute. So, if it were me, I wouldn’t hesitate giving them a go in this recipe. 2. If you use tomato paste, you’ll need to add water, like you said. How much, I’m not sure, because it will depend on how much paste you use. I would definitely adjust the spices to taste if you use tomato paste. I hope this helps, Bill and you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks for the very helpful reply! I love Beluga (black) lentils but also like green (depuis) and red … not a big fan of brown and yellow. I’ve been subbing in tomato paste from a tube mixed with water for the tomato sauce in my meatloaf (yeah, it has meat) so I’ve been working on the ratio and spice mix. I just find it much easier to keep tubes of paste rather than the half-used cans of tomato sauce :)
Regardless, I’m really looking forward to some of these delicious sounding recipes!
Sounds good to me! Keep us posted!
This was super tasty and had all the classic sloppy joe flavors! I always feel like I’m missing out on the sweetness that my grandmas sloppy joes had when I make a veggie forward recipe but this had that and some spice!! I did use honey mustard instead of yellow so it may have been a tad sweeter than designed but we loved it!
Hi Mika! Yes to a little sweetness… just a hint really makes these special! Honey mustard sounds delish. Thank you for your note and giving the sloppy Joes a go!
Tried it tonight. Soooooooo good. Added mushrooms and made a fresh cucumber salad to go with. Are sloopy Joe’s meant to be eaten with yours or knife and fork? Awful sloppy but I did use green lentils cause I didn’t have French. New to this!
Cooking this way does seem like a lot more work but I guess I’ll get into it. My husband is a semi retired farmer. We had pigs and beef cattle. So we’ve eaten a lot of our own meat!
Wish me luck!
WOW! A HOMERUN!!! What an amazing use of lentils! Beyond impressed with this version of healthy sloppy Jo’s that have an absolutely yummy recipe!!! On my rotation for this winters recipes!! GREAT JOB!!!
Hi Bertha! Thank you for your note, review and sending a smile! SO happy you’re enjoying the sloppy Jo’s (one of my favorites too!). Aren’t lentils amazing?!
Delicious. First time eating slopy joes but enjoyed them very much
Hooray! SO happy you enjoyed the sloppy Joes! Thank youuu for your note and five recipe rating!
Yum. Another great way to use lentils. Love the maple syrup component. I served mine open faced over the GF multi-seed sourdough bread.
You made it! SO happy to read your note, Charlene! Open faced sounds perfect over that tasty GF sourdough! Thank you for your five star rating!
I’ve now made these at least seven times in the past few months and they are perfect! Always a big hit at our church potlucks which are vegetarian.
For potluck I quadruple the recipe and it fills a large crockpot to the brim. Makes about 48 sloppy Jo’s on regular-sized hamburger buns. I do cut back on the tomato sauce by 1/4 to make them just a little less “sloppy”. Love these. Thank you for the recipe!
Hooray! Thank you for your note, star rating, and sharing your tips, Cathy! Super happy to hear y’all are enjoying the recipe!
Love this recipe. I have made this multiple times and it never disappoints. I have been using TruRoots green quick cooking lentils. Saves time and works fine! Brioche buns really take it over the top. Thank you! :)
Hooray, Shelly! Thank you for your note, tip about the quick cooking lentils and five star rating. Super happy to hear you’re enjoying the Sloppy Joes!
I’ve made a few lentil sloppy joe recipes and this one is by far the best! So flavorful, perfect texture. Definitely will be making again.
Hooray! Thank you for your note, Sonya and giving the recipe a go!
Traci’s recipes never disappoint! We had this tonight on Ezekiel bread and the left-overs and covering sweet potatoes tomorrow for lunch. Thanks for another great recipe :)
Hiii Delin! SO happy to read your note. Thank you for sharing! With sweet potatoes is one of my favorite ways to enjoy these lentils!
Can other kinds of lentils be used in this recipe?
Hi Karen! For this recipe you’ll want a lentil that keeps its shape after cooking, so you’ll want to stick to green or brown lentils (or French as indicated). Red or yellow tend to get a bit too soft for this application. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
This recipe is one of our regular favorites. I like to make it in the instant pot and you can customize toppings with whatever you have on hand. It’s great for a low effort meal and especially when it’s rainy out like it is tonight.
Hi Meg! Thank you for your note, Instant pot tip and giving the Sloppy Joes a go! SO happy to hear.
Growing up, I hated (meat) sloppy joes; however, this recipe was delicious! An easy 5 stars!
Hooray Amber! SO happy to hear you enjoyed the SJs! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go!
Perfect and delicious! My young kids love them!!
This is one of our favorites. When I was unable to find the French lentils (amazed at the difference) I used what lentils I had and a mixture of the veggie crumbles. Also turned out great. This freezes really well too. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Lalita! Hooray! SO happy to hear. Isn’t it such a delight? The veggie crumbles sound like a delicious addition! Thank you for your note.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it so many, many times and it’s perfect! My husband loves it too and asks for it all the time.
I’m pregnant now and craving this delicious dish. While the idea of eating it give me great pleasure, the idea of actually cooking does not. Do you think I could throw all this in the slow cooker and cook it for like 8 hours on low? I just wonder if it will still be as delicious as it is cooked on the stove.
Hi Sarie! Thank you for your note and sharing your feedback! SO happy to hear you two are enjoying the sloppy Joes. For the slow cooker… it should work just fine, although I’ve not tried it. You’ll need to back off on the water because in the recipe, the lentils are drained. Because of this, I’d go with 2 1/2 – 3 Cups of water and just take a peak a few times to make sure the lentils don’t dry out. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit of water. I hope this helps. Please let us know how it goes!
I tried it in the slow cooker and it turned out just as amazing as the stovetop version. I think 2.5 cups of water might be a little too much. Towards the end I had to turn the cooker up to high and take the lid off to evaporate some of the water, but it still turned out delicious!
Hi Sarie! Thank you for your notes and sharing how the lentils turned out in the slow cooker! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe!
I’m going to make this for my vegan son. Looks delish! What is that sitting on top of the ingredients just under the bun? It looks like a fried onion ring?
Hi Martine! You’re right! It’s an onion ring. Tasty, yes, but anything pickled on top or even coleslaw is fabulous! I hope y’all enjoy the sloppy Joes!
I have brown lentils on hand. Will those work well for this recipe?
Hi Mary Ann! I’ve not cooked with brown lentils but my reading tells me that they hold their shape and have a texture similar to French lentils! I wouldn’t hesitate giving them a go. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
This was really really good. I have tried several others and this is my new go to. I drove to 5 different grocery stores to find french lentils. Glad I did, I can tell the difference.
Hooray, Jamila! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. French lentils are quite nice… so happy you were able to find them!
This is an amazing recipe! Best sloppy joes ever! I have made it once, and am about to make it again for food prep. Served it on potato rolls with spicy pickles and vegan potato salad. Thanks so much!
Hi Beth! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe!
Made this tonight and oh my goodness! Talk about a childhood comfort food. I only did 1 tsp smoked paprika and 2 tsps sweet paprika instead because I don’t like Smokey flavors. I paired it with some sliced pickles and pickled onions I made. I halved the recipe and it was the perfect amount for one person who like leftovers.
Yummy!!! I love this recipe! I call it “clean the fridge” Lentil Sloppy Joes– I had some sad looking grape tomatoes and wilted celery that was added to my “not the freshest” mini colored peppers and the rest of the ingredients. Talk about a healthy and economical recipe! My daughter likes them so much better than “greasy meat sloppy joes”. Even my husband who is a manwich fan really enjoyed this meal. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Hooray! What a great way to clean out the fridge :D SO happy to hear you and your family are enjoying the recipe – economical YES! Thank you for your note Anne!
Soooo, made this recipe tonight ! I am trying to incorporate more plant based recipes. We loved these sloppy joes . I made them exactly as written except maybe a little more maple syrup. I cannot tell you how good these were!!! Thank you
SO happy to hear Kim! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Way to goooooo YOU!
PS : Even BETTER the second night!!!!
Woooo! Love it!
Our family LOVED this!! The sauce is everything I was looking for – the perfect combination of flavours with plenty of tang. Thanks for the recipe, Traci!
Hiii Gayle! So nice to see your comment <3 Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it... Isn't the tangy so nice?
So good, cant wait to make again!
Great! I threw in a few fire roasted red peppers from a jar into the mix. Could not be happier!❤️
Oh now, that sounds delicious, Jen! Thank you for your note and rating!
I frequently cook for the homeless in our community. I try to feed them healthy meals, but tasty. This recipe has it all. And best of all is that it’s inexpensive to make for a crowd. Thank you.
Hi Kim! So happy to read your note and that the recipe is doing good things. Thank you for sharing and your work.
are you sure its 2.5 tablespoons of chilli powder seems an awful lot and in video it certainly isn’t that amount ??
Hi Frank! The recipe is correct. Please feel free to add chili powder to taste after all the other ingredients are added. I’d start with one Tbs if concerned. If you like, see below regarding other comments on this as written recipe. Sometimes in my videos, for timing and continuity, not every step is shown. I’m thinking additional chili pow was added after the cut to stirring. I hope this helps!
THANKS FOR THIS RECIPE! I just find it, I’m going to make it! I was wondering if a veggie sloppy joe was possible… so Thanks again!!!
You got it Isabel! Let me know how it turns out for you!
has anyone frozen this mix before? does it do well?
Hi Suzi! Store the sloppy joes in a lidded container for up to three days or freeze for up to two weeks. I freeze it all the time and it’s fabulous!
Wow, this recipe did not disappoint. I followed your instructions and only made one change, I used a red bell pepper instead of green. My entire family raved about the flavor, I was thrilled with the meal.
This one will be going into our meal rotation, it was really easy & delicious. Thanks!
Hiii Kathleen! Hooray! SO happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe. A WIN-WIN for easy and meal rotation!
AWESOME!!! My husband and I are looking to eat more meatless meals, and this was just the ticket! I might add that for anyone following a Weight Watchers plan, this recipe is only 2 points when you use liquid stevia drops as a sweetner (instead of the maple syrup). I used the stevia and it was a perfect balance of savory, sweet, smoky, and tangy! I am looking forward to making a huge batch of this for the week and use it as a stuffing inside sweet potatoes, or a topping for air fryer fries! Full of protein and flavor, we loved this so much. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hiii Ms. Lee…. !! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and rating the recipe! So happy to hear y’all are enjoying the recipe! A huge batch for a stuffing or topping sounds perfect!
When I told my husband that I was making this tonight he was less then thrilled. Lentils? Not his thing. But he did help out and make a dill pickle cole slaw to go on top of the sloppy joes. We used potato buns.
He ended up eating two sandwiches. My five year old son almost finished an adult sized portion. It was definitely a restaurant quality dish. I will make a double batch next time. Thank you for the new and healthy take on a childhood staple.
Love, love, love (!!) reading your note, April! Thank you for coming back and sharing with us! So happy to hear everyone enjoyed these tangy sandwiches! Hooray!
My daughter had pulled pork sandwiches at her wedding reception but I insisted we have a vegan alternative that would fit in with the menu. I made this a month before the wedding and loved it. j(I am vegetarian). So, I made a huge batch of this up for the reception to serve on buns (also had some gluten-free buns available) and took care of the people who don’t eat meat, vegetarian, vegan (tamari), and gluten-free. I had a big trivet pan full and every last bit got eaten! Had so many compliments on this recipe. It was a big hit! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Had no problem multiplying this recipe so made all at once.
SO happy to hear these were a hit and that you insisted a vegan option was available! Hooray! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note, Diane (!!). Day made!
This was absolutely fabulous! It’s been many years since I have eaten meat, but I still remember what it tastes like. Some vegetarian versions of meat dishes are just not worth the effort, but these are far better than the meat version. Made a creamy coleslaw with yogurt dressing and put it on top and it was so so good. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you for coming back and leaving a note Vivian! So happy you enjoyed the recipe… and I agree some vegetarian versions aren’t worth it… but hooray! Some are! Your coleslaw with yogurt dressing sounds fabulous!
Omg! This recipe is perfection. Seriously, thank you. I tried to make lentil sloppies before but they weren’t thrilling. My boyfriend just kept saying “thank you’. Followed the recipe almost exactly. Adding to our summer weekly dinner list.
LOL – I giggled as I read this! Thank you for your note, Kellianne! SO happy to hear you’ve found a SJ recipe you yours like – Hooray!
I didn’t expect to love this and only made it because I needed something for the kids from the pantry. I love it though and plan to share this recipe with others it’s so ridiculously tasty! Thanks!
Hey Stephanie! Thank you so much for your note and sharing! So happy you and your kiddos love it and it came right from the pantry! A win-win! Hooray!
What kind of chili powder did you use? I wanted to like this, but the chili powder was so overpowering and made my eyes water. And I didn’t even use as much as what was called for. I used ground chili Arbol.
Please advise.
Thanks!
Hi Sarah! Thank you for your note. I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. I linked to the chili powder I use in the recipe. It’s Frontier Co-op’s Ground Chili Powder. I hope this helps.
I will try this recipe as I am looking for protein packed recipes that is made with beans versus going for the usual Tempeh, seitan, or soy tofu. And I remember those things from the 80’s and wearing the genX badge proudly, lol!
I have one question as this recipe sounds like it is going to be a repeat use based on the ingredients. Is this freezable? I am making 2018 my vegan year. As a 9-5’er with a corporate cafeteria with limited options, this would be perfect to make in batches and freeze for lunch.
And, Oh-yeah to the onion rings! This can be made in the Air Fryer. I am a fan of onion rings and chose this over fries whenever available. I would probably serve the rings on the side.
Deep heart felt THANK YOU for this recipe. I plan to make it today (sure this will be the best Superbowl option but made as sliders).
Hi Char! Thank you for your note, tips on the Air Fryer (I’ve not tried one) and nod to genX! I should make a note about freezability… it’s completely freezable. And it makes a BIG batch. I always freeze 1/2 because it’s just Rob and I. Nothing like pulling a ready made batch out of the freezer when I just can’t get it together for dinner – lol! I love your slider idea! I hope you enjoy it!
This was so good. I’ve never cared for traditional sloppy joes really but I do remember that it was a childhood staple although I often refused lol. I made it for my 3 year olds who are vegan and my non vegetarian or vegan 11 year old who is extremely picky!!!! I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much. It was quick simple and easy.
Thank you for your note Jeanae! So happy everyone enjoyed it.. even your picky 11 YO! Hooray! A win-win-win!
These were easy to make and really yummy! I didn’t have vegan Worcestershire so I used coconut aminos and I have no idea what pickle brining liquid is so I just added a tad more vinegar! So good! Thanks :)
Hi Courtney! Thank you for your note… so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Good job on the subs… pickle brining liquid is the juice from a pickle jar (I’ll make a note – thank you!).
Yummy! I needed to add about 1/2 cup of water because I added more lentils and it was too think during the simmer phase. Per one comment, I cut back the yellow mustard by half. My teenage daughter enjoyed it too. Thanks for the easy pantry dinner!
My husband, an aspiring bbq pit master, claims that this is hands down his favorite meal of all time. Let that sink in!
Oh my goodness, Amanda! I had to read your comment twice! You know, coming from Texas, I still love those saucy BBQ flavors – just now, my goal is to hit those flavor notes using plants! LOL – thank you…. I’m letting this one sink in! <3
So quick and easy with ingredients already on hand! The flavor and texture are mouth-pleasing!
So happy to hear, Rachel! :D
These look absolutely delish! Cannot wait to make them!
PS – your photos look so great! My husband is not a big lentils fan but this had him salivating!
Thank you so much Manuja! I hope you (and your husband) enjoy the recipe! :D
I loved these! Seriously the BEST lentil sloppy Joes I have made…and I have tried quite a few recipes! I loved the tang from the pickle juice and the sweetness from the maple syrup. Yum!
Thank you for sharing, Laura!! SO happy you enjoyed these tasty sandwiches… I’m with ya on the pickle juice (I add extra for extra tang!).