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Home » Entree » Easy Vegan Sloppy Joes (Ready in 30-Minutes!)

Easy Vegan Sloppy Joes (Ready in 30-Minutes!)

By Stacey Homemaker on September 12, 2022, Updated March 15, 2023 45 Comments

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These vegan sloppy joes have the most delicious tangy sauce and meaty filling! This easy-to-make and freezer-friendly meal is perfect for Meatless Monday and it's ready in 30 minutes! 

A sloppy joe sandwich sitting on a piece of parchment paper next to a pan on a light background.

You're going to love these sloppy joes! The filling is so easy to make and it has the most delicious tangy tomato-based sauce. The filling tastes very meat-like because it contains two types of legumes. The french lentils hold their shape while the red lentils break down and creates a thick and chunky "sloppy" texture.

This kid-approved sloppy joes recipe is great for a quick Meatless Monday dinner. Serve the sandwiches with a side of chickpea puffs, sesame ginger coleslaw, avocado tomato salad, creamy broccoli salad, or lemon tahini zucchini salad for a balanced meal that the whole family will love!

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Lentils - I used both french and red for plant-based protein and to create a chunky and creamy texture. You can substitute green or brown lentils, Beyond Meat crumbles, or riced cauliflower if needed.
  • Bell Peppers - Red bell peppers give the sloppy joes a pop of color, but you can use any color of fresh or frozen bell peppers you like.
  • Tomato Paste - This deepens the tomato flavor in the sauce. If you don't have it, you can substitute an additional ½ cup of ketchup.
  • Maple Syrup - If you need a low-glycemic sweetener, date syrup can be used instead of maple syrup 1:1. If you're sugar-free, you can omit the sweetener completely. It's only added to balance the acidity of the tomatoes in the sloppy joes mixture. 
  • Chili Powder - Make sure you use a mild chili powder blend, not a spicy chili powder.
  • Vegan Worcestershire - This ingredient gives so much flavor! If you need a substitute, you can use 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce. Omit the sea salt listed in the recipe card and add more salt to taste only if necessary because soy sauce is salty.
  • Balsamic Vinegar - Vinegar adds a delicious tang to the sloppy joes mixture.

How to Make It

Begin by cooking the green lentils in a medium pot (they take about 20-25 minutes to cook), so at the halfway point, add the red lentils to the same pot (they take 10-12 minutes to cook) and let both finish cooking together in the same pot. When they are done cooking, drain any excess liquid out. 

A silver pot filled with cooked red and green lentils next to a plant and napkin on a gray background.

Next, saute the diced onions and bell peppers in a large pan until they are translucent (Photo 1). Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, and all of the dry seasonings. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant (Photos 2 & 3).

A photo collage showing how to make the recipe step by step.

Add the Worcestershire, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, and water to the pan. Stir a few times and let it cook for 2-3 minutes (Photo 4). 

Add the cooked legumes to the pan and stir them into the sloppy joes mixture (Photo 5). Let the filling cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes (Photo 6). Serve on soft buns.

A large pan filled with sloppy joes filling being stirred by a wooden spoon.

Slow Cooker Instructions

To make the sloppy joes in the slow cooker, put all of the ingredients (except the burger buns) into a large slow cooker. You'll need to put an extra 6 cups of water or vegetable broth into the slow cooker. Stir to combine the mixture together, cover it, and set it to cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned lentils instead of dried?

Yes. 1 cup of dried = 2 ½ cups cooked. (1) 15 oz can contains about 2 cups of cooked, so, you'll need 2 ½ cans for this recipe. 

Is worcestershire sauce vegan?

Make sure to read the ingredient label on the bottle symbol before you buy it because not all Worcestershire sauces are vegan. I've tried multiple brands but this vegan Worcestershire is my favorite. It's smoky and tangy and it gives a lot of flavor to the sloppy joe filling.

Storage Instructions

Store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or you can freeze it for 2-3 months.

When you're ready to eat it, take the container of sloppy joes filling out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw for 24 hours. Then you can warm it up in a pan on the stove or in the microwave. When you reheat it, add a little bit of water or vegetable broth to help loosen up the sauce a bit if it's too thick.

A sandwich on a white plate with a side of puffs and blueberries.

Success Tips

  • Rinse the dried lentils with fresh water until the water runs clear. The water will be pretty cloudy at first.
  • You can use fresh or frozen bell peppers, both are delicious in this recipe. I often use frozen bell peppers to save time and they're usually cheaper too.
  • This makes a large amount, and it freezes perfectly. So, it's great to freeze half for a future meal if you like to plan ahead.

More Easy Recipes You'll Love! 

Smoky Chickpea Wraps

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Quesadillas

Stuffed Red Cabbage Rolls

Tomato Basil Hummus Pasta 

Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes

Easy Vegan Sloppy Joes

These vegan sloppy joes have the most delicious tangy sauce and meaty lentil filling! This easy to make and freezer-friendly meal is perfect for Meatless Monday and it's kid-approved!
4.84 from 31 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 249kcal
Author: Stacey Eckert

Equipment

  • Medium Pot
  • Large Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried green lentils (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 cup dried red lentils (rinsed and drained)
  • ½ cup water or vegetable broth (to saute)
  • 1 medium red onion diced
  • 2 medium red bell peppers diced (fresh or frozen)
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp sea salt add more to taste
  • 1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  • Cook the green lentils (rinsed and drained) according to package instructions. Halfway through, add the red lentils, stir to combine, and let both finish cooking together in the same pot. 
  • (Do this step while the lentils are cooking.) In a large pan, saute the diced onion and bell peppers in vegetable broth over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. 
  • Add the minced garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, tomato paste, and salt. Stir to combine and let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. You might need to add a splash of water if the mixture gets to dry and it's sticking to the pan. 
  • Add the maple syrup, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, and water. Stir to combine and let it cook for 2-3 minutes so the flavors begin to meld together. 
  • Add the cooked lentils to the pan, stir everything together, and reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 15 minutes. Spoon the filling into burger buns and enjoy!

Notes

  • Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days or you can freeze it for 2-3 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 745mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2140IU | Vitamin C: 44.3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 4.6mg
Tried this recipe?Please rate it and leave a comment below if you have any feedback! If you post a picture on Instagram, please tag @Stacey_Homemaker and use the hashtag #StaceyHomemaker so I can see your delicious creation!

 

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  • High-Protein Vegan Burrito
  • Roasted stuffed tomatoes that are filled to the brim with a flavorful mixture of pesto quinoa and fresh spinach. Vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
    Pesto Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sydney

    August 24, 2020 at 7:01 pm

    Made this recipe once and loved it! However, just bought new lentils and noticed that the green and red have the same cooking time listed on the packaging. Would you still start with the green and add the red halfway through? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      August 24, 2020 at 10:47 pm

      Hello! Usually, red lentils don't take as long to cook as green lentils do. However, if your package instructions say to cook them for the same amount of time, then I would follow the instructions. You can't go wrong because even if the red lentils are a little bit overcooked, it will make the filling taste even thicker and chunkier (which is exactly how it should be). Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Lisa

    August 16, 2020 at 9:25 am

    5 stars
    Excellent! Even my meat-eating friends enjoyed the meal.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      August 16, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      Thank you, Lisa! I'm so glad everyone liked the sloppy joes! =)

      Reply
  3. Candy Kane

    June 02, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    5 stars
    The one food as a child I could not come to terms with is SLOPPY JOES! I think of the Matilda movie every time! However against my hatred of Sloppy Joes, I decided to give this one a whirl. I make this at LEAST once a month! It is the only meal everyone in my family will eat without complaints. And my kids have no idea its VEGAN! its a win win! Thank you for changing my mind on Sloppy Joes because this is my ALL TIME FAVORITE on your entire website. But I haven't tried them all either so that might change lol

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      June 05, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      I'm so glad that you and your family love the recipe, Candy! Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Michelle

    May 04, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this tonight and was great! Tasty and filling. I used a mix of beluga lentils and a sprouted lentil trio mix and added half the syrup.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      May 06, 2020 at 7:27 pm

      I'm so happy you liked the recipe, thank you for the feedback!

      Reply
  5. Libby

    April 24, 2020 at 4:52 am

    5 stars
    can leftovers be frozen?

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      April 24, 2020 at 12:59 pm

      Yes, leftovers can be frozen for 3-4 months.

      Reply
  6. Caitlin

    March 05, 2020 at 9:46 pm

    5 stars
    love everything to do with this recipe. took me an hour to prep and make the meal. New time vegetarian and would 100% recommend this recipe!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      March 05, 2020 at 11:00 pm

      I'm so glad you liked the recipe, thank you for the feedback!

      Reply
    • Victoria

      April 21, 2020 at 2:12 pm

      Amazing! My husband who is the biggest sloppy Joe fan adored this. Will be a regular at my house. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

      Reply
  7. Natasha Diaz

    November 04, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    Can you make this in a crockpot?

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      November 05, 2019 at 5:59 pm

      Hey, Natasha! Yes, you can make this recipe in the crockpot. Add enough extra vegetable broth or water to cook the lentils in the crockpot or you could just cook the red lentils in the crockpot and mix in canned green lentils at the end. Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Alex

    September 26, 2019 at 11:08 am

    My husband hates green lentils. Can I use only red lentils in this? Not sure how well it would hold up.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      September 26, 2019 at 1:01 pm

      Does he like brown lentils? Or you could substitute another type of bean for the green lentils like chickpeas or black eyed peas? You could use all red lentils but the texture will be softer and less chunky.

      Reply
  9. Rachel

    September 04, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    Is the nutritional info per serving or pot? Have this cooking on stove as I write and just curious. Smells wonderful

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      September 08, 2019 at 8:05 am

      Hi Rachel! The nutritional information is located at the bottom of the recipe card! I hope you enjoyed the sloppy joes!

      Reply
  10. Amy

    August 08, 2019 at 8:34 pm

    This looks amazing!! Can’t wait to make it!! Wondering what your sub for ketchup?

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      August 11, 2019 at 2:56 pm

      You can skip the ketchup and use an extra tbsp of tomato paste instead. You may need to add a touch of maple syrup to balance the flavors if it tastes too acidic. Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. Marci

    August 07, 2019 at 8:14 am

    I have canned lentils on hand and I’d love to make this today. How many cans (15 oz.) do I need?

    Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      August 07, 2019 at 9:00 am

      Hi, Marci! Two cups of dried lentils yield about 5 cups cooked. 1 (15 oz) can of cooked lentils = about 2 cups of cooked lentils. Technically, you need 2 1/2 cans of lentils for this recipe but you can use all three cans if you like.

      Reply
      • Marci

        August 09, 2019 at 10:26 am

        Thank you!! 🙂

  12. Casey

    August 05, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    Hi stacy. Could you use all red lentils for this instead?

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      August 05, 2019 at 6:50 pm

      Hey, Casey! You can make it with just red lentils but the texture won't be as chunky had you used both types of lentils. It will still taste good but it might be a little sloppier.

      Reply
  13. Ellen Taylor

    March 04, 2019 at 2:51 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Stacey,
    It looks delicious and healthy. Going to take the taste soon.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      March 08, 2019 at 1:43 pm

      Thank you, Ellen! Enjoy!

      Reply
  14. Jeanette

    June 29, 2018 at 11:53 am

    5 stars
    OMGOOOODNESSS!!!!!!!!!!! Have I reached Heaven? I came across your website yesterday at work while looking for something to make for supper that was meatless and THIS WAS A HUGE HIT! My husband literally licked the plate and his fingers <3 I made it exactly as instructed. Thank you so much for posting such a great recipe and I look forward to trying more.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      July 07, 2018 at 10:49 am

      I'm so glad that you and your husband liked the recipe! Thank you for the sweet comment, it made my day!

      Reply
  15. Holly

    August 01, 2017 at 11:14 am

    5 stars
    I made these last night for my fiance and I - we both loved them!! Delicious. He's a meat eater and was in the mood for something "meaty," and this totally hit the spot. I'm just trying to figure out how to best portion them, as you note it serves 6-8 people. How much of the "slop" (hehe) would you estimate using per sandwich? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      August 01, 2017 at 6:41 pm

      Hi, Holly! I'm so glad you both liked the sandwiches! It's one of our favorite "meaty" meals too. The buns I used were pretty big hamburger buns so I would say about 1/2 cup of the lentil mixture per sandwich. Sometimes my husband made his own sandwich so I'm sure he piled it on even more!

      Reply
      • Holly

        August 14, 2017 at 9:42 pm

        Thank you so much!

  16. Christy Eckert

    April 24, 2017 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    I ADORE lentils and these yummy finger licking Sloppy Joes are ABSOLUTELY delicious!

    Reply
  17. Catherine Short

    April 24, 2017 at 2:48 pm

    I grew up eating sloppy joes and while I'm not vegan I try to limit our meat consumption. I am going to keep this in my arsenal because I imagine my 9 month old would like to eat this once he's a toddler!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      April 24, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      I'm sure he would love the sloppy factor! LOL Enjoy! =)

      Reply
  18. Ayanna @ 21FlavorsofSplendor

    April 24, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    Yummy! My family loves sloppy goes and I never thought to try to make it vegetarian. I have been trying to incorporate a lot more meatless meals into my menu and this will be a perfect addition. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      April 24, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      Thank you! It's such an easy swap to lose the meat and you don't lose any flavor! =)

      Reply
  19. Barbara

    April 24, 2017 at 11:43 am

    These. These look sooo good and healthy too. The whole idea with Sloppy Joes is that they fall out onto the plate. Ha! I remember the first time I made them for my kids. They just couldn't get it when I told them it was going to be o.k. to get messy. 🙂

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      April 24, 2017 at 5:34 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  20. sandy dumala

    April 24, 2017 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    YUMMMMMMMMY is all I can think of when I read your latest recipe for Lentil Sloppy Joes. I want to stop everything and make it!!!! Your mind is a fertile field of healthy food options!!!!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      April 24, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      Thank you! I think you would love them!

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Stacey! I veganize your favorite classic recipes and transform them into irresistible meals that are made entirely from plants! Want to know more? →

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