That’s clever, right?
I know, I know, they are called Sloppy Joes.
But when I came up with this ‘healthified” version of Slopy Joes, I decided that they should be served on lettuce wraps- and lettuce wraps always get pegged for being a “girl thing.”
In humor, naturally, I had to give this a feminine name to fit the product.
Truthfully speaking, however, I don’t think lettuce wraps are girly at all. I think they are wise and healthy, and I know at least one manly-man who loves them—and that’s my husband.
Also, if you even clicked on this post in the first place, you get major cool points in my book. Why? Because normally people turn their noses up at the idea of sloppy joes—almost as much as they do with hotdogs.
And both are delicious and those people are just missing out.
The only problem is that sometimes they really are super unhealthy. Since I love this childhood classic, and I also love being healthy, here’s my super quick and much healthier version!
Also—this recipe is super forgiving. You can add or adjust the ingredients as much as you want to make it sweeter, spicier, saltier, thicker, or thinner.
Enjoy, and feel free to leave comments about your favorite childhood memory with sloppy joes…
or you can just tell me what adjustments you made to make this perfect for your personal taste!

Sloppy Janes
Here's What You Need
- 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
- 1 c canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 tbsp honey*
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 8 large butter lettuce or green leaf lettuce leaves
Here's What You Do
-
Brown meat with onions and garlic until thoroughly cooked. Do not drain. Add all remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. (I like to add half of the canned crushed tomatoes and wait to see if I actaulyl need the other half. It depends on how thick or thin you want your mixture to be). Simmer for ten minutes. Serve hot on a lettuce wrap.
Recipe Notes
- *You can use brown sugar, maple syrup, or even agave if you want. Sometimes I use only stevia and that is totally enough for flavor and sweetness.
[…] ps, I served these roasted veggies with these amazing and healthy sloppy janes.. (you know, the way more classy version of a sloppy […]