Ground chicken browned and simmered in a delicious tomato sauce, then served over egg noodles. These Chicken Sloppy Joes are a fun, tasty twist on a traditional favorite.
Visiting Charleston
Last month my husband’s family went on a trip to Wyoming. They did all sorts of fun outdoor activities, such as hiking and horseback riding. We knew that our two year old daughter would be too young for these activities, so my husband took our four year old son on the Wyoming trip, while I took our daughter on a different vacation.
I grew up in the Carolinas and have family and many friends that still live there. While my husband and son were in Wyoming, I took my daughter to Charleston to see two of my college besties and their daughters.
The trip with my daughter was a blast. I have never had that type of extended one on one time with her before, and it was just fun to get to know her better. We went to the beach, ate good food, danced and sang together, and of course hung out with some great people.
High School Besties
One of the friends we visited was my high school and college best friend, Emily. I have talked about her in many posts as I have gotten quite a few recipes from her and her mama.
While my daughter and I were visiting Emily, her mom came over with all of her recipes. She went through them and let me take photos of some of her favorites while she told me stories about where they came from. Suffice it to say that there will be some tasty southern mama recipes coming up over the next few months!
Chicken Sloppy Joes
One recipe was Emily’s dad’s Sloppy Joes. Emily actually made this for my daughter and me while we were there, but served it over egg noodles. I had never thought of serving Sloppy Joes that way, and loved it!
I have a confession: I hate mustard. Really hate it. While Emily was making the Sloppy Joes I saw her pour a bunch of mustard into the sauce. My stomach sank. I knew I’d eat them and thank her, but was worried I’d secretly be trying to come up with ways to hide the mustard taste.
But, after taking a few bites, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t taste the mustard, and thought the Sloppy Joes were awesome. I decided I wanted to come home and make my own version.
Chicken Sloppy Joes
I decided to use ground chicken instead of ground beef for a different twist. As ground chicken can sometimes get dried out, I mixed it with some cornstarch and let it sit for 20 minutes before browning it.
Sloppy Joes Spices
Since the mustard turned out to be a success, I decided to use it in my version as well. However, to give it a bit of a kick, I used spicy brown mustard. It’s only a small amount, but gives a nice spice!
Serving with Noodles and Cheese
As I liked Emily’s Sloppy Joes over noodles so much, I decided to do the same thing at home. I used egg noodles, as she had, and also served it with some cheddar cheese, again, as Emily had. It’s a unique twist that it quite tasty!
These Chicken Sloppy Joes are quick, and easy to make, making them perfect for a busy weeknight.
Chicken Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1/2 yellow pepper diced
- 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Serving
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese to taste
- 12 ounce bag egg noodles cooked according to package directions
Instructions
Chicken
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together water and cornstarch until smooth. Then, add chicken, salt, and pepper. Massage until chicken is thoroughly mixed with cornstarch mixture, salt, and pepper. Let sit for 20 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Saute until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Proceed to making sauce.
Sauce
- Add another tbsp of olive oil to skillet. Then add onion and yellow pepper. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
- Return chicken to skillet and stir in brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, brown mustard, and tomato sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Then, stir in chili powder.
- Prepare egg noodles while sauce is simmering.
Serving
- Serve over egg noodles. Top with cheddar cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed these Chicken Sloppy Joes, you should check out these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta
Mediterranean Chicken Hummus Bowls
Sloppy Joes
Asian Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Links to items used to make this recipe:
Calphalon Cookware Set
OXO Mixing Bowls
