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Craving sloppy joes? This vegan sloppy joe recipe tastes JUST like the classic sandwich (and it’s ready in under 20 minutes). Readers who have served it to their meat-loving families say it was a hit!

Vegan sloppy joes stacked.
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Have you met Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) yet? She’s about to be your new favorite ingredient. This vegan protein is made from soy and then dehydrated into different shapes. My favorite way to use it? As the ground beef base for vegan sloppy joes! 

This recipe tastes JUST like a classic sloppy joe. (Don’t believe me? Check out the comments section!)

Reader rating

★★★★★

“We LOVED this recipe! It’s the closest recipe I’ve made that’s enough like my husband’s beloved Manwich’s that he not only ate it but asked for seconds and he’s not the vegan in the house 😉 It’s super easy and made enough that I was able to freeze half of it for another dinner later. I highly recommend this recipe!” —Marie

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Vegan sloppy joes.

Here’s what you’ll need

Almost everything required to make these meatless sloppy joes are pantry staples! This is just an overview – jump to the recipe card for all measurements.

  • Olive Oil: Olive oil will bring out the flavors in the veggies and help create beautiful fond in the pan (those are the caramelized bits!)
  • Pepper and Onion: These provide major flavor to our sloppy joes. Just saute until soft!
  • Tomato Sauce: You need quite a bit here for the TVP to rehydrate. It also brings that distinct sloppy joe flavor.
  • Veggie Broth: This thins the sauce just a bit as well as adds flavor to the TVP.
  • Seasonings: We’ve got spicy, sweet, and umami, all wrapped up together. You’ll need chili powder, mustard, soy sauce, brown sugar, vegan Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. (For a smoky flavor, sometimes I’ll add a pinch of smoked paprika!)
  • Textured Vegetable Protein: This is the protein star of the pot! Grab it in the baking aisle or online here.
Sarah holding vegan sloppy joes.

Okay, but what’s TVP?

TVP, or Textured Vegetable Protein, is a soy protein that is dehydrated and ranges from small flakes to larger chunks depending on what brand you buy. These little nuggets soak up all the flavor from a sauce so they make the perfect protein for any meal that would generally use ground meat.

Ingredients needed for vegan sloppy joes on a blue tile background.

Batch It!

Because this vegan sloppy joe mixture holds up so well in the fridge, it’s a great one to prep in big batches to enjoy as a component in meals all week!

Sloppy joe pasta sauce.
Heat sloppy joe mixture in the microwave or on the stove, then mix into pasta and top with parmesan!
Sloppy joe stuffed peppers.
Cook halved peppers in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes. Spoon in sloppy joe mixture, top with mozzarella, and cook 10 to 15 minutes.

Ready in 20 minutes

This plant-based sloppy joes recipe brings in the classic flavors of family meals from childhood. It’s a quick and easy meal (that’s also affordable and perfect for feeding a crowd).

Step 1: Flavor Base
Heat oil in a large skillet. Then saute the pepper and onion until soft and the onion is translucent. This will build up allll those yummy flavors.

Onion and green bell pepper in a pan.
While white onion and green bell pepper are my preferred varieties, you could use any color onion (like yellow or red) and any color bell pepper (like red or yellow).

Step 2: Sauce
Add remaining ingredients except TVP. Bring this to a gentle simmer and then stir in the TVP.

Ingredients for vegan sloppy joes in a pan.
The TVP soaks up the flavors of the sauce and becomes soft like ground beef!

Step 3: Cook
Cover and cook until the TVP has softened and the entire mixture has thickened. It should look like a basic ground beef sloppy joe by this point.

Vegan sloppy joe mixture in a pan.

Step 4: Serve
Serve on your favorite hamburger buns or in wraps.

Stack of vegan sloppy joes.
Vegan sloppy joes stacked.
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“Better Than Manwich” Vegan Sloppy Joes

4.88 from 16 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 sloppy joes
Craving sloppy joes? This vegan sloppy joe recipe tastes JUST like the classic sandwich (and it's ready in under 20 minutes). Readers who have served it to their meat-loving families say it was a hit!

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
  • 1 white onion, about 1 cup, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 29-oz can tomato sauce, 822 g
  • 1 cup vegetable broth, 226 mL
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp mustard
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce, can sub tamari for gluten-free, 15 mL
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, 5 mL
  • Pinch each salt and pepper
  • 1 ½ cups textured vegetable protein, TVP, 150 g
  • 6 hamburger buns
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Instructions 

  • Flavor Base: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and pepper, cooking until onion is a bit soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
    Onion and green bell pepper in a pan.
  • Sauce: Stir in all ingredients except TVP. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add TVP.
    Ingredients for vegan sloppy joes in a pan.
  • Cook: Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until mixture is thick and TVP is soft.
    Vegan sloppy joe mixture in a pan.
  • Serve: Spoon vegan sloppy joe mixture onto hamburger buns and serve!
    Vegan sloppy joes.

Notes

Store sloppy joe mixture leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
Topping Ideas: Feel free to add a slice of cheese (vegan or dairy) or some pickles to your sloppy joe before the top bun.
Lentil Sloppy Joes: Lentils lend themselves well to the taste and texture of sloppy joes. Feel free to cook some red or green lentils (according to the instructions on the package) and mix a bit into this sloppy joe TVP mixture for added bulk and nutrition!

Nutrition

Serving: 1vegan sloppy joe | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.9g | Protein: 10.9g | Fat: 7.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Potassium: 774mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 12.1g | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
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4.88 from 16 votes (1 rating without comment)

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39 Comments

  1. Megan says:

    5 stars
    Im gonna set this up by saying that my partner is the definition of a MEAT EATER. Like, his only dinner recommendation every week is “Meat.”
    Im trying to do “No Meat Week” because of current prices/safety of animal proteins.
    I found this on TikTok and thought it looked really good!
    We just finished eating this recipe ( minus bell pepper because it went bad ;-; ) and HOOOOOOOOLLLLLLYYYYYY COW- well… no cow… but STILL this SOMEHOW had me and my partner in agreement that it TASTES WAY BETTER THAN GROUND BEEF + MANWICH?!
    Minds were blown. Reality shifted. My carnivorous man is now demanding this become a staple…
    If I could give more than 5 stars I would.
    (I had mine on a roll with a slice of cheese and a side of Alexia Potato Puffs- so not vegan but still incredible!)

    Reply
    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      Love hearing this Megan, thanks for being here!