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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!
save this recipe!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
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.
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.
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!
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.
Step 2: Sauce
Add remaining ingredients except TVP. Bring this to a gentle simmer and then stir in the TVP.
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.
Step 4: Serve
Serve on your favorite hamburger buns or in wraps.
“Better Than Manwich” Vegan Sloppy Joes
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
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.
- Sauce: Stir in all ingredients except TVP. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add TVP.
- Cook: Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until mixture is thick and TVP is soft.
- Serve: Spoon vegan sloppy joe mixture onto hamburger buns and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
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!
Re: 20 Minute Vegan Sloppy Joes: Your recipe calls for TVP which my husband and I cannot use. Usually you have suggestions for alternate ingredients so I was disappointed that you did not with this one unless I missed it since I went right to the recipe.
Hi Pat! I don’t have a substitute in this recipe unfortunately, due to the unique nature of TVP. It wouldn’t be an easy swap for tofu or tempeh because TVP is absorbing a bunch of liquid, whereas the others do not. You could try using crumble tofu and omitting the broth, then simmering until it’s thick!
Hey Pat, I used sunflower mince which is made from sunflower seeds! Worked super well
I used a Sprouts product called Me ‘eat Rolling Greens for the TVP….so good!! My omnivore boyfriend loved these sloppy joes too. Definitely will be making this again.
I made the roasted chickpea gyros with the tzatziki sauce. The recipe is not a favorite of mine–the ingredients are healthy and the roasted chickpeas are flavorful, but the gyro is sloppy and my fiancé said “Its like you are eating a lot of salad dressing”. I could cut down on the amount of tzatziki sauce, but you need a certain amount to hold the chickpeas in the flatbread! So, this one did not work for me.
I just made this for lunch and I was worried cause I have never tried TVP before but this was delicious! I will absolutely make this again!
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!
YAY! So happy to hear it, Marie! Enjoy! 😀
This was an easy recipe. I thought it was good, and put it into a burrito for my toddlers. My hubby wasn’t a fan, but admitted that he didn’t really like regular sloppy joes, let alone vegetarian ones. He said it was a little bland, and that he would have liked it more if it had had more flavor.
YUMM! This recipe is so tasty and easy! This is my first recipe using textured vegetable protein and I’m very happy with the result. I will definitely be saving to make again!
First time using (and hearing about) TVP. It was so easy to use, and the sloppy joes were actually really, really good. (I am now searching for other recipes that use TVP to try.) I love your site as you are always educating me on flavorful (and unexpected) recipes to make for my vegetarian daughter. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear it! I don’t have a ton right now, but these are the TVP recipes I’ve created so far.
This Sloppy Joe recipe is the best sloppy joes I have ever had! It was my first time trying TVP. I will make this again!
I’m so happy to hear it, Mandy! Enjoy!! 😀
Great sandwich! My carnivores couldn’t tell the difference. Great recipe.
So happy to hear it, Kari!!
Loved this! I like mine a bit sweeter so I added some more brown sugar. Thanks!
So glad to hear it was a hit, Parie! Happy eating!