This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Some cravings don’t make a lot of sense. For me, Sloppy Joes are one of them.
Every year as the weather cools and Halloween approaches, I get an unexplained urge for a good Sloppy Joe. I am pretty sure it goes back to Mom serving them before we headed out trick-or-treating when I was a kid—and that memory has been locked in ever since.
The problem? I don’t make them often enough to keep a jar of Manwich in the pantry. And I’m not interested in a from-scratch recipe with an ingredient list as long as my arm. We are talking Sloppy Joes here—they should be simple.
Enter this brilliant solution: just three ingredients you probably already have, ready in 20 minutes, and honestly better than any canned sauce I’ve tried. Rod, Mom, and I all loved it.
Table of Contents
Why I Love These 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes
- Freezer friendly. Make a batch and freeze the leftover meat for the next craving.
- Three ingredients. That’s it. Extra lean ground beef, picante sauce (affiliate link), and barbecue sauce (affiliate link).
- Ready in 20 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights when dinner needs to happen fast.
- Better than canned sauce. The combination of picante and barbecue is simple but surprisingly flavorful.
- Easy to lighten up. Lots of simple swaps to lower the Points even further (see below).
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Extra lean ground beef (95%) — Using extra lean beef is the key to keeping this light. Ground turkey is a great substitute if you prefer.
- Picante sauce (affiliate link) — Use your favorite brand. The picante adds a gentle heat and savory depth that makes this sauce sing.
- Barbecue sauce (affiliate link) — Again, use your favorite. The combination of picante and barbecue is what makes this recipe so clever and so good.
- Green onions, sliced — Optional but adds a nice fresh bite. Regular diced onion works too.
- Light hamburger buns, lightly toasted — Toasting the buns is a small step that makes a big difference — it keeps them from getting soggy under all that delicious filling.
Calories and WW Points ?
According to my calculations, each Sloppy Joe Sandwich has about 282 calories.
WW Points: 5
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
7 PointsPlus (Old plan)
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes
- In a large skillet (affiliate link) over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, until browned — about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the picante sauce, barbecue sauce, and green onions if using. Stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is hot and bubbling.
- Divide evenly among the five lightly toasted buns and serve immediately.
Ways to Lower the Points Even Further
One of the things I love about this recipe is how easy it is to lighten up even more:
- Add extra vegetables — shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, diced onion, or bell pepper all blend right in and add volume and nutrition.
- Swap the bun for a sandwich thin and save 1 to 2 Points.
- Go open-faced — skip the top half of the bun and save about 2 Points.
- Skip the bun entirely and serve the mixture over salad greens or cauliflower rice for a bowl-style meal — saves about 4 Points.
- Bulk up the meat by using half ground beef and half finely chopped mushrooms — you won’t notice the difference but your Points will.
What to Do with Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for several days, or you can freeze the meat mixture for next time the craving strikes. One of my favorite ways to use up leftovers is to make a quick Sloppy Joe Quesadilla for lunch—just a little shredded low-fat cheese and a high-fiber low-carb tortilla. So good.
If you’ve made these low fat Ground Beef Sloppy Joe’s, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Simple 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joe’s Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean (95%) ground beef
- 3/4 cup Picante Sauce
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup, optional)
- 5 light hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
Instructions
- In a large skillet (affiliate link) set over medium high heat, cook the beef, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the picante sauce, barbecue sauce and green onions (if using) into the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is hot and bubbling.
- Divide the beef mixture evenly among the five buns.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 8 SmartPoints (Green plan) 7 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 7 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 7 PointsPlus (Old plan) Here are a few more ideas to lower the Points value even further:
- Replace the regular hamburger bun with a sandwich thin and save 1 to 2 Points.
- Skip half the bun and eat an open-face sloppy joe. (-2 Points)
- Skip the bun and eat your sloppy joe from a bowl on a bed of salad greens or cauliflower rice and save 4 points.
- Bulk up the mixture by using 1/2 chopped mushrooms and 1/2 ground beef.
- Bulk up with additional veggies: shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, onion, bell pepper, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe source: adapted from Campbell’s Picante Sloppy Joes
More Easy WW-Friendly 30-Minute Meals
f you loved this recipe, here are a few more quick weeknight favorites to try:
- Slow Cooker Italian Sloppy Joes
A hands-off twist on the classic with deep, slow-cooked flavor. - Easy Enchilada Casserole
All the flavors of enchiladas with a fraction of the effort. - 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
A family-friendly favorite that practically makes itself. - Easy Lightened Up Skillet Lasagna
All the comfort of lasagna in one skillet, ready in under 30 minutes. - Southwest Goulash
Bold, hearty, and surprisingly light. - Mom’s Easy Alfredo Ravioli Casserole
Rich, comforting, and on the table fast.
Love your recipes and so glad I found this one. Simple to make and so good. I decided to use 98% fat free ground turkey breast in place of the ground beef and it was delicious. Really good on top of cauliflower rice, thanks for that suggestion. Thank you so very much for sharing all of your wonderful recipes and for taking the time to add the nutritional information too.
How are you getting 5 points per serving? When I added it into the recipe builder I am getting 7 pts per serving. I am using ground turkey 93% lean. Could that be the difference?
Hi Michelle, I didn’t get 5 points per serving. The recipe notes say I got 8 SP per serving using 95% lean ground beef. Hope this helps.
Good recipe! Even my mom liked it!!
Thank you for making your recipes printable.
I absolutely am in total love with all of your recipes! You’ve made losing weight and eating deliciously so very easy! My family loves your recipes too.
I am making these Sloppy Joe’s next week. I know you stated that it serves 5 and you divide it equally between the 5 buns but I am obsessed with measuring everything out! How many ounces per serving do you think a serving is..or is it a cup, 3/4 cup, 1/2 cup? I want to make it as accurate as I can.
Thanking you in advance! 🙂
Hi Janine, Thanks so much for your kind comments about my recipes! It really means the world to me. I’m so happy to hear that they are working for you and your family. Unfortunately, I’m not sure exactly what the per serving measurement is. After doing this weight loss thing for so long, I’ve discovered that the only way for me to stay sane is to relax and guesstimate quite a bit. I’m totally guessing the amount would be between 1/2 and 3/4 cup. If you do measure it out precisely I’d love for you to let us know! Thanks so much. Warmly, Martha
Thanks Martha! I understand completely. I need to get to a point where I am comfortable guesstimating. 🙂 I will start out with it being 1/2 cup but when I figure it out, I will let you know. Once again, I truly love your website. You make eating healthy easy. I love that you make eating right so delicious and so filling. Your recipes have been a life changer for me and have really helped me stay on track. I make at least 1-2 of your recipes a week! 🙂 Have a wonderful evening!
I made it today and doubled the recipe. I also used sweet baby rays which is our favorite. We really enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Melissa,
Glad you liked it!!
Sorry LAURA,I meant to say the persons name that made the recipe. Martha.
Hi LAURA, what did you mean by cauliflower rice ? Or did you mean cauliflower and rice ? Please answer back as soon as possible I was going to make this tonight. Thank you
Hi Patty,
Cauliflower rice is made by chopping up cauliflower in a blender or food processor until it’s really small like rice. It makes a great substitute for rice for 0 Points!! I’m working on writing a post all about it here but haven’t gotten it finished yet. You can learn more about it here: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-cauliflower-rice-couscous-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203344 Hope this helps!!
What is the serving size for this? 1 cup, 1.5 cups?
Tried this tonight- excellent and easy! My kids loved it too!
Hi Laura, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I really appreciate it 🙂
Dang! I made mine up last night. Recipe from skinny taste and, yes, a long ingredient list. I wish I had waited. These sound so much better & a heck of a lot easier.
Sorry about that, Ree! This recipe was so easy and good, a winning combination in my book 🙂