Made with ground turkey, these Instant Pot Sloppy Joes are perfectly saucy and full of flavor! A quick and easy weeknight option to throw into your rotation.

Sloppy Joes on a serving platter with a blue hand towel on the side.

Forget the beef: these ground turkey Sloppy Joes are a win!

For the sake of heart health and keeping our cholesterol in check, we’ve been nixing red meat whenever possible. And with how we’ve eaten so far, I’m confident that any recipe made with ground beef can be made with ground turkey—and be just as tasty! (Take these Instant Pot Ground Turkey Tacos, for example.) These Instant Pot sloppy joes put a healthier spin on this classic weeknight meal—and they’re freakin’ delicious.

How to make Sloppy Joes with ground turkey.

When it comes to swapping out ground beef for ground turkey, there are really only two things to consider. For one, ground beef has more fat, and fat equals flavor, so you might need to season your ground turkey a smidgen extra. The only other thing to consider is that you need to make sure your ground turkey is cooked through, whereas with beef, you can afford to have a bit of pink. Otherwise, the cooking process is the same!

Process shots of cooking vegetables and ground turkey in Instant Pot.

How to make Sloppy Joes in the Instant Pot.

Activate the sauté function on your Instant Pot on medium heat. Heat the olive oil, then add the diced bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Let it simmer for about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground turkey and break it down into smaller chunks with a spatula or large spoon. Once the turkey is broken down and only slightly browned/half cooked, turn off the sauté function. Add the salt, pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Stir until well mixed. Add the water, and stir again. Transfer the ketchup and tomato paste into the Instant Pot, but don’t stir it. The sugar in the ketchup could trigger the burn notice, so you want to avoid that. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to Sealing. Cook the contents on high pressure for 8 minutes. When done, do a quick release and open the lid. Give everything a good stir, then mix in the scallions. Serve with fresh brioche buns.

Sloppy Joes on a serving platter with a blue hand towel beneath it.

Close up side shot of Sloppy Joes on a serving platter.

Two hands holding up a full Sloppy Joe.

Equipment you’ll need:

Recipe tips + tricks:

  • If you get a burn notice, cancel the pressure, open the lid when it’s safe to do so, and add another 1/4 cup of water. Secure the lid back in place and pressure cook for whatever time is remaining. I’ve never had a burn notice, but I know this can be an issue with different models.
  • If your mixture seems too runny when you open the lid after cooking, turn on the sauté function and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes to thicken it up. If for some reason this doesn’t help, you can also mix some cornstarch or flour with 1/4 cup cold water to make a slurry, and gradually stir it into the mixture as it simmers on sauté mode. This is guaranteed to thicken it up.
  • If you want to add some heat, you can add a few tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce to the mix! Just add it when you add the ketchup and tomato paste.

Other easy ground turkey recipes to try:

Hope you enjoy!

If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme.

Close up side shot of Sloppy Joes on a serving platter.

Get the Recipe:

Instant Pot Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Made with ground turkey, these Instant Pot Sloppy Joes are perfectly saucy and full of flavor! A quick and easy weeknight option to throw into your rotation.
5 from 7 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 TBSP olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 sweet bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), diced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, grated to a paste or finely minced
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • Cracked black pepper
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 TBSP tomato paste

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot on sauté mode, medium. (Higher heat may burn.)
  • Add the diced bell peppers, onions, and garlic to the hot oil. Let everything simmer for about two minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the ground turkey and break it down into smaller chunks using a spatula or a large spoon. When the turkey is broken down into crumbles and half cooked, cancel the sauté function.
  • Add salt, pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard to the meat, and stir until it's well mixed.
  • Add water and stir again. Then, add the ketchup and tomato paste to the Instant Pot, but don't stir it. The sugar in the ketchup could trigger the burn notice, so you want to avoid that. You can stir it in the end.
  • Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to Sealing; cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
  • When the Instant Pot beeps, do a quick release and open the lid when it's safe to do so. Stir the contents well to mix in the ketchup and tomato paste, then mix in the scallions.
  • Serve with fresh brioche buns.
Calories: 424kcal
Course: Main Course