Buffalo chicken sloppy joes are a fun and flavorful twist on the classic recipe! They're made with tender ground chicken, sauteed veggies, and tangy buffalo sauce topped with ranch dressing.
Sloppy joes make a great addition to your weekly dinner menu. A few reader favorites include my cheesesteak sloppy joes and Italian sloppy joes. Kids love them, they're made with simple ingredients, and they can be ready in less than 30 minutes!
Buffalo chicken sloppy joes are made the same way as classic sloppy joes, but with ground chicken and mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrot). Buffalo sauce, tomato sauce, and worcestershire sauce create a simple sauce that's packed with flavor!
Top your buffalo chicken sloppy joes with ranch dressing or blue cheese, whatever's your favorite. I like to pair my sloppy joes with some simple potato chips or coleslaw for a complete meal!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground chicken - The base of the recipe. Ground chicken could be substituted with ground turkey if preferred.
- Mirepoix - Onion, celery, and carrot serve as the flavor base of the recipe. I don't recommend omitting these ingredients because they add significant flavor and bulk to your sandwiches!
- Oil - I used olive oil to sauté my veggies, but your favorite cooking oil works here.
- Garlic - Adds flavor to the meal. I highly recommend using freshly minced garlic rather than pre-minced garlic from a jar, which often has a harsh flavor. Fresh garlic can be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Tomato sauce - The base of the sauce.
- Buffalo sauce - Adds buffalo flavor to the sauce. I recommend using buffalo sauce, not hot sauce. Substituting the quantity of buffalo sauce listed with hot sauce will result in a very hot sandwich. What's the difference? Buffalo sauce is hot sauce that's been cut with a fat like butter or oil to create a creamier, milder sauce.
- Worcestershire - Adds savory flavor to the sauce. Worcestershire could be substituted with soy sauce or steak sauce for a similar flavor.
- Seasoning - Salt and pepper enhance the flavor of the meal.
- Toppings - Green onion and ranch (or blue cheese) add flavor and color to your finished sandwiches.
- Buns - Brioche hamburger buns or any similar buns work great in this recipe.
Tips and tricks
Lightly toast buns - To ensure your buns don't fall apart under the weight of your sloppy joes, give them a light toast in the toaster oven just before assembly.
Simmer until thickened - Once all the ingredients have been added to the pan, bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has been thickened to your liking. This should take about 10 to 12 minutes.
Pan getting dry? - This is an indicator that your heat is too high. Turn the heat down slightly and add a splash of water.
Storage
Leftover buffalo chicken sloppy joes will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat, place in a skillet and warm over medium heat, adding a splash of water as needed to rehydrate the sauce. To reheat in the microwave, drape with a damp paper towel and heat until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
Buffalo sauce isn't very spicy on its own. If you'd like more heat, I recommend adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce and doing a taste test.
Sloppy joe meat could be served over tater tots with shredded cheese, on a baked potato, or mixed into a batch of stovetop mac and cheese.
A potato side dish makes a great addition to sloppy joes, like potato chips, oven roasted potatoes, or fries. Add coleslaw or a garden salad for an easy, no-cook side dish.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ small onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 16 ounces ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces canned tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 4 brioche buns, lightly toasted
- ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing, as a garnish
- 1 green onion, thin sliced, as a garnish
Instructions
- In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil.
- When hot, add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until lightly browned around the edges and softened slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Crumble ground chicken into the pan and cook through to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, buffalo sauce, and worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat slightly, and simmer for another 10-12 minutes, or until sauce has thickened to your liking. Add a splash of water if you'd like a thinner consistency.
- Remove from heat and divide filling between four lightly toasted brioche buns. Top with optional ranch or blue cheese dressing along with thinly sliced green onion before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Leftovers: Leftover sloppy joes will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Buffalo sauce: Make sure you're using buffalo sauce, not hot sauce. Buffalo sauce has a milder flavor (so we can use more in this recipe) because it's made with hot sauce that's cut with a fat like oil or butter. Substituting with straight hot sauce will result in a very hot, spicy flavor.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!