Vegan Three Bean Sloppy Joe Sliders
on Aug 28, 2017, Updated Aug 23, 2024
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These protein packed Vegan Three Bean Sloppy Joe Sliders are perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or they make great game day food! Simmered in a mouthwatering sweet and tangy sauce and on the table in under 30 minutes!
Thanks to USA Pulses and Pulse Canada for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.
Would you believe me if I told you this was my first time making sliders? I honestly don’t know what’s taken me so long, they’re the perfect size! Not only are they great for kids and people like me who graze all day long, but they’re perfect for parties too. These Vegan Three Bean Sloppy Joe Sliders are based off of my grandma’s sloppy joe recipe and they couldn’t be more delicious!
One of my favorite things to do is get out my grandma’s old cookbook with all of her handwritten recipes in it and make something from it. Along with some of her dessert recipes, I love to make her sloppy joes. The sauce for her sloppy joes is on the sweeter side because of the ketchup and honey that it calls for. I always laugh a little when I see “catsup” written instead of ketchup.
I know some people have strong opinions about ketchup, but I see no problem with it. I’m guessing a little bit of it here and there isn’t going to kill me. I would suggest looking for one that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it and these days almost every brand has one.
My grandma’s recipe for sloppy joes uses ground beef, but I thought it would be fun to make a vegan sloppy joe using three kinds of beans. Not only does this version taste just as good as her original recipe, but it was even easier and faster to make.
I’ve been trying to cut back on the amount of meat I eat during the week, but I still want to make sure I’m getting enough protein to give me the energy I need to do my running and help repair my muscles and recover after hard workouts.
Pulses are my favorite substitute for meat. They’re inexpensive, contain 9 grams of protein per serving, are low in fat and high in fiber and they have a low carbon footprint. They’re a complex carb which means they take longer to break down, keeping your energy level steady. They were the perfect replacement for the ground beef in these sliders.
I used a combination of kidney beans, pinto beans and white beans, but you could use whatever varieties you have in your pantry or prefer. Since canned beans often have a lot of sodium in them, look for a reduced sodium or no salt added variety if you can. Otherwise, just be sure to rinse and drain them well.
The beans are simmered in a sweet and tangy, barbecue flavored type of sauce then served on whole wheat (gluten-free if needed) slider rolls. The toppings are up to you, but I used lettuce, tomatoes and dill pickle chips. The dill pickles were a great way to balance the sweetness with a little salty briny flavor.
To learn more about pulses and to see how easy adding a 1/2 cup serving of them into your diet 3x per week is, head on over to the Half-Cup Habit!
More Recipes with Pulses
One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice
Grilled Zucchini, White Bean, Tomato and Tortellini Pasta Salad
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Bowls
Vegan Three Bean Sloppy Joe Sliders
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can reduced sodium kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can reduced sodium pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can reduced sodium white beans rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup ketchup preferably without high fructose corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 20 Whole wheat slider rolls
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients minus the beans, onion and arrowroot powder.
- Heat a medium sized saucepan or pot over medium heat. Spray the bottom with cooking oil then add in the diced onion. Sauté 2-3 minutes then add in the beans and the sauce. Stir together until combined and bring to a simmer.
- In the same bowl that the sauce was in whisk together the arrowroot powder or cornstarch with a teaspoon of water until it's smooth. Pour it into the bean mixture and stir together until combined.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat for another 5-7 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the beans are heated through.
- Taste for seasoning then serve on whole wheat or gluten-free slider rolls topped with dill pickle chips, lettuce and tomato.
Notes
- The sloppy Joe mixture can be made 1-2 days in advance if needed and reheated on the stove or in the microwave. Just like with chili, they taste even better the next day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look amazing! I am definitely going to try them out. I am also a runner and in love with cooking. Both great passions to have!
Food and running definitely go hand in hand Amy. I hope you like the sliders!
Great lunch idea, since they do get better each day! Hardly miss the meat in these :)
Thanks Olivia! I didn’t miss the meat at all. :-)
These look so good! I love the way you revamped your Grandmother’s recipe to make it more healthy!
Thanks Katie! Going through my grandma’s cookbook and making her recipes always makes me feel sentimental.