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These black bean sloppy joes are a tasty, meatless twist on the classic comfort food. Packed with flavor and protein-rich beans, they’re a hit with vegetarians, picky eaters, and budget-conscious cooks alike. If you’re looking for an easy and healthy sloppy joe recipe without meat, you’ve got to give this one a try!Black bean sloppy joes. You won't miss the meat ones - I promise! Repin to save.

Meatless sloppy joes? What the…?

Trust me, my friends. These black bean sloppy joes are everything you want from a good vegetarian recipe. And from a sloppy joe, for that matter.

They’re flavorful and filling. They’re easy to make and appropriate for a quick dinner on the go.

In fact, I would choose this vegetarian version over the classic ground beef sloppy joe any day. (No offense, Joe)

Black bean sloppy joe recipe. Better than the real thing? Click through for recipe!

I discovered this meatless sloppy Joe recipe in a cooking magazine – but it wasn’t a featured recipe.

The recipe was included in an ad for Texas Pete hot sauces.

I made a few tweaks to the original recipe based on what ingredients I had on hand.

FAQs

Q: Can I use canned black beans for sloppy joes?

A: Yes! Canned black beans work great — just rinse and drain them before adding to the skillet.

Q: Are these sloppy joes vegan?

A: This recipe is vegetarian as-is. To make it vegan, omit the heavy cream and make sure your buns are dairy-free.

Q: What sides go with vegetarian sloppy joes?

A: Great sides include sweet potato fries, coleslaw, a side salad, or chips and guacamole.

Money-Saving Tip: Dried Beans

A 15-ounce can of black beans usually costs less than $1.00 at the grocery store.

But if you really want to save money on an already-cheap food item, buy dried black beans and soak and cook them yourself. A bag of dried black beans costs about $1.50, and yields several cups of beans.

Not going to use them right away? Freeze them for future use.

Or… Make a batch of black bean soup.

Got leftover black beans? Make these awesome black bean burgers.

Make delicious black bean burgers out of kitchen scraps! Click through for recipe.

More Sloppy Joe Recipes

Not vegetarian? Check out my classic oven-baked sloppy joe recipe.

Fancy sloppy joes: Caramelized onion sloppy joes

Spicy sloppy joes: Hot and spicy sloppy joes

Pie style: Cheesy sloppy joe pie

A great way to start saving more money on food is to incorporate more budget-friendly beans into your diet. These black bean sloppy joes are a vegetarian delight and bursting with flavor, making creative use of black beans. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Black bean sloppy joe recipe, from Cheap Recipe Blog

Black Bean Sloppy Joe Recipe

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

The black bean filling has a definite chili flavor to it. Instead of serving these on slider buns, try serving them with garlic bread and traditional chili toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. In a large saute pan, heat oil until simmering. Add onions, jalapeño, and bell pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Add beans, tomato sauce, ketchup, buffalo sauce, and heavy cream.
  2. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add a bit of water if needed. Serve on toasted slider buns.

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© Haley