Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joe Sliders (Whole30)

We’ve taken a classic comfort food and given it a unique but oh-so-delicious twist. These Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joe Sliders are a winner for the entire family and great for making ahead during weekend meal prep sessions to save time later in the week.

Oh, the humble Sloppy Joe!

If you Google “sloppy joes history,” you’ll find that there’s some disagreement as to how this now famous weeknight staple got its name. Some say it originated in Sioux City, Iowa where a cook named “Joe” (of course) added a can of tomato sauce to the loose meat sandwiches served in his restaurant. Others contend it was named for the iconic Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, FL and still others say it was dreamt up at the old Sloppy Joe’s Saloon in Havana, Cuba. But no matter how it got its name, there’s one thing we can all agree on: It’s an easy and filling meal for busy weeknights, tailgate parties, and potlucks.

So, posting a simple Sloppy Joe recipe seemed like a no-brainer, right? Well, it was. Except for the fact that we can’t seem to leave things alone when it comes to recipes – meaning we’re always trying to find a way to make classic comfort food recipes easier and cleaner.

Enter the Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joe Sliders or if you’re looking for a more classic Sloppy Joe recipe we suggest our Stovetop Sloppy Joes!

Put that slow cooker to work!

When you come home from work at the end of the day, don’t you just want to run to the kitchen to make dinner every night?

Yeah, we thought you’d say that. That’s why our healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joe Sliders are just what you need. If you can’t be home mid-day to turn on the slow cooker, then consider making the chicken filling on the weekend when you’re home, then reheating it while you bake the sweet potato rounds.

You can even take it a step further and make a double batch and freeze half for an easy reheat-and-eat meal later in the month. Cook once, eat twice!

Buns are nice, but…

They really aren’t doing much for you nutrition-wise other than supplying some empty calories. And really, the purpose of the bun is to get the filling to your face in a somewhat socially acceptable way, right?

So we nixed the buns for this recipe and opted instead for baked sweet potato slices to up the fiber, vitamin and mineral content. Plus we added some fresh spinach and shredded cabbage for crunch. Just saying, a few dill pickle slices, dollop of garlic aioli mayo or some thinly sliced red onion would also be great additions.

No buns also = Whole30-friendly.

Not into the sweet potato bun “thing?” You’ve got options.

We get it, not everyone is cool with using a sweet potato bun. It’s a little different…maybe even “out there” for some. So here are a few additional ways you can serve up this sloppy joe goodness.

1. Tucked ever so nicely into a lettuce wrap. We like to use bib or butter lettuce.
2. Smothered over a baked potato or sweet potato.
3. Topped on a bed of greens. Bring on the sloppy joe salad!
4. Served between our Zucchini Fritters. These make for the perfect “buns.”
5. Rolled into a gluten-free tortilla such as Siete’s or Danielle Walkers homemade grain-free tortillas. These are not Whole30.

We can’t wait for you to give our Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joe Sliders a try! If you give ’em a try, we would love to hear how you like them!

Looking for a slow cooker? Here’s a few we recommend:

Pin it now to make later!

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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