| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Prep: | 35 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup
- Small handful raisins, about 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 large white onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced
- 1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don’t chop it up unless you like things spicy!)
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
- 4 to 6 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper (unless you want to eat it whole, like my Dad does!). Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.
- Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve. Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 389 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 56 mg |
| Sodium | 663 mg |
Reviews
This is delicious! Needed to make a couple of substitutions based on what I had home. Used ketchup instead of tomato sauce, added only about 1/2 C water. Used cumin powder and ground ginger; used a poblano instead of the serrano because I had that on hand. Will absolutely make this again, great weeknight meal! Loved the toasted pistachios and raisins, don’t leave those out! Big hit with my teenaged son, too!
Such a great recipe I think it will be my go to sloppy Joe from here on out. I especially loved the pistachios and raisins. I followed the recipe exactly, and would do so again. The spice level was perfect for the whole family.
We made this for Father’s Day. Instead of hamburger buns, we used naan. It was a great way to celebrate my husband. Sweet, filling, and yummy dinner.
Wow – these are such a great twist on the traditional! Just a couple of tweaks for ingredients I had on hand… I used dried plum (prunes) for the raisins and pickled sushi ginger vs fresh. The latter turned out great – much easier to prep and by rinsing quickly, the pickling juice wasn’t a factor. Phenomenal dish that will be in the regular rotation going forward!
It was really well balanced with lots of flavor and easy to cook. We ate the leftovers over rice and it was amazing.
Made exactly this way, no variations. So much flavor. OUTSTANDING.
I’ve made this twice and both times were great hits! I didn’t use regular hamburger buns, but instead one time used flatbread pockets (most effective), and the next time tried using pieces of naan to make a sort of taco. Either one still tasted good! I’ve also substituted the cream for coconut milk (because I’m lactose intolerant), and it was just as good.
This recipe is fun to make and fun to eat if you like sloppy meat sandwiches anyway like I do it’s great
Delicious and very flavorful. This recipe is a keeper! It will be hard to go back to plain ole sloppy joes after this!
Bys ⏲❎✳️❎