These Sloppy Joes are Paleo & Whole30 approved, with so much more flavor than you'll get from the can and can be made in just 30 minutes.
Pictures updated August 2018, recipe is the same!
These Sloppy Joe's are a family favorite. I just made them on a whim last week when I was trying to come up with a quick meal that fit in the Whole30 guidelines. They came out amazing! Better than I expected. I didn't measure anything, as usual, so I remade them this week to get the measurements right.
Here's the ingredients you'll need. Pretty simple - the only thing that you may not have is the coconut aminos. You can find it at any health food store or online and I highly recommend it. It was such a huge part of our Whole30.
And that tomato paste? Love love love!! You can use just a little bit and throw it in the fridge until you need it again. No more wasting half a can!
Sauté the onion and pepper in a pan until they start to soften and the onions start to become translucent. It takes about 5 minutes. Note that I'm making a double batch, so the pan won't be this full when you make it. Unless you also have a husband that eats 8 times a day - then I recommend making a double batch so it last longer than a day.
Add the beef, break it up with a spatula, and cook until browned.
Add the ketchup, tomato paste, and coconut aminos. Turn on low and cook for at least 10 minutes. I like to simmer it for 30-40 to develop the flavors, but that's not necessary if you don't have the time. Serve it over zucchini noodles, a baked sweet potato, straight out of a bowl, or my husbands favorite- on oven fries. Serving it on a paleo bun would also be delicious.
I know- that looks like spaghetti sauce, but it's not. It's so much better. The (naturally) sweet ketchup combines with the savory onion, pepper, and coconut aminos for the best combination.
YUM!!
These Sloppy Joes are so good! I know you'll love them because they are so quick and easy and they taste amazing! It's a meal the whole family will love.
Here's a link to the ketchup I used. It's pretty awesome 🙂 Paleo Whole30 Ketchup
*Updated 8/18 with low fodmap instructions. Read the notes.
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Sloppy Joes- Paleo & Whole30
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or oil of choice
- 1 red pepper, or yellow/orange
- 1 large onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¾ cup paleo ketchup
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- Place the coconut oil in a large skillet.
- Dice up the red pepper and onion and sauté in the coconut oil over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften and onions start to become translucent. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder and stir in.
- Add the beef and break it up with a spatula. Cook until browned. Add ketchup, coconut aminos, and tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Let cook on low for at least 10 minutes. The longer it cooks the more the flavors will develop. I like to simmer it for 30-40 minutes.
- Serve over zucchini noodles, a sweet potato, or just eat it out of a bowl!
Notes:
Nutrition Information
Here is the old picture just for fun!
K says
Do you drain the grease from the meat before adding all of the other ingredients?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi K- I don't, but if you feel that your meat is super greasy then feel free to. I hope you enjoy!
Anna says
Recipe looks yummy! I've started freezing blobs of tomato paste when I don't use the whole can. I made 98% of the baby food for my first kid, so I got into the routine of making some puree and freezing blobs on wax paper then storing them in glass containers if I could (I'm what you call plastic paranoid). I've started to apply this technique to all kinds of stuff and it prevents a lot of food waste!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks for that tip, Anna! Great idea to help with food waste!
Liz says
This recipe was delicious, thank you. I had added diced tomatoes and chopped mushrooms - yum!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Liz! Thanks for trying it- your additions sound great 🙂
Ray says
Extremely simple and delicious recipe.
Jessica DeMay says
Thank you Ray!!
Geanine says
This is a great dish. I absolutely love it. I added 1/4 cup of unfiltered apple juice for just a bit of sweetness. I served it over spaghetti squash and it even pleased my picky hubby. Thanks so much?
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Geanine! Thank you for trying it! I'm glad you and your hubby enjoyed it 🙂
Amy says
I've tried several paleo sloppy joe recipes but this is the best. Love the flavor from the coconut aminos! I'm half way through my Whole30 and feeling a little blah about what I've been cooking. However, now I'll be excited about what's for dinner and about eating leftovers throughout the week. Thank you!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Amy! Thank you for trying them! I'm so glad you like them and hope the rest of your Whole30 isn't too boring 😉 Check out my other Whole30 recipes if you'd like (the tab at the top of my site).
Shannon says
Oh my gosh !!!!
Im 22 days into my first whole 30 and getting really bored with my food. Just made this over roasted sweet potatoe .... Yummmmmm
Thank you ... You just saved my Whole 30. Great recipe !!!!
Jessica DeMay says
I'm so glad to hear that, Shannon!! Make sure to check out my other Whole30 recipes (the tab at the top)- you won't get bored! 🙂 Thanks for trying my recipe!
Molly says
Am I supposed to drain the ground beef/pepper/onions once the beef is browned or leave it? I can't decide if its a common sense of course you drain it type of thing or if you want us to leave it in there.
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Molly- sorry for the confusion. I never drain it, but I usually use 90/10 or 85/15 meat and not too much fat comes off. I leave the small amount in there. If you feel like your mixture has a lot of fat, then feel free to drain it. I hope you enjoy these 🙂
Amy Clark says
WOW!!!! These are so good and very tasty. I luckily followed the link and made the ketchup from Jay's site too. That makes this dish.
Jessica DeMay says
Thank you so much, Amy! I'm so glad you tried them and love them.
Nicole says
I'm so glad I stumbled across this recipe, I love it in lettuce wraps! Since I'm not currently doing Whole30, I used store-bought low-sugar ketchup and organic ground turkey but otherwise made the recipe exactly as written. It's definitely a winner and I'm looking forward to making it again with homemade ketchup. Thanks!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Nicole! I'm so glad you like them and your substitutions sound great. Thanks for trying them!