These are the best healthy sloppy Joes! Saucy and filled with flavour these homemade sloppy Joe's are made without ketchup, without wine, and without brown sugar and are filled with veggies to make them a healthier version of the classic recipe we all know and love.
I love taking classic comfort food recipes and making them healthier, like my healthy Shepherd's pie, healthy chicken Alfredo with spinach and healthy pork chili, which is why I can't wait for you to try the recipe I am sharing with you today! It is a healthier version of a classic comfort food recipe.
Table of Contents
Why I love these sloppy joe's:
- The flavour! This healthy sloppy Joe recipe is so good!
- They are quick and easy to make and are ready in less than 30 minutes.
- This recipe is not only healthy but it is also Whole30 compliant, paleo, refined sugar free, gluten-free and dairy-free. It's are also made with no added sugar and are sweetened naturally with dates.
If you love healthy ground beef recipes you will also love my easy meat sauce with olives and the best gluten-free meatloaf.
Ingredients:
For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
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- Lean ground beef: I prefer lean ground beef for the lower fat content which helps make this recipe healthier.
- Fresh vegetables: sweet bell peppers and onions. You can use any type of bell peppers that you like including red, green, yellow or orange bell peppers, You can use either green onion, white onion, sweet onion or yellow onion.
- Canned chopped tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes: these form the base of the sauce.
- Tomato paste: to help thicken the sauce.
- Coconut aminos: instead of coconut aminos you can use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce (just don't make these swaps if you are gluten-free or following a paleo or Whole30 diet).
- Coconut vinegar: you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Dates: to give the sauce the perfect amount of sweetness, without using refined sugar or ketchup (this is one of the reasons why these are healthy sloppy Joes).
- Spices and aromatics: sea salt, ground black pepper, parsley, mustard powder, smoked paprika and garlic all blend perfectly to give this sauce the best flavour.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- Instead of ground beef: you can use another ground meat such as ground bison, ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken to make these healthy sloppy Joes.
- You could add other vegetables such as carrots or celery to these healthy sloppy Joes.
- Instead of smoked paprika you can use regular paprika.
- For even more flavour you can add a bit of garlic powder or chili powder to the sauce.
How to make healthy sloppy Joes:
- Step 1: To make the sauce, add all the sauce ingredients to your Vitamix or other high speed blender.
- Step 2: Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth sauce.
- Step 3: To make the beef and vegetables, place a large pan or skillet on the stovetop on medium heat and add the coconut oil to the pan. When the oil is melted add the chopped green onion and chopped bell peppers to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes.
- Step 4: Then add the ground beef to the pan and cook it until it’s no longer pink, stirring regularly to break the meat apart and ensure it cooks evenly.
- Step 5: Once the meat is browned add the sauce to the pan and mix everything well.
- Step 6: Turn down the heat to low and let the meat mixture simmer for 15-20 minutes (until it reaches the thickness you like). Then serve and enjoy!
Top Tips:
- If you don't have a high speed blender you can use a large food processor to blend the sauce instead.
- If you don't have a high speed blender such as a Vitamix you will need to de-pit the dates before blending them as other blenders aren't powerful enough to crush the pits and you would end up with date pits in your sauce.
- Serving ideas: My favourite sides for these healthy sloppy Joes are apple and kale salad, healthy broccoli salad or easy keto coleslaw. I also love pairing them with grain free cornbread muffins or paleo almond flour biscuits. You can also turn them into sloppy Joe bowls by serving the meat sauce over cooked spaghetti squash, rice, cauliflower rice or sweet potatoes.
Healthy sloppy Joes FAQs:
How do you make a sweet potato bun or white potato bun?
All you need to do is bake your potatoes, then slice them in half and fill them with the sloppy Joe sauce.
Is this recipe keto?
No, this sloppy Joe recipe is not low carb or keto.
Are these sloppy joes paleo?
Yes.
Is this recipe Whole30 compliant?
Yes this is a Whole30 sloppy joes recipe.
How should I store the leftovers?
Store any leftovers of these healthy sloppy Joes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These sloppy joes also freeze really well in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Other healthy meals you will love:
Recipe
Healthy Sloppy Joes
This is the best healthy sloppy joe's recipe! It is so easy to make and has the most amazing flavour. This kid friendly meal is made in one pan and is perfect for meal prep.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 317kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 cans chopped or diced tomatoes (equivalent to 796mL)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 6 dates (sub 2-3 tablespoon honey if not on the Whole30 diet or if on the SIBO diet)
- 2 tablespoon coconut vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (sub 1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (sub for paprika if you don't have smoked paprika)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Beef and Vegetable Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 lbs grass fed ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
Instructions
Sauce Instructions
- Add all the sauce ingredients to your blender bend everything until it's smooth.
Beef and Vegetable Instructions
- Place a large pan on the stove on medium heat and add the coconut oil and let it melt.
- Add the green onion and chopped peppers to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
- Add the sauce and mix well to combine all the ingredients.
- Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until it reaches the thickness you like).
Notes
- If you don't have a high speed blender such as a Vitamix, remove the pits from the dates before putting them in the blender and blending the sauce (otherwise the pits won't get ground up).
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 985mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 926IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 6mg
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Cheryle
WHY can't your recipes be printed any more? I have asked this question before and never get an answer. You just delete my comment. Why?
I am a newsletter subscriber.
Dr. Erin Carter
I am honestly not sure. What happens when you try to print them?
I checked and it's working for others so I am really not sure what is going on. Maybe try clearing your cache or try a different browser?