Name: Whole30 & Paleo Sloppy Joes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cans chopped or diced tomatoes ((equivalent to 796mL)); 1/4 cup tomatoe paste; 6 dates ((sub 2-3 TBSP honey if not on the Whole30 diet or if on the SIBO diet) ); 2 TBSP coconut vinegar ((sub apple cider vinegar)); 1 clove garlic, crushed ((sub 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil)); 1 tbsp coconut aminos; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp dried parsley; 1 tsp mustard powder; 1 tsp smoked paprika ((sub for paprika if you don't have smoked paprika)); 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tbsp coconut oil; 3 lbs grass fed ground beef; 1/2 cup chopped green onion; 1 yellow pepper, chopped; 1 red pepper, chopped

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Whole30 and Paleo Sloppy Joes are such a healthy and tasty dinner. This homemade sloppy Joe recipe is made without ketchup and without brown sugar and is filled with hidden veggies. Paired with sweet potato buns or potato buns these sloppy joes are the perfect weeknight meal.

Did you grow up eating sloppy joes? I did! But the recipe I grew up on was made with ketchup and brown sugar, so once I changed to the paleo diet sadly I couldn’t eat that version anymore. I actually hadn’t eaten sloppy joes for years until I came up with this recipe. And you guys, these Whole30 and paleo sloppy joes are so, so good! Saucy, filled with flavour and loaded with hidden veggies, this homemade sloppy Joe recipe is so much healthier than traditional homestyle sloppy joes.

I made these Whole30 and paleo sloppy joes without brown sugar and without ketchup and instead created a homemade sauce that tastes just as good as any other old fashioned sloppy joes. You can use a sweet potato or white potatoe bun to turn this Whole30 and paleo sloppy Joe recipe into a complete meal that the whole family will love!

Why these Whole30 and Paleo Sloppy Joes are so good:

Even though these sloppy joes are made without ketchup and without brown sugar they taste just like traditional homestyle sloppy joes
The homemade sauce for these sloppy joes is filled with flavour and is so darn good
These sloppy joes make great leftovers
They are loaded with veggies so make a complete, healthy, dinner

Why these Whole30 and Paleo Sloppy Joes are healthy:

They are made without ketchup and without brown sugar
They are filled with hidden veggies
They are grain free, gluten free and dairy free
They are perfect for paleo and Whole30 diets
They are made with grass fed ground beef (you can read about the health benefits of grass fed beef in this post: the biggest mistake you can make on the paleo diet)

How to make these Whole30 and Paleo Sloppy Joes:

First we are going to make the sauce for these sloppy joes. You will need to add all the ingredients for the sauce to your Vitamix blender and allow them to soak for ~20 minutes (this allows the dates to soften).

vitamix filled with ingredients to make sloppy joes

Then blend the ingredients well until they are smooth.

Now we will make the meat and vegetable filling. First, place a large pan on the stove on medium heat, then add the coconut oil to the pan and allow it to melt. Then add the green onion and chopped peppers to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes, until they start to soften.

Then add the ground beef to the pan and cook until it is no longer pink, stirring frequently to break up the meat.

peppers, ground beef and onions in a pan

Then add the sauce to the pan 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).

paleo and whole30 sloppy Joe sauce in a pan

Variations on these Whole30 and Paleo Sloppy Joes:

Instead of using ground beef feel free to use ground bison, ground turkey or ground chicken to make these sloppy joes
If you don’t have coconut vinegar you can use apple cider vinegar instead
Instead of green onion you could use a medium white onion
You could make the sauce with honey instead of dates (note that honey wouldn’t be Whole30 compliant)
You could add other vegetables such as carrots or celery

paleo and whole30 sloppy joes in potato buns

Questions about Sloppy Joes:

Why are they called Sloppy Joes?

A quick google search told me that the reason they are called sloppy joes is that a cook named Joe at Floyd Angell’s café in Sioux City Iowa added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches and the “sloppy joe” sandwich was created.

What sides go with sloppy joes?

I love pairing sloppy joes with cooked broccoli, cooked cauliflower, a side salad or chopped raw vegetables. If you don’t use a potato bun or a sweet potato bun you could also add the sloppy Joe sauce to cauliflower rice or white rice (if you aren’t on the paleo or Whole30 diets). You could also use my paleo bread recipe instead of a sweet potato or potato bun to create a sloppy Joe sandwich.

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. Note that technically white potatoes are not paleo, so if you are following a strict paleo diet then you will need to use a sweet potato bun (white potatoes are allowed on the Whole30 diet).

healthy sloppy Joe sauce in a pan with a spoon

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5 from 3 votes

Whole30 & Paleo Sloppy Joes

Whole30 and Paleo Sloppy Joes are a healthier twist on a traditional homestyle classic. Made without sugar and without ketchup this recipe is kid friendly and makes great leftovers!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy sloppy joe, paleo sloppy joe, whole30 sloppy joe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients

2 cans chopped or diced tomatoes (equivalent to 796mL)
1/4 cup tomatoe paste
6 dates (sub 2-3 TBSP honey if not on the Whole30 diet or if on the SIBO diet)
2 TBSP coconut vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
1 clove garlic, crushed (sub 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil)
1 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (sub for paprika if you don't have smoked paprika)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Beef and Vegetable Ingredients

2 tbsp 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 Vitamix blender and let soak for ~20 minutes
Blend the ingredients well until smooth

Beef and Vegetable Instructions

Place a large pan on the stove on medium heat
Add the coconut oil and allow it to 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)

Recipe Notes

If you don’t have coconut vinegar you can use apple cider vinegar instead
Instead of green onion you could sub a medium white onion
Feel free to use different coloured peppers
You could make the sauce with honey instead of dates (note that honey wouldn’t be Whole30 compliant)
To make a potato bun or sweet potato bun simply bake a potato, slice it in half and pour the sloppy Joe mix on top

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