Today we’re talking how to make the BEST paleo sloppy joe’s! This classic comfort food dish is getting a little makeover. A flavorful and easy meal that will be a hit with the whole family!
Did you guys grow up eating sloppy joe’s? It was a STAPLE at my grandparent’s house. We usually had them once a week served with fluffy buns, salty potato chips, and big dill pickle spears.
It’s a food memory that still has a special nostalgic spot in my heart.
Which is why I decided I absolutely MUST make a paleo version of this favorite childhood recipe. I figure I must not be the only one who still craves them from time to time!
This simple bunless sloppy joe recipe is not only gluten free, but also paleo friendly, and easily modified to be whole30 compliant!
YAY for yummy paleo-fied comfort food meals!
The best paleo sloppy joe’s are:
- Flavorful
- Hearty
- Simple to make
- Bunless
- Nostalgic
- Comforting
Many people remember sloppy joe’s coming from a can.
That’s usually how my grandma made them, but today we’re giving them a little upgrade and making them from scratch.
The ingredients are actually super simple, and they can be made in about 30 minutes, which also makes them a super quick and easy meal!
Paleo sloppy joe ingredients:
- Sweet potato rounds for roasting
- Ground beef
- Diced onion
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Coconut sugar (omit for Whole30)
- Smoked paprika
- Coconut aminos or tamari
Then of couuurse no dish (IMHO) is complete without a few garnishes! So I went ahead and topped these open faced bunless sammies with:
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Jalapeño slices
How to make the best paleo sloppy joe’s
Instead of a bun, this sloppy joe mix is served on top of seasoned & roasted sweet potato rounds in an open faced bunless style “sandwich”.
I use the term sandwich loosely, because you’re really better off using a fork and knife to dig into this one.
The first step is to roast the sweet potatoes on high heat with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Once you get them started you can move on to preparing the sloppy joe mix on the stove top.
First the onions and ground beef are cooked with some avocado oil and sea salt until the meat is browned and the onions are nice and soft.
Then alllll the sauce ingredients get added into the pan as well – tomato sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, coconut sugar, paprika, and coconut aminos (or tamari).
This mixture is simmered for about 12-15 minutes until it has thickened and darkened in color just a bit.
At that point the sweet potatoes will probably be ready to come out of the oven.
Top each sweet potato round with a generous scoop of the paleo sloppy joe mixture, and all the yummy // flavorful garnishes!
What to serve with the best paleo sloppy joe’s
The most classic combination to serve with sloppy joe’s is some salty + crunchy potato chips and cold and crunchy dill pickles.
When I’m really feeling nostalgic, that’s what I reach for.
But honestly there’s a lot of yummy options for what to eat with them.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Deviled Egg Salad
- Asian pear and walnut salad with maple mustard vinaigrette
- Dairy Free Coleslaw
- Spicy Watermelon Salad with Cilantro and Lime
- Simple Arugula and Radish Salad
A few notes on the recipe
- As written this recipe uses ground beef as the protein, but you could easily substitute ground chicken, turkey, or lamb as an alternative.
- For a lower carb option, skip the sweet potato rounds and instead serve the sloppy joe mix over a bowl of greens.
- When selecting sweet potatoes, keep in mind the size. For little slider style sloppy joe bites choose sweet potatoes that are long and skinny. If you want more of a full serving “sandwich” size choose sweet potatoes that are nice and wide.
How to Make the Best Paleo Sloppy Joe’s
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: about 4 servings 1x
Description
Today we’re talking how to make the BEST paleo sloppy joe’s! This classic comfort food dish is getting a little makeover. A flavorful and easy meal that will be a hit with the whole family!
Ingredients
Sweet potato rounds:
- 1 large sweet potato, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
- 1 tablespoon avocado, coconut oil, or ghee
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- black pepper
Sloppy joe mix:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (omit for Whole30)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos, worcestershire sauce, or tamari
To garnish:
- thinly sliced jalapeño
- thinly sliced red onion
- cilantro
- radishes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Toss sweet potato rounds with avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or melted ghee, sea salt, smoked paprika, and some black pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and starting to brown.
- While sweet potatoes are roasting make the sloppy joe mix.
- In a large saute pan, heat oil of choice over medium high heat. Add ground beef, finely diced onion, and sea salt, and cook until onions are soft and ground beef is browned – about 6-7 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, coconut sugar, paprika, coconut aminos, and sea salt, and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 12-14 minutes, until slightly thickened and color has darkened.
- Taste and season with a little more salt if needed. Serve over the roasted sweet potato rounds topped with jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, and radishes.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
As written this recipe uses grass fed ground beef as the protein, but you could easily substitute ground chicken, turkey, or lamb as an alternative.
For a lower carb option, skip the sweet potato rounds and instead serve the sloppy joe mix in a bowl of greens.
When selecting sweet potatoes, keep in mind the size. For little slider style sloppy joe bites choose sweet potatoes that are long and skinny. If you want more of a full serving “sandwich” size choose sweet potatoes that are nice and wide.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: comfort food
Ariana says
Delicious! Flavors all balance beautifully!
Nyssa Tanner says
So happy you loved this one Ariana! 🙂
Nicole Richards says
Made this tonight and had to hop on the computer to write this review. I never write reviews. This was hands down the best Sloppy Joe we’ve ever had – actually, the best beef-anything-sandwich we’ve ever had… The flavor is sophisticated and savory; without the usual overly-sweet twang that keeps Sloppy Joes on the middle school lunch menu instead of where they belong. Something I would serve to my foodie friends. Even our rescue dog, who has NEVER dared to traverse our shiny wood floors out of a nonsensical fear, was caught tip-toeing across the dining room floor, lured by the irresistible aroma of this recipe. Paleo & gluten free aside, these are amazing! Thank you for sharing!!!
Readers: Don’t skip the radishes and jalapeños! Also – we used Stevia “sugar” for lack of Coconut sugar.
Nyssa Tanner says
Okay this is quite possibly the best review ever! Day made!
I’m so happy that you (and your furry friend! ) loved this recipe so much. The Midwest gal in me has spent years perfecting my sloppy joe game
Thank you so much for the thoughtful note!
jack li says
your sloppy joes recipe is very delicious and tasty.thank you for such a spectacular idea.hats off.
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so happy you loved it! 🙂
An says
We all loved this newer paleo version of sloppy joes! So easy and quick! They didn’t last long and everyone had seconds. Thanks Nyssa!
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh I love hearing that friend! So happy you all enjoyed this hearty meal 🙂 xo
Tray says
Wow! This recipe really made me hungry. I can’t wait to try this someday. Thanks for sharing!
Nyssa Tanner says
Hope you enjoy!