This is the best homemade gluten-free sloppy joes recipe! Made with healthy ingredients, full of flavor, and ready in under 40 minutes!
Are you a fan of the taste of sloppy joes? This childhood favorite is comfort food with a healthy twist. For those busy weeknights, it's often hard to find something healthy the whole family will enjoy, but I promise this sloppy joe recipe will become one of your new favorite meals. The homemade sloppy joes sauce has such a great flavor, made with real food in as little as 40 minutes! That makes for a win-win recipe in my book! Most pre-made sloppy joe mixtures are made with brown sugar or high fructose corn syrup, but here we use only two tablespoons of honey in the entire recipe.
This delicious easy sloppy joe sauce can be made in advance and divided throughout the week. The longer the sloppy joe mixture sits in the refrigerator the better it will taste, as it allows the natural flavors to settle and come together.
Gluten-Free Sloppy Joes Sauce Ingredients
This classic recipe is made with healthy ingredients you can feel good about serving your entire family, and is sure to become a weeknight staple. The sloppy joe filling is an easy dinner you can make in advance and use throughout the week.
- Onion: Sweet onion or yellow onion give this sauce a great flavor.
- Green Pepper: Green peppers help give this sauce a delicious flavor and texture.
- Red Pepper: Red peppers give warmth and texture, a great addition to the recipe.
- Oil: Healthy oils such as olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil work well in this recipe.
- Ground Beef: 85/15 grass-fed beef gives this recipe the best flavor. Other ground meat options include 90/10 ground beef, ground turkey, or even ground chicken.
- Tomato Paste: Small can of my favorite tomato paste gives this sloppy joes sauce a tangy flavor.
- Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes: Look for low sodium options when it comes to canned items. These fire-roasted tomatoes have the best flavor.
- Honey: Most homemade sloppy joes recipes have a ton of sugar, but my favorite way to sweeten this sauce is using two tablespoons of organic honey. I would not suggest skipping out on the honey, but rather cutting back if needed.
- Chili Powder: Chili powder gives this sloppy joes sauce both heart and flavor.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder, is always an essential ingredient.
- Cumin: Adding a bit more cumin helps balance the chili powder.
- Salt: Salt helps harmonize and enhance the flavors of the sauce.
- Water: Adding some water at the end helps thin out the sloppy joe mixture.
How to Make Homemade Gluten-Free Sloppy Joes
This easy weeknight meal will quickly become a family favorite! From start to finish, you can make this easy gluten-free sloppy joes recipe on the stovetop in under 40 minutes!
- Dice the onion, red pepper, and green pepper into small pieces, then add the vegetables and oil to a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the ground meat to the pan, breaking it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until fully browned, then drain the excess fat off the meat and vegetables with a colander. Return the meat mixture back into the large pan.
- Stir in the tomato paste, fire-roasted tomatoes, honey, seasonings, and water. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes, until thickened.
- Serve on gluten-free buns or baked sweet potatoes for a paleo option.
- Store the sloppy joe meat mixture in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
What is the best brand of gluten-free buns?
There are several gluten-free bread brands that now make gluten-free buns. My favorite gluten-free hamburger buns are made by Canyon Bakehouse (pictured above), Udi's, and Trader Joe's brand.
Is this sloppy joes recipe paleo-friendly?
Yes, this gluten-free sloppy joe mixture is paleo-friendly. Instead of a gluten-free bun, an easy paleo option would be to add the sloppy joes mixture to the top of baked sweet potatoes. For a low-carb option, serve this sloppy joes mixture on top of zucchini noodles.
What is a good side dish with sloppy joes?
Sloppy Joes pairs well with many side dishes including french fries, Sweet Potatoes, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, green beans, and zucchini.
For More Easy Delicious Recipes, Check Out The Links Below
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Sweet Potato Chili
- Oven-Baked Spicy Italian Herb Chicken Thighs (Boneless, Skinless)
- Yellow Chicken Curry
- Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Gluten-Free Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- ½ sweet onion
- ½ green pepper
- ½ red pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 14 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons organic honey
- 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Dice the onion, red pepper, and green pepper into small pieces, then add the vegetables and oil to a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the ground meat to the pan, breaking it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook the meat until fully browned, then drain the excess fat off the meat and vegetables with a colander. Return the meat mixture back into the large pan.
- Stir in the tomato paste, fire-roasted tomatoes, honey, seasonings, and water. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes, until thickened.
- Serve on gluten-free buns or baked sweet potatoes for a paleo option.
- Store the sloppy joe meat mixture in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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