Name: Healthy Sloppy Joes (paleo, whole 30)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp avocado oil; 1 small onion; 1 lb ground beef; 6 oz tomato paste; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or sweeter of choice); 2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup water ((approx))

Healthy Sloppy Joes (paleo, whole 30)

Shake up your typical burger night with these Healthy Sloppy Joes! They take 15 minutes to whip up and are paleo + Whole 30 compliant.

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Sometimes I get a craving for a common, American dish that I don’t usually eat , or can’t eat, anymore. Chicken fingers, lasagna, sloppy joes, and so on.

It’s not always easy to find these dishes gluten free, and even harder to find them with clean ingredients. So, I resort to making them myself. I have no problem with that because I love a challenge in the kitchen. It forces me to ask questions like ”what is actually in sloppy joes?” and search for the answer.

These Healthy Sloppy Joes are a cleaned up and simplified version of the classic American dish. Made with coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and other ingredients you’re sure to already have in your pantry. This recipe is paleo and Whole 30 compliant but will satisfy anyone, diet or no diet.

The BEST gluten free hamburger buns can be found at Trader Joe’s. They don’t have the cleanest ingredient list (cane sugar, canola oil, etc), but they are soft and not chewy at all!! You almost won’t miss the real gluten-ful thing.

Paleo + Whole 30 Ingredients

This recipe for Healthy Sloppy Joes just happens to be Paleo and Whole 30. It was pretty easy to swap out and adjust the typical ingredients for ones that are compliant.

Ground Beef: I prefer using grass fed or organic beef. You could also try substituting ground turkey.

Onion: This recipe calls for a small onion, but as with typical sloppy joes, you can add some chopped bell pepper as well. Or even better, sneak in some extra veggies – like carrots, mushrooms, zucchini – by finely chopping or shredding them and adding them with the onion.

Healthy Sloppy Joe Sauce:

Tomato Paste
Apple Cider Vinegar
Coconut Sugar
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt
Water

Classic Sloppy Joe sauce includes worcestershire sauce and ketchup which, when store bought, usually contain added sugar and natural flavors. So, I sidestep those ingredients with apple cider vinegar and coconut sugar to get the same sweet and tangy effect. This sauce is easily adjustable, so add in more or less of whatever you like! You can use even a touch of hot sauce.

This sauce also makes for a good bbq sauce replacement. If you make extra, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days and enjoy as a dipping sauce for chicken!