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Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joes Sauce

Healthy-Homemade-Sloppy-Joes-1

Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joes Sauce is a quick and hearty comfort food without the sketchy ingredients. Serve it over a baked sweet potato for a gluten-free and Paleo friendly meal!

I have been making homemade sloppy joes for years. It is a hearty, kid-friendly dinner that comes together in a snap. It is also great reheated, and it freezes well, so it is a great make-ahead meal for those busy weeknights. I usually make a big double batch and freeze half of it for a future meal.

Healthy-Batch-of-Sloppy-Joes-Sauce

My original recipe included store bought ketchup and BBQ sauce, both of which contain some sketchy ingredients and a ton of sugar. I cleaned up my recipe by borrowing some of the ingredients that I use in my Paleo Ketchup recipe,

Paleo-Ketchup

as well as my Homemade Paleo Worcestershire Sauce.

paleo-worcestershire-sauce-final

If you are new to Paleo ingredients, you may wonder about coconut aminos. It is often used as a replacement for soy sauce and has an earthy flavor.

Many ancestral diets recommend avoiding soy, although some allow tamari, which is a wheat-free fermented soy sauce. You can use whichever option works with your diet.  I recommend using half as much soy sauce or tamari as coconut aminos since their flavors are more intense. I would also reduce the salt since coconut aminos is much less salty than soy sauce and tamari.

I love homemade sloppy joe sauce served over baked sweet potatoes!

Paleo-Sloppy-Joes-over-Sweet-Potatoes

You could also serve it over baked white potatoes, or even zoodles, for a lower carb option. Of course, if you are not eating wheat-free you could always serve this over a bun or even an English muffin (I do that for my kids sometimes).

Feel free to increase or reduce the amount of maple syrup you use in this recipe. I like a bit of sweetness in my sloppy joe sauce, but it is not a critical ingredient.

Enjoy!

Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joes Sauce

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/3 lbs ground beef
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 5 Tbs tomato paste
  • 1 & ½ Tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbs cup coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp unsulfured molasses
  • 1 & 1/2 Tbs real maple syrup adjust the amount to your liking
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp fine grain sea salt
  • ½ tsp black ground pepper
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup chopped scallions
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Brown the ground beef over medium heat in Dutch oven or a wide skillet with tall sides.
  • Before the beef is finished browning, add the red pepper and onion and sauté until the onion turns translucent and begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
  • Add garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add the next 13 ingredients: tomato sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, molasses, real maple syrup, Dijon mustard, allspice, sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
  • In simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring often.
  • Turn off the burner, stir in the chopped scallions.
  • Serve over baked sweet potato halves, and garnish with chopped cilantro if you like.

 

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3 comments on “Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joes Sauce”

Hi, I'm Caroline

About Caroline

I love adding a whole, unprocessed and healthy twist to classic recipes.  My food is often grain-free, usually gluten-free, and always unprocessed.

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