These Paleo sloppy joes are classic comfort food made without the junk! The sauce is date sweetened to make it Whole30, and it’s quick and easy enough for weeknight dinners. Family approved and makes great leftovers, too! Serve on paleo rolls or on sweet potato “buns”!
Guys, we’re all in for a treat with this one! Who doesn’t love a good sloppy Joe?
Whether you put in on a grain free bun or sweet potato bun, it’s Paleo comfort food ALL THE WAY.
It all starts with the sauce, of course. Since I wanted to really replicate that sloppy joe flavor we all remember from childhood, I got the pickiest eater I could on board to test this one – Adam, AKA my husband.
Just my husband who is the pickiest eater in the house? Anyone else with me here?
What You Need to Make Paleo Sloppy Joes
To make this super-important sauce Whole30 friendly, I used date paste to sweeten it just enough.
You can also use date syrup for a Whole30 option, or maple syrup for paleo.
To balance out the sweetness of the dates, I used raw apple cider vinegar, mustard, tomato paste and sauce, and plenty of yummy spices!
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these sloppy joes:
- date paste or maple syrup
- tomato paste
- tomato sauce,
- apple cider vinegar
- coconut aminos
- mustard
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- ground beef
- olive oil
- green bell pepper
- red bell pepper
- Onion and garlic
- sea salt and black pepper
- paleo rolls or sweet potato buns
How to Make Sweet Potato Buns {for Whole30}
You can easily roast up some sweet potato “buns” in the oven in the time it takes to prepare the sloppy Joe mixture. This is a great Whole30 option!
If you don’t need to make this recipe Whole30, you can always use your favorite gluten free buns or make my one bowl hamburger buns.
Use sweet potatoes that are wide in the center so you can cut them into large 3/4″ rounds. I scrub the sweet potatoes for this instead of peeling.
Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle all over with olive oil or avocado oil, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like.
Bake at 425° F for about 20 minutes or until softened and the outsides are starting to caramelize.
I hope you’re ready for an easy dinner that’s you’ll want on repeat in your house!
Grab your ingredients and your favorite skillet because it’s time for dinner – let’s go!
Paleo Sloppy Joes {Whole30 Option}
Paleo Sloppy Joe Stuffed Sweet Potatoes {Whole30}
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 oz can tomato sauce no salt added
- 3 Tablespoons date paste or syrup OR 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Beef mixture:
- 1 lb grass fed ground beef
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
-
Heat a large skillet over medium-hight heat and add the oil. Crumble in the beef and sprinkle all over with sea salt and pepper, then stir gently. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and cook until the meat is browned and veggies are softened, then remove from heat. I prefer not to drain liquid/fat but you can do this now if you prefer.
-
Add all of the sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then lower the heat and allow to gently simmer, stirring occasionally (careful not to burn) for 10 minutes or so, then remove from heat.
-
You can also serve the sloppy joes with oven baked sweet potato "buns" or baked sweet potatoes, on gluten free or paleo hamburger buns, or over veggie noodles, spaghetti squash or grain free pasta. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
For sweet potato "buns", use sweet potatoes that are wide in the center so you can cut them into large 3/4" rounds. I scrub the sweet potatoes for this instead of peeling.
Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle all over with olive oil or avocado oil, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like.
Bake at 425° F for about 20 minutes or until softened and the outsides are starting to caramelize.
Nutrition
Want More Paleo and Whole30 dinner ideas? Try One of These!
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Paleo Running Momma!
OK, what the??? I have had this recipe for so long, and never tried it. I think because of the blender. But I got an Instant Pot Ace Blender which is amazing…and SO IS THIS RECIPE. I cannot believe how much it reminded me of being a child and having sloppy joe’s when my parents went out to dinner and us kids stayed home. If you have not made this yet what are you waiting for??? It is the BEST sloppy joe recipe out there. Make it! I might be making it again tomorrow…
This is my new fave go-to meal. I was in the middle of my whole 30 program and was looking for a new recipe. I’ve tried your other recipes in the past and LOVED them. I switched to ground turkey as I had eaten red meat the day before. It was great. I used baby potatoes as the bottom base. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Waaaaay better than traditional Sloppy Joes.
SO FREAKING GOOD! We made this to freeze in preparation for an upcoming camping trip. Seriously, so awesome. Thank you for sharing!
OH MY GOSH SOOOOO GOOD!!!
So good!! My husband and I ate this on baked potatoes and we were both 😍 we kept scooping a little bit more onto our plates because we couldn’t get enough! I used a tomato sauce I had made earlier in the week but I’m sure a canned one would be just as delicious!
This Sloppy Joe recipe is delicious and tastes even better than the real deal. I made the paleo hamburger buns (also incredible) and spooned the filling on those. Traditional and SLOPPY!!! Just what the boys wanted…including dad. Rave reviews by all. Will definitely make again!
For a short-cut I used homemade paleo ketchup (no need for spices or sweetner) in place of the tomato mixture. Served over smashed cauliflower, so good. Really appreciate your recipes.
I enjoyed so much the sloppy joe sweet potato recipe. I made it dozen times and even thought about making the sauce and freezing it so I’d have it on hand. However I can’t find that recipe with the fresh dates soaked in hot water and then blend everything together before putting on the meat. Do you still offer that recipe somewhere?
I’m so bummed you changed the original recipe. It was a family favorite. My bad for not printing it out I guess.
Is there still a link to your original recipe with the dates in the sauce that is made in the blender? This is my kids favorite recipe in the world!