This homemade BBQ sauce is my all-time favorite BBQ sauce. Honestly.

It has a balsamic vinegar base and it's super tangy with just the right amount of sweetness from honey. It's dark and rich and it makes me so happy.

I've been making this sauce for years. It was originally part of my Easy Grilled BBQ Chicken post, but I decided that it need its own post.

This BBQ sauce recipe was adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis.

Yep. I found my favorite BBQ sauce from a famous Italian chef.

I tweaked her recipe to suit my taste and make it more paleo-friendly.

Can you make this BBQ sauce low-carb or Keto?

Yep. I included adaptations for low carb AND Whole30 in the recipe instructions.

One thing to note is that balsamic vinegar naturally has more carbs than other kinds of vinegar. So if you're watching your carbs, use a light hand with this BBQ sauce.

How to make BBQ sauce

I always thought making homemade BBQ sauce would be fussy and time-consuming.

Turns out it's not. At all.

You just toss all the ingredients into the saucepan and let it simmer for a little while. That's it!

Most BBQ sauce recipes are formatted this way. If the recipe is a little fancier it may involve roasting garlic or adding chiles or some other ingredient.

However, most BBQ sauce recipes have a tomato sauce-vinegar base and simply require simmering.

Like I said earlier, this BBQ sauce is my most FAVORITE for grilled chicken. Doesn't that sauce look AMAAAAAAZING?

Here are a few ways to use this Balsamic BBQ Sauce:

Recipes to use Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Grilled BBQ Chicken. Of course.

Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork is delicious with this sauce, too!

If you're into ribs, try The Best Instant Pot Ribs. They're the easiest thing ever and SO tender in a fraction of the time!

I put a little BBQ sauce in my Smoky BBQ Beef Chili and this sauce is my favorite one to use.

How long does homemade BBQ sauce last in the fridge?

Honestly?

Probably 3-4 weeks, but use it up in 2-3 weeks to be on the safe side.

More Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipes on Perry's Plate

• Honey Lime Ginger BBQ Sauce
• Low-Carb Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
• Caribbean-Style BBQ Sauce

I also have more homemade BBQ sauce recipes in both of my cookbooks -- The Big Book of Paleo Slow Cooking and The Big Book of Paleo Pressure Cooking.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Yield: Makes 2 cups

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Ingredients

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos or Worcestershire
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cook on a low boil at medium heat until the mixture has reduced to about 2 cups. It should be slightly thicker and coat the back of a spoon.
2. Use immediately or rransfer to a lidded jar or other conter for storage. Store chilled for up to two weeks.

Notes

WHOLE30 adaptation: Use Date Paste in place of the honey and yellow mustard in place of the Dijon.

Low-Carb/Keto adaptation: Use a low-carb sweetener like monkfruit in place of the honey. The balsamic vinegar still has a more carbs than regular vinegar, so don't use a lot at once.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size ¼ cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 66Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 424mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 13gProtein 1g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

The post Balsamic Homemade BBQ Sauce appeared first on Perry's Plate.

I’m talking tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic, and your sweetener of choice (honey, coconut sugar, or date paste for Whole30). Whether you’re brewing pulled pork or grilling chicken, they elevate your protein without covering everything in corn syrup.

Why You'll Love these Low Sugar Barbecue Sauce Recipes

First, I made a Honey Lime Ginger BBQ Sauce. I really liked this one. It isn't too tangy or sweet, but it has a distinct lime flavor and the ginger turns it in a slight Asian direction.

I also wanted to do a Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce, similar to the Blackberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce in one of my books, but make it keto-friendly.

Both have a tomato sauce & vinegar base and come together really quickly. (Like all of the BBQ sauces I've made from scratch.) You literally just dump everything in a saucepan and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. That's it.

The raspberry chipotle sauce has a little liquid smoke to give it a smokier bite. And if you can find pre-diced chipotle peppers, it'll change your life. (Don't ask me where I bought these because I don't remember.)

What you need for 2 Awesome Low Calorie Barbecue Sauces:

Honey Lime Ginger Whole30 BBQ Sauce:

• Tomato sauce
• Rice vinegar
• Honey
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lime
• Dijon mustard
• Sea salt

Raspberry Chipotle Whole30 BBQ Sauce:

• Tomato sauce
• Frozen raspberries
• Red wine vinegar
• Low-carb granulated sweetener
• Chipotle peppers, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
• Garlic
• Sea salt
• Liquid smoke

How to Make Low Sugar BBQ Sauce

1. Put all of the ingredients into a medium skillet and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the flavors have combined and it has thickened slightly.
2. Taste, and add additional sweetener, lime juice, or salt as you see fit.
3. You could also blend it if you'd like it smoother sauce.

Low Sugar BBQ Sauce Recipe Variations

I REALLY love Lakanto monk fruit sweetener. I buy it at Costco or through Thrive Market. It's also popping up more and more in nicer or healthy-focused grocery stores. It measures 1:1 with cane sugar and has zero net carbs.

I used this "Golden" version which has a bit of a brown sugar taste. It's super good -- especially for BBQ sauce.4

KETO: You can totally use the Lakanto sweetener I mentioned above in both of these recipes. (Although it takes the "honey" out of the first one.) You could also use regular erythritol or Swerve (which is erythritol-based, but has a better flavor than straight erythritol.

PALEO: if you're not into this whole low-carb business, just use honey in both. Or coconut sugar which is really good in BBQ sauce because it has a total brown sugar vibe.

WHOLE30: Swap out the sweeteners for some Date Paste. Date Paste is just blended up dates that have been soaked for a bit. EASY. Don't use Date Paste to make treats or anything. That's a Whole30 no-no. You can use it to sweeten things like BBQ sauce, take the edge off of a too-acidic vinaigrette, or any other sauce that needs a hint of sweet.

I love both of these sauces. I don't like BBQ sauce that's super sweet, so if you're a sweet BBQ kind of person, you may want to bump up the sweetener.

Ways to use this Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce

Later this week I'll have a great Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork recipe for you! You can also use these sauces on pulled chicken or beef, on grilled chicken or steak, meatloaf, or anywhere else you'd use BBQ sauce.

It's also the secret ingredient that I put in my favorite fast & easy chili recipe -- Hearty Winter Chili. (Not to undermine the BEST Slow Cooker Steak Chili Ever. It's just good for those nights where I don't plan ahead, and I want chili in under an hours. You get me, right?)

How to Store Low Sugar Barbecue Sauce

And did you know that BBQ sauce lasts a LONG time in the fridge? (We're talking weeks. Maybe months.)

If you try these, let me know what you think!

Honey Lime Whole30 BBQ Sauce

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This BBQ Sauce has a kick of citrusy lime and a bite of ginger -- like it's about to venture into Asian territory. It's quick to make and versatile. We loved it on BBQ Pulled Pork, but it would be great brushed over grilled chicken as well.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger (using a Microplane grater, if you have one)
• Zest and juice from 1 juicy lime
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients into a medium skillet and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the flavors have combined and it has thickened slightly.
2. Taste, and add additional sweetener, lime juice, or salt as you see fit.

Notes

1. To make this recipe low-carb, swap out the honey for a low-carb granulated sweetener. Net carbs become 3 carbs per ¼ cup of sauce.

2. Make it Whole30 compliant by using Date Paste instead of honey.

Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

I love the fruity flavor of raspberries mixed with spicy chipotles. It's a steller combination -- especially when you put the sauce on pulled pork or beef! Or grilled chicken. It's great on everything, really.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 10-ounce bag of frozen raspberries
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup low-carb granulated sweetener
• 2 teaspoons diced chipotle peppers, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until raspberries have cooked down and the flavors have incorporated together.
2. You may use the sauce immediately. You could also blend it if you'd like it smoother or strain the seeds out if they bother you. The sauce won't be as thick if you strain the seeds, though.

Notes

1. There are 3.3 net carbs in ¼ cup of this sauce.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links don’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

The post Whole30 BBQ Sauce (Low sugar Recipe) appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Do you get into lunchtime ruts, too? Actually I know you do because I get asked a lot what I eat for lunch, and most of the time my answers aren't super inspiring. But I've got an inspiring idea for you today, friends -- 5-Minute Cheesy Zucchetti Bowl and a review of a gorgeous cookbook.

I think lunchtime is hard because it interrupts the flow of the day. Or maybe just my day? Am I the only one who gets annoyed by lunch? I tell my husband all the time that I wished we, as humans, only needed to eat once, maybe twice a day.

Some people can get away with eating two large meals a day, but I've got a rather healthy appetite. Blessing/curse, yo.

And don't even get me started on lunches when all my kids happen to be home. #shortordercook

If I HAVE to eat lunch, I'm totally glad I have this book -- Nourishing Superfood Bowls by Lindsay Cotter. Have you been to Lindsay's blog, Cotter Crunch? Gorgeous, healthy stuff. I love Lindsay's fresh, approachable take on gluten-free recipes and her photos always dazzle me. And she really loves food puns. She's my people.

I'll talk about the zoodle bowl I made in a minute, but I want to tell you more about Lindsay's book.

Page after page of drool-worthy photos and colorful, creative bowls. Doesn't this Green Goddess Power Salad look amazing??

I see some fresh figs in there, too. Did I tell you I had fresh figs for the first time last year? (I know, where have I been?)

There's even a dessert chapter! This is the Creamy Chocolate Streusel Bowl. Yum.

All of Lindsay's recipes are gluten-free and most of them are dairy-free. I especially love how she includes options for all healthy eating options -- paleo/low-carb/vegetarian. There's something for everyone here!

I was super impressed by this quick little lunch bowl. It came from the Zippy Lunch Bowls chapter -- yes, a whole chapter for quick, creative lunches! The "cheese" sauce has a nutritional yeast base with a touch of tomato sauce and comes together super fast.

Grab a copy of Lindsay's book, Nourishing Superfood Bowls, and you might end up liking lunch again, too. 

5-Minute Cheezy Zucchetti Bowl

Yield: Serves 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Lunch doesn't need to be boring. Or time consuming. This 5-Minute Cheesy Zucchetti Bowl is a great way to eat zoodles and is paleo, low-carb, and vegan!

Print

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 small zucchinis
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
• Sea salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 plum tomato, thinly sliced
• Pinch of Italian seasoning
• Fresh basil or parsley
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 Tablespoon capers

Instructions

1. Spiralize or thinly julienne-cut the zucchini. Place in a bowl and press with a paper towel to remove the excess water. Drain any excess water from the bowl.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the nutritional yeast, almond milk, olive oil, and garlic. Cook in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm. Remove and whisk the mixture until well combined. Add the salt, pepper, and tomato sauce, and whisk again.
3. Toss the almond milk mixture with the zucchini noodles and add the sliced tomato. Add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes and capers. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. Lindsay suggests adding chickpeas, chicken or gluten-free sausage to add some protein.

2. I don't have a microwave in my kitchen, so I made the sauce in a small skillet on the stove.

3. I prefer warm zucchini noodles, so I tossed the whole thing into the skillet and warmed it up for a few minutes. If your zucchini is room temperature when you start, you probably don't need to do this.

4. I used a few quartered grape tomatoes and omitted the capers.

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The post 5-Minute Cheezy Zucchetti Bowl appeared first on Perry's Plate.

This is another recipe from my archives (circa 2010) that I picked up, dusted off, and made it healthier for you. The last time I made them was about two kids ago, and I had forgotten how good they were.

These Mini Skillet Meatloaves were a HUGE hit with my kids, too. They wolfed them so fast I had to make them again the next week just so I could snap some photos.

No complaints, here. They also made fantastic Whole30 leftover lunches.

We get our grass-fed beef from the local university's ranch. It's so easy -- I just walk in there and pull a bunch of meat out of the freezer and get my card swiped and it doesn't require my firstborn (take that Whole Foods). They've got grass-fed/pastured beef, lamb, and pork. I don't ever want to move.

These Mini Skillet Meatloaves are a cinch to throw together. You could even form the meatballs a few days in advance!

Oh, and three seconds after I divided up this meat and snapped a photo, I realized I forgot to add the onions.

Ok, that's better.

And then I realized I forgot to add the chili powder. Sigh.

I was trying to cram this project into the last few minutes of a certain 1-year-old's naptime.

Little meatloaves!

I've always wondered if meatloaf was just one, giant meatball. So these mini meatballs would also be extra large meatballs?

(Psst, I just sprinkled the chili powder over them at this point. One day I'll have my act together, I promise.)

The original recipe for the sauce was basically ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar. After replacing the ketchup in my favorite Sloppy Joe's recipe with tomato sauce and honey with no devastating consequences, I did the same thing here.

If you're on a round of Whole30, just use Date Paste in the sauce. That's what I did with mine, and I didn't even notice a difference! You could also use ¼ cup of fruit juice (like apple or pineapple).

Ok, cook time.

Brown the meatloaves so they get a nice, caramelized crust.

TIP: If you're using a stainless pan and you have trouble with meat sticking, it's probably due to one of two things:

1. Your pan isn't hot enough. Let the pan get hot -- not to the point where the oil is smoking, but just before then. Water flicked into the pan should sizzle a lot.
2. The meat gets poked and moved around too early. Once you put the meat in there and hear a sizzle, DON'T TRY TO MOVE IT. I know it's tempting. I like to fidget with what I'm cooking, too. Let it cook for a few minutes first. Then try to get a spatula underneath. If you are met with a lot of resistance, then it's not ready to flip. Once the meat forms that crust it will release itself from the pan -- for the most part. Sometimes you'll still have a little bit of stickage, but it's a lot better if you wait.

If food sticks to the pan anyway, (sometimes it does happen) add some liquid to the pan while it's still hot and as it bubbles and sizzles, scrape the bits off the bottom. (It's called deglazing the pan if you've noticed that word in recipes before.) Sometimes you'll take out the meat first and add some liquid for the next step in the recipe. Sometimes you're at the very end of cooking, so take out the meat and then use water to deglaze. Sometimes you'll add the sauce right in with the meat (like in this case) and it'll deglaze itself as it continues to cook.

See those bits that are kind of stuck to the bottom? It's fine, really. In fact, it's a good thing because it'll give that basic tomato sauce mixture a giant flavor boost.

Cute, right? And you don't have to wait over an hour for it to bake in the oven. I call that a win-win.

If you'd rather have your meatloaf in a true loaf form and want something clean AND easy for a weeknight, try the Paleo Meatloaf from Sheena at Noshtastic!

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If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Mini Skillet Meatloaves (Paleo & Whole30)

Yield: Makes 8-9 mini meatloaves

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These little meatloaves are perfect for when you're in the mood for meatloaf but don't want to wait a whole afternoon for it to bake. OK, maybe it doesn't take that long, but an hour and a half is a long time to wait when you're hangry.

Print

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 pounds of ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey)
• ⅔ cup minced sweet onion (about 1 small onion)
• ⅓ cup blanched almond flour
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tablespoons coconut aminos
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Date Paste or 3 dates, pitted and minced
• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

1. Place the ground meat into a large bowl.
2. Add the minced onion, almond flour, egg, coconut aminos, garlic, chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper.
3. Mix everything with your hands until combined. Be sure not to squeeze the meat between your fingers - be gentle or else you'll end up with squishy, mealy meat. Flatten the meat in the bowl and score the top to divide it evenly into 8 sections.
4. Shape each section into a 3-to-4-inch oval loaf and place them on a large plate or back into the bowl you were using. You may end up with extra meat in the middle -- if so, just make a 9th meatloaf. Set aside. (Can be done ahead of time.)
5. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the loaves and brown about 3 minutes per side.
6. Meanwhile, whisk the tomato sauce, date paste, and vinegar, onion powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and brush a few tablespoonfuls over the browned loaves.
7. Add 1 cup water to the skillet, cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
8. Transfer the loaves to a clean plate. Add the remaining tomato mixture to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes.
9. At this point you can pour the sauce over the meatloaves and serve or return the meatloaves to the skillet and toss them around in the sauce to coat them well.
10. Serve.

Notes

Nat's Note: If you're not doing Whole30 and don't want to use dates, substitute 2 Tablespoons of honey. Use erythritol if you're low-carb.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Mini Skillet Meatloaves (Paleo/Whole30) appeared first on Perry's Plate.

A few years ago we were visiting my parents and my mom had made Sloppy Joe's. My toddler was super excited...

"Want a Sloppy Joe!"

"You have a Sloppy Joe. See? It's right here."

"No! I want a Sloppy Joe!"

"Sweetie, this IS a Sloppy Joe."

"No! I don't want this," she said as she pulled off the top and bottom buns and handed them to me.

I realized, laughing, that we had been going so long without buns on our Sloppy Joe's that my youngest didn't remember life with buns. I wasn't sure whether to be a proud paleo mom or feel sorry for her. The older two, however, were in heaven with their spongy bread soaking up the Sloppy Joe sauce. Can you blame them?

Eating a Sloppy Joe with a lettuce cups became um... unnecessarily sloppy. Sometimes we put them on a bed of Sweet Potato Fries. (Hello, amazing.) And sometimes when I was craving something with more freshness I'd put it on a bed of lettuce, which later evolved into a full-blown salad topped with paleo Ranch and diced pickles.

And, if we're being honest here, shredded cheese.

My bestie's 4-year-old daughter calls them Salad Joe's. I really love that.

What's in a Sloppy Joe Salad?

I included a recipe down there, but a couple of the components are existing recipes on my blog, so I'll give you those first with some adaptations...

Best. Sloppy Joe's. Ever. Yes, the name is a bit presumptuous, but I stand by it. Also, there's no chopping involved.

Homemade Ranch Dressing - I use my Paleo Dry Ranch Seasoning and some avocado oil mayo. (But use homemade mayonnaise if that's your thing!)

Burger Sauce - If you're not a ranch person, this In N Out copycat burger sauce recipe is the bomb. SaveSave

For other hearty main dish salads, try my Grilled Chicken Salad or Grilled Caesar Salad next!

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Salad Joe's (Sloppy Joe Salads)

Yield: Serves 6

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Sloppy Joe's for the paleo, gluten-free, or grain-free eater. We actually prefer them this way!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 batch of Sloppy Joe meat
• 2-3 heads of Romaine, chopped
• Paleo Ranch Dressing
• diced pickles

Instructions

1. To assemble the salads, spoon some warm Sloppy Joe meat over a bed of Romaine lettuce and top with a drizzle of paleo ranch dressing and some diced pickles.
2. That's it. :)

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Salad Joe's (Sloppy Joe Salad) appeared first on Perry's Plate.

I’ve made these sloppy Joes more times than I can count. It’s one of my auto-pilot recipes that I don’t have to think about. (We all need those!) Over the years, I’ve kept the heart of her recipe intact while making small tweaks to keep it fresh and weeknight-friendly. The result? A recipe that honors tradition but still feels right at home in today’s kitchens.

Serve it on a soft gluten-free bun, spoon it over roasted sweet potatoes, or pile it onto fries for the best version of chili fries you’ve ever had.

What is a Sloppy Joe?

A Sloppy Joe is a sandwich containing a tomato sauce-coated ground beef mixture. It often contains onion, Worcestershire and a small amount of sweetener, but not always. They’re typically a little messy to eat, hence the name.

The name is thought to have originated from a midwestern cook named Joe who added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches.

Four Ways to Serve this Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe!

Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe Ingredients

First, this is a great recipe because the sloppy joe meat isn't overly sweet or fussy. You don't even need a knife for this.

For reals. No chopping anything. Not even onions. Or bell peppers. This is a green bell pepper free recipe.

And there's just a handful of ingredients. Most of them you probably have on hand already:

• chili powder
• dried onions
• ketchup
• mustard
• (here's the secret ingredient: ground sage)
• And no extra sugar. The only sugar is from the ketchup, which can be a pretty low amount depending on what kind you buy.

And second, it's my grandma's recipe. No, not Grandma Inez. My Grandma LaRue, who claims she's a "horrible cook." I sense that she doesn't enjoy cooking, but I have to disagree with her. In fact, two of my favorite family recipes come from her, my favorite chocolate cake.  And these Sloppy Joe's.

How to Make Sloppy Joes without Brown Sugar

1. Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. If your beef is extra lean, you may want to add a tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking to the pan. Drain off any oil, if needed.
2. Return pan to skillet and add the remaining ingredients plus water. Stir well and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Serve with buns or lettuce leaves, shredded cheese, Sweet Potato Fries, and (our recommendation) pickles.

Serving this Sloppy Joe Recipe without Brown Sugar

I have to admit -- eating these as a lettuce wrap gives a whole new meaning to the word "sloppy."

Most of the time we make them easier to eat and turn them into Sloppy Joe Salads. Or "Salad Joe's". It's much easier to eat! I actually prefer to eat them over a pile of Sweet Potato Fries. Like chili fries, but better.

If you're not into salads, but still want these to be gluten-free, try serving the sloppy joe meat over a baked potato or baked sweet potato. Or with some jasmine rice. Or roasted cauliflower rice. Or in a bowl with assorted roasted vegetables. Sloppy Joe's definitely don't have to be confined to a bland hamburger bun. 

Grab a large skillet and go to town, guys. You wouldn't be disappointed if you doubled this recipe, either. Our little family has started eating a full batch, and I like having leftovers for a couple of days for lunches. 

You might be tempted to substitute ground turkey for the beef. I have a feeling that you'd be disappointed, my friends. The beef gives these a richness that ground turkey definitely doesn't have. And if you get grass-feed beef, it's much healthier than most ground turkey you find in the grocery store. 

If you're looking for a vegan version, try mushroom and cashew-based Vegan Sloppy Joes!

How to Store these Easy Sloppy Joes

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.SaveSave

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Frequently Asked Questions

Sloppy Joes without Brown Sugar

Yield: Serves 6

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Why are these the best Sloppy Joe's ever? Well, they're not overly sweet or fussy. You don't even need a knife. (Honest!) And eating it over a pile of sweet potato fries puts chili fries to shame.

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Ingredients

• 1 - 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (organic, grass-fed, if possible)
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (two 8-ounce cans are also fine)
• ½ teaspoon dried, ground sage
• 2 Tablespoons plain yellow mustard
• 2 Tablespoons ketchup (see note)
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. If your beef is extra lean, you may want to add a tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking to the pan. Drain off any oil, if needed.
2. Return pan to skillet and add the remaining ingredients plus ⅓ cup of water. Stir well and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Serve with buns or lettuce leaves, shredded cheese, Sweet Potato Fries, and (our recommendation) pickles.

Notes

Nat's Note:

1. If you'd rather not use ketchup, leave it out or replace it with a Tablespoon of honey to keep the sweetness.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe without Brown Sugar appeared first on Perry's Plate.