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Whether you’re looking for a healthy sloppy joes recipe or for something different to do with that pound of ground beef, this is it! No more canned sloppy joe mix with toxic ingredients like corn syrup and “natural flavors.” This easy sloppy joe recipe will have you whipping these up for you and your loved ones all the time.
I love ground beef recipes. Ground beef is cheap, versatile, nutrient dense, and of course delicious. And hamburgers and sloppy joes from scratch are two of my favorite ground beef sandwich recipes!
Sloppy Joe Ingredients
Fat: Use a healthy fat like lard, bacon grease, butter, or olive oil. Tallow is another good choice, I just don’t keep this on hand as regularly as the other fats.
Veggies: When possible, I source my produce locally or grow it myself. Organic is great if you can afford it, that will ensure it wasn’t sprayed with harsh pesticides or herbicides.
Ground Beef: Unless I harvest it myself, I get almost all of my meat from local farms. It’s better quality than what you can find in a big box store and supports local farmers.
Beef Liver: I am not a fan of the way liver tastes but it’s the MOST nutrient dense food available… so I hide it in meals to get the benefits of eating it. This works with dishes that have heavy seasoning like Chili or Shepherd’s Pie.
Stock: One of the easiest things to make at home and keep on hand is chicken stock (or beef, or pork, or veggie stock). Follow the instructions in my article How to Boil a Whole Chicken to learn more and save.
Sweetener: For sweeteners I use Sucanat, Honey Granules, or raw honey. Still, approach these sweeteners in moderation but they are better alternatives to white sugar because they haven’t been stripped of their beneficial properties.
How to Make Sloppy Joes from Scratch
In a medium Dutch oven or heavy bottom stock pan, melt the lard (or other fat) over medium heat. All the ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe below.
Add the diced onion and bell pepper and cook until they’re soft, roughly 5-7 minutes. Stir the veggies to prevent sticking. Mix in the garlic and cook it about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Add the ground beef, liver (if you’re using), salt, and pepper. Stir everything to break it up and brown the beef thoroughly.
Once the beef is browned, stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer on medium low until the sloppy joe sauce reduces down slightly and the mixture thickens. Remove it from the heat and serve the homemade sloppy joes warm on fresh bread or on top of a baked potato!
Leave a comment below letting me know if you tried this recipe and what you thought! If this reminds you of childhood, share a sweet memory with us.
Healthy Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Lard, Butter, Bacon Grease, or Olive Oil
- ½ Onion, diced
- ½ Bell Pepper, diced
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- ⅓ cup Beef Liver, pureed optional
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp Yellow Mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ⅔ cup Chicken, Beef, or Veggie Stock
- 1 tbsp Honey Granules, Sucanat, or Sugar
Instructions
- In a medium Dutch oven or heavy bottom stock pan, melt lard over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper, cook until soft stirring to prevent sticking, roughly 5-7 minutes. Mix in garlic and cook about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.2 tbsp Lard, Butter, Bacon Grease, or Olive Oil, ½ Onion, diced, ½ Bell Pepper, diced, 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- Add ground beef, liver (if using), salt, and pepper. Mix to break it up and brown the beef thoroughly.1 lb Ground Beef, ⅓ cup Beef Liver, pureed, 1 tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- Once the beef is browned, stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer on medium low until the sauce reduces down slightly and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and serve warm on fresh bread or on top of a baked potato!6 oz Tomato Paste, 1 tsp Yellow Mustard, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, ⅔ cup Chicken, Beef, or Veggie Stock, 1 tbsp Honey Granules, Sucanat, or Sugar
Nutrition
