These Low Carb Sloppy Joes are just as good as you remember them being as kid, without all the unnecessary sugar. This version is sweet, spicy and smokey, and we think you will love the flavor! This easy to make ground beef dinner is a family favorite, reinvented to be keto friendly. Serve this awesome sloppy joe mixture with low carb burger buns, over salad, or really in any way you prefer.
Here’s What You Need For These Low Carb Sloppy Joes:
Ingredients:
- 2 whole bell peppers
- 1 whole jalapeño*
- 1/2 medium sweet onion (about 100 grams)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 5 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
- 1 – 1.5 tbsp pink Himalayan salt, added slowly and to taste
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper*
- 2.5-3 lbs ground beef (we used 2.68 pounds and the macros will reflect this)
- 1/2 cup – 1 cup brown sugar Swerve or brown sugar substitute (add to taste!)
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp sriracha chili sauce*
- 2 tsp hickory liquid smoke*
- Serving vessel ideas: with Sola Company hamburger buns are the best. Use our code 10BRIANA for 10% off + free shipping! You could also serve on a salad, stuff bell peppers with them, serve with vegetables, cheese, pork rinds, pickles, or anything!
Recipe Notes:
This recipe was inspired by my mom’s recipe, but we made it spicier!
Seasoning: Everything is sort of to taste in this recipe, and we love things a little spicy. Start with adding a small amount, or just omitting the optional ingredients if you like things less spicy. The optional spicy ingredients in this recipe are the jalapeño, cayenne pepper, and sriracha chili sauce. We like a lot of spice in our food, and we realize others may not be quite as enthusiastic about it as we are.
For the brown sugar substitute, start by adding 1/2 cup then giving it a taste, and add more to your preference. You of course could use regular sugar if you aren’t low carb, just note that this will affect the nutrition information.
We added hickory liquid smoke to our sloppy joes for an unbeatable smokey flavor, but it is of course optional.
Peppers: For the bell peppers, use whatever you want. We used a mixture of red and green bell peppers because that’s what we had on hand. Jalapeños are totally optional in this recipe, and we added them for spice.
Serve With: If you’re on a keto diet like we follow most of the time, we love to dip things like veggies, pork rinds, low carb crackers and spread on low carb bread for sandwiches. We imagine this would also make an amazing topping for a burger! We’ve linked some of our favorite ready made snacks in our Amazon store if you’re looking for ideas!
Show Us Yours!: We also love when you guys try our recipes and share them with us! If you make this recipe, be sure to tag us on Instagram @afullliving so we can see it and share it!
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Tools:
- Sharp Chef’s Knife & Cutting Board
- Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cup
- Wooden Spoons
- Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Need supplies for this recipe? We’ve linked our favorites above and right here in our Amazon Store! You don’t pay anything extra if you shop using our link, but we get a small percentage of the sale.
Let’s Make It!
Bring your ground beef out of the fridge while prepping your ingredients. Dice up your bell peppers, onions and jalapeños really well. Mince your garlic really fine. Heat up your dutch oven over medium heat, then add some of the butter.
Now, add in your peppers, onions and jalapeños with a pinch of salt, cooking until soft, about 3-5 minutes. After the vegetables have softened, add in your garlic, and your dry seasonings and toast for about 1 minute. You don’t want the garlic to burn.
Now, add in your tomato paste, cooking until the color deepens, about 2-4 minutes. Add in the rest of your butter, then add your ground beef, with a big pinch of salt. Cook until the meat is browned.
Add in your brown sugar substitute, along with your sriracha, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke seasoning. Combine, then allow to for the mixture to simmer for at least 20 minutes. It can simmer as long as you like for a well developed flavor. After the mixture has been simmering for 20 minutes, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings.
Now, just eat and enjoy! We love using the Sola Company hamburger buns, they are amazing. You can get 10% off and free shipping on their website using our code ’10BRIANA’. We add a slice of cheese sometimes. Alternatively, you could enjoy these as lettuce wraps, on a salad, with pork rinds, and much more. If you’re in the Chicagoland area, we also eat them with egglife foods original egg white wraps. Is there really a wrong way to eat sloppy joes?? We don’t think so!
If you get a chance to try this recipe, let us know what you think, would ya?! Leave us a comment, or catch up with us on Facebook or Instagram, or pin to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Looking for another easy ground beef recipe? Try this Beanless Low Carb Chili!
Until Next Time,
Briana & Chamere
These Low Carb Sloppy Joes are just as good as you remember them being as kid, without all the unnecessary sugar. This version is sweet, spicy and smokey, and we think you will love the flavor! This easy to make ground beef dinner is a family favorite, reinvented to be keto friendly. Serve this awesome sloppy joe mixture with low carb burger buns, over salad, or really in any way you prefer.
- 2 whole bell peppers
- 1 whole jalapeño*
- 1/2 medium sweet onion (about 100 grams)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
- 1 tbsp pink Himalayan salt, added slowly and to taste
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper*
- 2.68 lbs ground beef (use 2.5-3 lbs of beef. We used 2.68 lbs and the macros will reflect this)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar Swerve or brown sugar substitute (or up to 1 cup, add to taste!)
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp sriracha chili sauce*
- 2 tsp hickory liquid smoke*
- Serving vessel ideas: with Sola Company hamburger buns are the best. Use our code 10BRIANA for 10% off + free shipping! You could also serve on a salad, stuff bell peppers with them, serve with vegetables, cheese, pork rinds, pickles, or anything!
Bring your ground beef out of the fridge while prepping your ingredients. Dice up your bell peppers, onions and jalapeños really well. Mince your garlic really fine. Heat up your dutch oven over medium heat, then add some of the butter.
Now, add in your peppers, onions and jalapeños with a pinch of salt, cooking until soft, about 3-5 minutes. After the vegetables have softened, add in your garlic, and your dry seasonings and toast for about 1 minute. You don’t want the garlic to burn.
Now, add in your tomato paste, cooking until the color deepens, about 2-4 minutes. Add in the rest of your butter, then add your ground beef, with a big pinch of salt. Cook until the meat is browned.
Add in your brown sugar substitute, along with your sriracha, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke seasoning. Combine, then allow to for the mixture to simmer for at least 20 minutes. It can simmer as long as you like for a well developed flavor. After the mixture has been simmering for 20 minutes, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings.
Now, just eat and enjoy! We love using the Sola Company hamburger buns, they are amazing. You can get 10% off and free shipping on their website using our code ’10BRIANA’. We add a slice of cheese sometimes. Alternatively, you could enjoy these as lettuce wraps, on a salad, with pork rinds, and much more. If you’re in the Chicagoland area, we also eat them with egglife foods original egg white wraps. Is there really a wrong way to eat sloppy joes?? We don’t think so!
Macros: These are provided as a courtesy and are estimated via MyFitnessPal. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.
Makes 8 servings, 389 calories per serving, 27 grams fat, 29 grams protein, 6 total carbs, 2 grams fiber making 4 net carbs.
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