Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls
A healthier twist on the childhood classic – These Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls come together in 30 minutes or less. It’s a delicious meal the entire family will love!
I absolutely love re-creating childhood favorites and giving them a Whole30/real food spin! Sloppy Joes used to be one of my favorite things when I was little. The sweet and savory combination of heart meat & sauce served on a nice soft bun was just TOO GOOD. Turns out it’s still pretty good when you remove the crap ingredients and serve it with some nutrient dense veggies, too! 🙂 I like this version because it uses ingredients that you most likely already have in your fridge and pantry.
This is also a great meal for this crazy back to school season we are about to enter. It comes together in 30 minutes or less, so you can easily make it on busy weeknights.
You can feel free to get creative with these Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls. Serve them like I did here with some spaghetti squash and roasted broccoli, or you can omit the squash (or add zoodles) for Keto. You can also serve this over regular or gluten free pasta (but obviously it will no longer be Whole30 friendly.) Jovial Foods gluten free or grain free pasta is my favorite. Basically what I’m saying is that you can choose your own adventure!
What Ingredients do I need to make these Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls?
- Ground beef
- Red onion
- tomato paste
- tomato or marinara sauce – I like to get Rao’s Homemade brand from Costco.
- coconut aminos
- dijon mustard
- hot sauce
- apple cider vinegar
- 1 large spaghetti squash or two smaller ones
- 16 oz package broccoli florets
That’s it! You probably have most of these ingredients in your fridge and pantry already.
How do I make the spaghetti squash?
This is my tried and true method for making spaghetti squash in the oven. It always turned out perfect without being overcooked or mushy. You can use an Instant Pot or another method if you want – totally up to you!
I cut the squash in half horizontally (not long ways as it’s traditionally cut), and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400 for 35 minutes. That’s it!
How do I make the broccoli?
For the broccoli, I tossed 16 oz of florets with 1 tbsp olive oil + some sea salt and pepper. Use your fingertips to rub the oil into the florets. Spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 415 for 12 minutes. Perfect every time!
Where should I get my meat for these Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls?
Lastly, if you’re looking for the BEST quality grass-fed beef, I love getting mine from Butcher Box! It’s a meat delivery service where you can choose a combination of wild caught salmon, grass fed beef, heritage breed pork, and organic chicken to be delivered to your doorstep. Makes like a lot easier for this busy mama!
It’s so important to look for quality beef and meat in general. We are what we eat! We don’t want to be eating meat from cows that have been pumped with hormones and fed an unhealthy diet. They currently have a free ground beef for life promo where you can get 2 lbs of grass-fed ground beef in every box for the life of your membership! Click HERE to grab it through September 27th or while supplies last.
Can I freeze it?
Yes! But only freeze the Sloppy Joe meat portion – not the spaghetti squash or the broccoli. You can make those whenever you’re ready to serve the sloppy joes!
What else can I make with ground beef or ground pork?
Looking for some other easy recipes using ground beef and pork? Check out my Unstuffed Pepper Skillet, Unstuffed Cabbage Soup, or Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole!
Ok, let’s get cookin’!
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Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls
Ingredients
Sloppy Joes
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 lb grassfed ground beef
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2/3 cup compliant tomato or marinara sauce , I like Rao's Homemade
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp dijon or yellow mustard
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Spaghetti Squash
- 1 large spaghetti squash
Broccoli
- 1 16 oz package broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Spaghetti Squash
- Preheat oven to 400. Cut a large spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at for 35 minutes. Use a fork to remove the spaghetti strands and serve with the Sloppy Joe mixture and broccoli.
Sloppy Joes
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in onion and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add in ground beef and stir until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in remaining Sloppy Joe ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.
Roasted Broccoli
- Mix the florets, oil, and salt well with your hands. Spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and add to the oven when the squash has about 13-14 minutes left. Serve with the Sloppy Joe mixture and squash! Enjoy!
51 Comments on “Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls”
I have never thought of making a bowl of sloppy joes, but it seems like it would be delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! I personally love them 🙂
Wow wow wow!!! This was amazing! I don’t follow Whole30 but I never turn down a healthy, delicious looking recipe and this did NOT disappoint! Even my husband who HATES spaghetti squash ate it to oohs and aahs. We will definitely be repeating this one in our house! Thank you!
*I followed the recipe exactly except I used ground turkey instead of beef.
Hi Shayla! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Can I this be used at meal prep? Like will it last 4 days
Yes it will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days in the fridge.
This was soooo good!!! I loved it so much that I had it for breakfast the next day. This is definitely going on my dinner rotation. Yum!!
Thanks for the nice comment! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
SO SO SO good! I’m sad I waited this long to make it!! Going in the weekly rotation for a long while!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Kristie!
Image this recipe for my family tonight and it was amazing! Thanks for putting this together, I have a hard time sticking to recioes but for some reason I followed yours to a T and I’m so glad I did! Definitely going to try more of your recipes:)
Hi Mindy! I’m so glad it was easy for you to make and that you all enjoyed it!
This was absolutely incredible! I was sceptical looking at the ingredients but it turned out amazing! I have been scared of spaghetti squash for years but it was super easy and my whole family loved it! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Absolutely delicious!! So easy to make! Going in our dinner rotation!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca!
Outstanding! I just made the sloppy Joe portion of the recipe and when I started I realized I didn’t have the marina sauce, so I made my own from tomato paste, water, garlic, salt, pepper, pinch of sugar. Added it in with the rest and it turned out great! My kids thought it was too spicy so might leave out the hot sauce or red pepper flakes next time. I made spaghetti squash with it in the instapot and green beans as my kids are currently boycotting broccoli 🤔
Yay! so glad you all liked it!! Thanks Beth 🙂
Made this tonight. It was delicious! Thank you for posting!
Hi Teresa! Thank you so much – glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this tonight, it was a hit!! Definitely keeping this recipe!
Thanks so much Kristen!
Made this tonight for my husband and 3 kids (a teenager and 2 pre-teens) and they LOVED it. My 14 year old son said this is 100% delicious and that I need to make it again soon, my husband agreed. I doubled the recipe and there was maybe 1 serving leftover. I was worried the kids would notice/complain about the hot sauce, but they didn’t utter a word. Mary, trying your recipes is always a safe bet and I thank you for the ease and flavor they bring.
Thank you Darra! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Hi, do you have nutrition information for this recipe? It was SO GOOD by the way!! Also, I apologize if i’ve overlooked it on your website somewhere.
Hi Amanda- I don’t have nutrition info on my site yet but hope to by summertime!
This is my second time making your recipe and me and my family love it! It is very easy and makes plenty for three people. There were also leftovers. The only thing I changed was a little less hot sauce since my son doesn’t like spicy stuff (-: Thank you for sharing!
Hi Pattie! Thank you so much – glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I made this for my family last night for supper and it was soooo delicious! My 19 year old son was disappointed there wasn’t enough for seconds! Next time I make it, it’s going to be a double batch!!! I can’t wait!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us!
Thank you Lisa! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Such a great spin on some basic ingredients! It was a delightful surprise. These are in regular rotation in my meal prep now.
Absolutely THE BEST whole30 sloppy joe recipe! It’s got that tanginess that I love in a good sloppy joe and have been missing. I did reduce the spiciness (my husband doesn’t like too much) and it was still amazing!
Hi Lyndsie! Thanks so much – glad you enjoyed it!!
So so so good! My husband is a Manwich lover and he said this is better! #win I skipped the onion and garlic to make it low FODMAP and it was still delicious. Will definitely make again
Thanks, Melanie! So glad to hear it was still good as low FODMAP!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! We love it so much, we have started making it 3 lbs at a time and freezing it in 1 lb portions so that it’s a quick and easy grab when we have a busy week.
Let me preface with the fact that I have a reputation for not following recipes. This was great. I did sub turkey because I needed to use it and it was already defrosted. I also had a huge beet from my farm box that I needed to use so I grated it as I thought the sweetness would work well in sloppy Joe’s . The flavors in this is great!
This was totally amazing! My first time having spaghetti squash and loved it. I have to admit, since your advice was great about cutting the squash, I will never try it the other way. LOL
Thanks for this delicious recipe. Can’t wait to try others.
These Sloppy Joe’s are so delicious you don’t even miss the bun! It’s become a staple recipe in my home. The recipe freezes really well so I always keep a few portions stashed away. 5 stars – one of my absolute favorites.
This is such a great sloppy joe recipe! You will not miss the added sugar and other garbage that “traditional” recipes have. This is the real deal! My husband and I both devoured it so now I will be making it regularly.
Thank you Brooke!!
I’ve been a big fan from afar, never taking the time to actually put together one of your recipes, but always admiring the simplicity of ingredients and concepts. I finally mustered up making these sloppy joe bowls and OMGOSH! The flavor is astounding. As a kid I wasn’t even that into sj’s but I love the sweet and savory and knowing it’s whole30 is the icing on the cake. Bravo Mary 🙂 I will be taking the time to make more recipes!
I always hated sloppy joe day at school and would come up with excuses not to accept my friend’s dinner invitation the nights her mom would make sloppy joes…so honestly I’m not really sure why I even decided to try this recipe but HOT DAMN I’m glad I did. So good, not gross at all. Too bad I lost contact with that friend or else I’d send this recipe to her mom
My daughter and husband wanted Sloppy Joe’s tonight and low and behold when I googled Whole 30 Sloppy Joe’s, Mary’s Whole Life came up. As always, it was delicious! I wish I had gluten free rolls for myself but it was scrumptious just on my plate with broccoli. We loved it and will definitely put this in our meal planning rotation!
We have made this a few times. My family eats it on buns and I eat over zuchinni with wome added vegggies. Its a staple in my home!
Thank you Lauren! So glad you enjoy it!
Double the recipe – you won’t regret it!
I’ve made this every week for a couple of months. My picky kids love it! I love the roasted broccoli along with it too. Delicious!
Made this recipe on Sunday and it was a Family HIT!! Everyone loved it.Even the picky little one. Made a meat and lentil version for the vegan of the house. Was delicious and no shortage of flavour! This has been added to the rotation for sure! Thank You!
Delicious! I built my bowl slightly different because I’m not doing W30, but the Sloppy Joe meat was really good – will definitely make again!
So glad I ran across this recipe and so glad I doubled it….over a asked sweet potato!! Yum! Will be making weekly for sure