Gluten Free Sloppy Joes

A gluten free take on a childhood favorite! These gluten free sloppy joes are ready in about 30 minutes, are packed with flavor and make for the perfect nostalgic comfort food.

The weeknight dinner recipe you didn’t know you needed: gluten free sloppy joes! I was never a big meat eater growing up, so I can’t say these were a staple in my childhood, but this gluten free take on the classic is a family favorite dinner that is on the table in about 30 minutes.

You can make a double batch to have on hand for simple lunches or dinners throughout the week! If you love this recipe, try my gluten free beef chili or beef teriyaki bowls next!

Tips before we get started!

• Be sure you are using tomato paste and not tomato sauce. Tomato paste is much more concentrated and will provide a much richer flavor.
• As written, this recipe is not at all spicy. You can definitely take it up a notch by adding in 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or mixing in some hot sauce.
• I highly recommend toasting the buns before serving! This little extra step really helps take things up a notch!

How to make gluten free sloppy joes

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the ground beef and saute until it begins to brown a bit on all sides- it doesn’t need to be cooked through yet.

Add in the diced onion and bell pepper and saute an additional 4-5 minutes. Mix in the minced garlic and saute for 1 more minutes.

Add in the can of tomato paste and saute for about 2-3 minutes, this will help toast the tomato paste and deepen the flavor.

Add in all remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Toast your buns, my favorite are the Trader Joe’s gluten free buns- they hold up super well and the texture is great, especially when toasted! Add the sloppy joe mixture onto the buns and add on any other desired toppings- pickles, red onion, lettuce, cheese etc. Enjoy and try my air fryer turkey burger next!

Key ingredients & substitutions

Ground beef. Ground beef is traditional for sloppy joes, but you can absolutely sub for ground chicken or turkey if you prefer.

Onion & pepper. You can use white or yellow onion here and then you need half of a large green bell pepper.

Tomato paste. Traditionally sloppy joes call for ketchup to give the sweet tomato flavor, but I wanted to create a slightly healthier option, so instead we’ll be using tomato paste, water and some brown sugar to sweeten.

Brown sugar. The brown sugar will sweeten since we’re using tomato paste instead of ketchup. The great thing about this is that you can add as much or as little as you like. I opted for three tablespoons which is the perfect sweetness without being over powering. If you want more, add four, if you want a little less, start with just two tablespoons.

Spices. The combination of Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper and chili powder add some savoriness, tang, spice, and saltiness. Feel free to play around with these flavors, but as written it’s a really good base!

Serving suggestions

To be honest, I’m super plain when it comes to serving these gluten free sloppy joes- just the meat and toasted bun! Pickles are a popular addition, but pickled onion is also great, hot sauce, or some shredded romaine lettuce for a fresh crunch.

As far as side dishes go, cole slaw is popular, or potato salad, but for some lighter and fresher options, try my air fryer sweet potato wedges or microchop green goddess salad.

More dinner recipes you’ll love!

• Gluten Free Shepherd’s Pie
• Ground Beef Taco Bowls
• Gluten Free Meatballs
• Beef Gochujang Noodles

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