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This simple homemade recipe for keto sloppy joes is made without brown sugar and with unsweetened ketchup.
Ready in just 20 minutes, it's the perfect meal to serve on those busy weeknights when you're too tired for a complex recipe.
Ground beef is so EASY. It's always there in the fridge (or freezer) in those convenient vacuum-sealed packages that last for quite a while. It's readily available and very affordable.
Ground beef is easy even when you go through the trouble of shaping it into Asian meatballs or broiled hamburgers. It's also easy when you use it to make this Korean ground beef recipe.
But it's especially easy in this recipe, where you simply cook it in a pan with a few other ingredients, then pile it on a plate or on a keto bun such as cloud bread and serve.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Keto Sloppy Joes Instructions
- Expert Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Ground Beef Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Butter: For cooking the meat. You can use salted or unsalted butter - both work.
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef (85% lean and 15% fat).
- Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use by half.
- Onion and garlic: It's OK to use jarred minced garlic, although freshly minced tastes better.
- Unsweetened ketchup: I get it at Whole Foods or on Amazon.
- Balsamic vinegar: Just a little, as it's very flavorful but also very potent.
- Sweetener: This is optional. I use stevia to equal 1 tablespoon of a granulated sweetener (or honey/maple syrup).
Variations
- You can use different fats for cooking the beef, such as ghee, olive oil, or tallow.
- If you use a nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, there's actually no need to add any fat to the pan. The meat will release fat as it cooks.
- Add spices. Good candidates that I tried and liked include smoked paprika, ground cumin, and dried thyme.
- Stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. You can add it at the same time you add the ketchup.
Keto Sloppy Joes Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
- Cook the beef and onion in butter with some salt and pepper.
- Next, add the garlic and cook it briefly.
- Now, add the remaining ingredients - ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and (if using) sweetener.
- Lower the heat and cook the mixture for just five more minutes. That's it! Dinner is served.
Expert Tip
While you definitely want ground beef to be fully cooked, you don't want it overcooked, because then it turns dry and mealy instead of juicy.
So in the first step of cooking the beef with the onions, you should only cook it until it's no longer raw - it's OK if it's still slightly pink. It will cook further during the next stages.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use extra-lean ground beef?
I don't recommend that. 85/15 is the leanest you should go. Any leaner than that and the meat will be too dry.
Should I drain the ground beef after cooking?
I don't drain it. The fat is so flavorful, and if you use lean ground beef, there isn't so much rendered fat that it needs to be drained.
Can I freeze this dish?
Yes. You can divide it into servings and freeze those servings in freezer-safe containers, then thaw them as needed overnight in the fridge or reheat them in the microwave if your container is microwave-safe.
Serving Suggestions
Instead of using hamburger buns, I serve keto sloppy joes in bowls with spoons, just as I serve no bean chili and pumpkin chili.
Another option is to serve them on a bed of cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or sauteed spinach.
You can also use cloud bread or 90-second bread as a keto bun.
Storing Leftovers
This is one of those dishes that actually taste better the next day. You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
More Ground Beef Recipes
- Keto Meatballs
- Korean Ground Beef
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
Recipe Card
4.98 from 290 votes
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Keto Sloppy Joes
This simple homemade recipe for keto sloppy joes is made without brown sugar and with unsweetened ketchup.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (85/15)
- 1 small onion chopped (4 oz)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon fine salt)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- ½ cup unsweetened ketchup
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon stevia glycerite (optional, equals 1 tablespoon sugar)
Instructions
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the beef, onions, salt, and pepper.
Cook, breaking up the beef into small pieces, until the beef is no longer raw and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. There's no need to drain the mixture.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.
Stir in the ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and sweetener. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for 5 more minutes.Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
While you definitely want ground beef to be fully cooked, you don't want it overcooked, because then it turns dry and mealy instead of juicy.
So in the first step of cooking the beef with the onions, you should only cook it until it's no longer raw - it's OK if it's still slightly pink. It will cook further during the next stages.
This is one of those dishes that actually taste better the next day. You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
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Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 0.25recipe | Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 517mg | Sugar: 1g
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Chris
Pretty good recipe. I added chili powder, Italian seasoning, and cumin and replaced the balsamic vinegar with a tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
FYI, Walmart carries keto hamburger buns, and two brands of no-sugar-added ketchup are also available.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked this recipe, Chris. Thanks for the info!
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