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 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.
It's easy even when you go through the trouble of shaping it into Asian meatballs or broiled hamburgers or when you make Korean ground beef. 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 cloud bread and serve.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this 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: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 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. You can add ½ to 1 teaspoon of each additional spice.
- Stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. You can add it when you add the ketchup.
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 salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook it briefly.
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
I don't recommend that. 85/15 is the leanest you should go. Any leaner than that and the meat will be too dry.
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.
Yes. You can divide it into servings and freeze them in freezer-safe containers. Thaw them as needed overnight in the fridge or reheat them in the microwave if your container is microwave-safe.
Serving Suggestions
Instead of 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
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Recipe Card
Keto Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound lean ground beef - (85/15)
- 1 small onion - chopped (4 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - (or ½ teaspoon of any other 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 the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. There's no need to drain the mixture, but feel free to drain it if you wish.
- 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 following 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.
- You can also divide the leftovers into servings and freeze them in freezer-safe containers. Thaw them as needed overnight in the fridge or reheat them in the microwave if your container is microwave-safe.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
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.
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. 
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.
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked this recipe, Chris. Thanks for the info!