Keto Sloppy Joes

This simple homemade recipe for keto sloppy joes is made without brown sugar and with unsweetened ketchup.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 291kcal

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, including Morton kosher 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 of sugar

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.

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 an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them 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.