June 24, 2021

Gluten Free Sloppy Joes

Name: Gluten Free Sloppy Joes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound ground beef; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend (such as McCormick brand Montreal Steak Seasoning); 1 small onion (chopped (approx. 3/4 cup)); 1 small red bell pepper (chopped (approx. 1/2 cup)); 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 cups jarred tomato or marinara sauce; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 4 gluten free rolls (toasted (I use Trader Joes Gluten Free Burger Buns)); Serve with pickles, cole slaw or potato salad, and/or potato chips

There’s something wonderfully satisfying about a sloppy joe! Grown ups and kids alike love ‘em. These Gluten Free Sloppy Joes perfectly balance sweet, tangy, savory, and, of course, messy!

Jump to Recipe

Cook the Ground Meat with Sugar and Spices

sugar and seasonings added to the ground beef

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add meat to the pan. Spread meat around the pan with a spatula and begin to break it up. Add brown sugar and spice mixture (I use Montreal Steak Seasoning) to the skillet and mix until combined with the ground meat.

Add Peppers, Onions, Vinegar & Worcestershire

chopped onion & red pepper, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce

pepper, onion, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce added to the ground meat

When the meat has browned (approx 5 mins), reduce the heat to medium and add onion, red peppers, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

Finish with Tomato Sauce and Paste

tomato sauce and paste added to the ground meat

let sloppy joes simmer for 5 mins until all flavors meld together

Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Total cooking time is approx 15 mins. (If possible, make the Sloppy Joes a day ahead to let all flavors meld together.) Allow Sloppy Joe mixture to cool slightly for 10-15 minutes.

Gluten Free Sloppy Joes

Place Sloppy Joe mixture onto the gluten free toasted buns (add some shredded cheese, if desired), serve with your favorite sides and grab a handful of napkins!

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Sloppy Joes

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown sugar, gluten free, ground meat, onion, red peppers, red wine vinegar, sloppy joes, steak seasoning blend, worcestershire sauce

Servings: 4 sloppy joes

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend such as McCormick brand Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 small onion chopped (approx. 3/4 cup)
1 small red bell pepper chopped (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups jarred tomato or marinara sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 gluten free rolls toasted (I use Trader Joes Gluten Free Burger Buns)
Serve with pickles, cole slaw or potato salad, and/or potato chips

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add meat to the pan. Spread meat around the pan with a spatula and begin to break it up.
Add brown sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and mix until combined with the ground meat.
When the meat has browned (approx 5 mins), reduce the heat to medium and add onion, red peppers, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Total cooking time is approx 15 mins. (If possible, make the Sloppy Joes a day ahead to let all flavors meld together.)
Allow Sloppy Joe mixture to cool slightly for 10-15 minutes. Then place Sloppy Joe mixture onto the gluten free toasted buns (add some shredded cheese, if desired) and serve with your favorite sides.

Notes

Ground chicken or turkey can be substituted for the ground beef.

Use regular burger buns if you’re not following a gluten free diet; preferably crusty ones.

If you want to skip the bun altogether, place the meat into a lettuce cup.

Exact measurements aren’t required for this recipe.

When I’m feeling lazy or if I’m in a super-rush, I sometimes omit the diced/chopped red peppers and onions and these Sloppy Joes are still fantastic.

My friend Suzy shared this recipe with me a long time ago. This recipe is from Rachael Ray at Food Network and slightly modified by me.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these GFchow recipes. Gluten Free Smash Burgers, 10-Minute Tacos, and Korean-Style Steak Lettuce Wraps.

GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.