These Keto Sloppy Joes, served as a skillet dinner, make for an excellent low-carb meal that's gluten-free and ideal for busy weeknights! Include this in your weekly meal plan; you won't regret it!

Ready for a delicious keto and low-carb recipe? Try our Keto Sloppy Joes in skillet form!
Jump to:
- Where does the term "Sloppy Joe" come from?
- Preparation and cooking overview
- Chef's note
- 🥘 Ingredients for this keto sloppy joes recipe
- Ingredient substitutions
- Cooking tools required
- Tool substitutes list
- How to make Keto Sloppy Joes: step-by-step guide
- Cooking methods
- Preparation steps
- Cooking instructions
- What to serve with keto sloppy joes?
- How to make it healthier?
- Time-saving tips
- What can I prepare ahead of time?
- Storage and reheating instructions
- Recipe wrap-up and conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
- 📖 Recipe
Where does the term "Sloppy Joe" come from?
Marilyn Brown, the Director of the Consumer Test Kitchen at H.J. Heinz, says their research at the Carnegie Library suggests that the origin of the sloppy joe lies with the "loose meat" sandwiches sold in Sioux City, Iowa, in the 1930s and were the creation of a cook named Joe. [The American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, Jean Anderson]
Food companies began producing packaged sloppy joe sauce, such as the now-famous Manwich, by the 1960s.
The Manwich sauce contains tomato puree, tomato paste, high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, corn syrup, salt, sugar, carrot fiber, dried green and red bell peppers, chili pepper, guar gum, spices, xanthan gum, dried garlic, natural flavors, and citric acid. No, thank you. While not the WORST ingredient list we've ever seen, we would rather avoid toxic corn syrup and all that sugar.
Making your own is easy, let us show you how!
Preparation and cooking overview
Preparing this Keto Sloppy Joe Recipe requires only 30 minutes. Start by browning ground beef with butter, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then, season it with spices, crushed tomatoes, brown "sugar" substitute, Worcestershire sauce, and yellow mustard. Cook everything until well combined and heated, and you'll have a delicious low-carb meal!
Chef's note
Feel free to get creative with the Keto Sloppy Joes Skillet! Add smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for a kick of heat. You can also experiment with different low-carb bread or bun options, such as lettuce wraps, low-carb tortillas, or Keto Dinner Rolls, to enjoy your sloppy joes without derailing your keto diet.
🥘 Ingredients for this keto sloppy joes recipe
You will need the following ingredients to make these Sloppy Joes:
Ingredient substitutions
Don't have certain things in your pantry? No worries! Here are some keto-friendly substitutes you can use:
Additional ingredients
Add some magic to your sloppy joe casserole by experimenting with these optional ingredients.
Cooking tools required
To make this Low Carb Sloppy Joe Recipe, you will need the following kitchen tools:
Tool substitutes list
How to make Keto Sloppy Joes: step-by-step guide
Cooking methods
Preparation steps
- Gather all the necessary ingredients for the recipe.
- Measure them in precise quantities.
- Wash the bell pepper and onion.
- Mince the green bell pepper, yellow onion, and garlic cloves.
- Open the cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
Cooking instructions
Brown ground beef
- Heat the butter in a 10" or larger cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook without touching it for 4 minutes to allow it to brown.
- Ensure the ground beef has enough space for searing instead of getting steamed.
- Add the spices to the skillet and use the back of a spatula to crumble the beef into smaller pieces. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the meat is fully brown.
- Transfer the browned beef to a plate, but don't drain the oil from the skillet.
Simmer ground beef
- Add the minced green bell pepper and yellow onion in the same skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are slightly soft.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Return the browned beef to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine everything well.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the sloppy joe mix, cover the skillet, and let the cheese melt for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the keto sloppy joes immediately, and enjoy!

Chef's pro tip
Here's a tip to get perfectly cooked ground beef every time! Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Ensure the skillet is hot enough to create an ideal frying environment for a perfect brown beef mixture. A hot pan is key to achieving the desired sear and enhancing the overall flavor of your dish.
What to serve with keto sloppy joes?
You can enjoy these keto-friendly sloppy joes in various ways. Serve them on keto buns, over pasta or rice, or simply enjoy them as a main course. This recipe offers versatility and deliciousness in every bite.
How to make it healthier?
Time-saving tips
What can I prepare ahead of time?
Storage and reheating instructions
Storage tips
Reheating tips
Note: If frozen, thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recipe wrap-up and conclusion
These Keto Sloppy Joes are a delicious and satisfying weeknight meal. Their flavorful blend of spices and tender ground beef will be a hit at your next meal. These sloppy joes are a tasty and convenient choice for anyone following a low-carb lifestyle. And the best part? They are easy to make!
Don't forget to share how it went out! We can't wait to see your creation!
Frequently asked questions
📖 Recipe

Keto Sloppy Joes (Skillet Style)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ green bell pepper minced
- ½ large yellow onion minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅔ cup crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons brown Swerve
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Brown ground beef
- Heat the butter in a 10" or larger cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook without touching it for 4 minutes to allow it to brown.
- Ensure the ground beef has enough space for searing instead of getting steamed.
- Add the spices to the skillet and use the back of a spatula to crumble the beef into smaller pieces. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the meat is fully brown.
- Transfer the browned beef to a plate, but don't drain the oil from the skillet.
Simmer ground beef
- Add the minced green bell pepper and yellow onion in the same skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are slightly soft.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Return the browned beef to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine everything well.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the sloppy joe mix, cover the skillet, and let the cheese melt for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the keto sloppy joes immediately, and enjoy!
Gina says
thank you, thank you, thank you...Sloppy Joe's are one of my favorite comfort foods and I've missed it so much on keto...can't wait to make!
Elaine says
Looks good! But what's crushed tomato ketchup?
Alex Lester says
Ha, that would be a typo. Thanks for pointing that out! It's supposed to be just crushed tomatoes.
Andrea says
Hi! Is it 344 k per serving? And what is the serving size? Thank you
Alex Lester says
The nutritional info is per serving, the serving amount can be found at the top of each recipe card. Hope this helps!
Tina says
I see the nutritional info, but what is the actual serving size? 1/2c? 2/3c?
Judie says
Love your recipes,,but, I am suddenly getting your videos covering most of the recipe I’m trying to read! No way to get it off! Help!
Amanda Edler says
Hands down my favorite for my whole family.
Melanie Lauck. says
excellant
Anonymous says
We loved it!
Mary Jackson says
This was outstanding.
Tanya says
This is yummy! Can’t wait to serve it later on some wonder bread chaffles!
Teresa says
Great recipe! My family loved them and my husband said they were better than Manwich by far. Thank you!
cheryl m walker says
Dude, this is so good. We ate them on keto buns and it was transformational for a weeknight meal. Also, the men loved it so much I’m gonna call them men-wiches or something like that. Thanks for the recipe.
Stephanie Hohmann says
Delicious!!! Added a bit of cayenne and used petite diced tomatoes instead of crushed because that is what I had on hand.
Annamarie says
How is this low carb? Since there was no serving size listed I figured the whole recipe myself. I used everything as listed. Assuming a half cup portion, it is at least 65 carbs! Please explain 6 carbs!!
Cast Iron Keto says
Hi Annamarie, as stated at the top of the nutritional card, the nutritional information listed is per serving. The recipe card lists the servings at 4. Even if you ate the entire pan, there would only be 24 total carbs and 20 net carbs.
Carolyn Sellers says
Recipes sound delicious, but I'm not suppose to eat any citric acid, which is in tomatoes.
Do you know a way of making similar RECIPE without the tomatoes or paste or sauce with tomatoes?
Cast Iron Keto says
Hi Carolyn, I've seen a few people use beets in place of tomatoes - could be an option?
Carolyn Kraintz says
Loved it!
Michelle LeBlanc says
Oh this was SO good!!! I only deviated from the cast iron pan (I don't have one) but these Sloppy Joe's turned out just fine. I put together buns from a low carb hamburger bun mix, and yes used pre-separated egg whites, the Sloppy Joe mix came together in no time and dinner was served! Sliced pickles on the side, easy peasy. Thanks for the tip for cooking the ground beef; I'll do this from now on.
LaDonna says
Excellent! I was out of swerve so I subbed 2 tbsp of coconut sugar and for the crushed tomatoes I used 8oz can of plain tomato sauce. Also I made keto hamburger buns to go with it. This recipe is a keeper!
Denise says
Made this for my family and they absolutely loved it. This is one for my recipe book.
Thank you
Jim McManus says
I have no idea what you mean by "back of the spatula". The bottom? The handle? They don't really have a front or back.
Susan says
I have made this a few times now. OMG, it is sooooo good. I cut the swerve by 1/2 tbl spoon. I have had it over mashed cauliflower, keto bread, spaghetti squash and LOVE it all. My hubby won't even ]eat the traditional recipe anymore, he loves this and the grandkids think it's awesome.
NICOLE says
AMAZING!!
Christine says
This is really good but if you don’t like spicy. Back off of the red pepper flakes
jess says
Recipe claims gluten-free but worcestershire sauce is usually NOT gluten free. Just a heads up for people making this for a celiac / gluten intolerant person.
Cast Iron Keto says
Actually, Worcestershire sauce is usually gluten-free with the most common household brand being Lea & Perrins. We expect that if someone is gluten-free, they know to choose gluten-free ingredients. You can also sub in tamari for the Worcestershire sauce as well. Thanks for your note!
Shannon says
Used red bell pepper and a jalapeno. Did not use the brown sugar (brown swerve), replaced with Splenda and still came out good. Serving over mashed cauliflower. Thanks!
Jodi says
Great recipe turned out yummy
Bec says
Hi Alex,
This recipe looks fantastic and I plan to make it tonight. I just thought you should know that the accessibility menu you have on your site doesn't work.... it never loads. I'm visually challenged and was hoping to use the tool to help because the font in your recipe card is so small.
At any rate, I'm new to the keto diet, so I'll be back to rate your recipe after I try it!
Cast Iron Keto says
Hi Bec, we appreciate you bringing this to our attention! The accessibility menu is working for us on Chrome, would you mind sharing if you're on desktop, mobile, or tablet and the browser you're using so we can troubleshoot? We're sorry you're having issues but we'll do our best to get it fixed asap. Thanks!
Mary says
Thank you! This recipe is delicious and I plan on using it as a staple in my recipes.
BrittanyL. says
Kids and I love this recipe!! It’s my go to any time we make sloppy joes! My boys use buns but my daughter and I eat it with a salad or by itself with cheese.
Karen says
Wow…this was really great, followed the recipe almost to a Tee…I ended up putting a 14oz can of crushed tomatoes verses 2/3 cup….didn’t want to waste them…this was delicious!!..the whole family loved it…I’ll be making this more often and have put it in my Keto recipes !
Frances says
The link to this said it was, Blueberry hot fudge cake. Would like the recipe for that. I will try the sloppy Joe's.