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Last updated March 20, 2023

Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Skillet (Paleo, Whole30)

This Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Skillet recipe is a healthy version of a comfort food favorite, without the buns! It’s easy to make in under 30 minutes, delicious, and loaded with simple ingredients. Perfect for a quick, weeknight dinner! Paleo, Whole30, and gluten free too!

Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe mixture in skillet

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Skillet

  • The roasted sweet potatoes pair perfectly with the sloppy joe mixture, with the perfect amount of added sweetness, and makes the dish so much healthier! You won’t even miss the bun!
  • Whip it up this classic comfort food for the family in just 30 minutes. It’s the easiest recipe for a busy weeknight.
  • Made with only simple, healthy ingredients that make this recipe Whole30 compliant, Paleo friendly, and Gluten Free.
Cubed sweet potatoes and ground beef in skillet

Everything You Need for This Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Skillet

This healthy sloppy joe recipe has just a handful of simple ingredients. Check out everything you need for this sloppy joe recipe below!

Whole30 sweet potato sloppy joe skillet recipe

Swaps

If you don’t have all the ingredients that the recipe calls for, don’t worry! There are plenty of variations and swaps you can make and still make a tasty dinner! Some simple swaps you can make are below!

  • Ground beef → ground turkey
  • Tomato sauce and tomato pasteketchup (I recommend unsweetened ketchup by Primal Kitchen)
  • Green bell pepper → red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
  • Dijon mustard → spicy brown mustard, yellow mustard or grainy mustard
  • Sweet potato → russet potato, Yukon gold potatoes, red (Garnet) sweet potato, Jewel (called Yams) sweet potato (roasting time will be different depending on type of potato.

How To Make This Easy Sloppy Joe Skillet

This sweet potato sloppy joe recipe is super easy to make, you’ll be amazed by how flavorful and delicious it is!

  1. Start by preparing the sweet potatoes to roast in the oven. You’ll want to roast them at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes for crispy sweet potatoes.
  2. After that, combine flavors of garlic and onion, and add the ground beef. I recommend cooking on medium-high heat for crispy meat. Make sure to drain the grease from the meat.
  3. Now you will make the sloppy joe sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir into the beef mixture. Stir in the diced bell pepper, and simmer mixture for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened to your liking. (If the mixture is too dry, add 1/4 cup of water and continue to simmer.)
  4. Finally, remove sweet potatoes from the oven and add them to skillet mixture. Garnish with chopped green onions, or parsley.

Flavor Tips for Making The Best Sloppy Joe Skillet

make it SWEETER– the sweet potatoes really add some sweetness to this recipe, but if you would like even more sweetness, add a teaspoon-tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the sloppy joe mixture.

make it SPICIER– to make this sloppy joe recipe spicy, add some crushed red pepper flakes, spicy brown mustard, or a little of cayenne pepper.

What To Serve With This Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Skillet:

This skillet meal is meant to be an easy one-pan recipe, so that you don’t have to make any other sides. However, if you love your vegetables, I recommend making green beans, broccoli or some other roasted vegetables to make a complete healthy meal.

 sloppy joe and sweet potato mixture in bowl and in skillet

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Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Skillet (Paleo, Whole30)


  • Author: Abbey Blackwell
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe Skillet recipe is a healthy version of a comfort food favorite, without the buns! It’s easy to make in under 30 minutes, delicious, and loaded with simple ingredients. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner! Paleo, Whole30, and gluten free too!


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place cubed sweet potatoes on pan. Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and sea salt, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
  2. In a large sized skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes of until onions are translucent. Add ground beef and brown, breaking up chunks, until no longer pink. Drain grease from meat.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, make the sauce. Whisk together the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir.
  4. Stir in the diced bell pepper. Simmer mixture for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened to your liking.
  5. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven, and combine with meat mixture in the skillet. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Garnish with parsley or green onions.

Notes

  • If sloppy joe mixture becomes too dry, add 1/4 cup of water to skillet.
  • To store: keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  • To freeze: let the mixture cool completely, then add to a glass tupperware freezer safe container. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in microwave or oven.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stove top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 346
  • Sugar: 5.9 g
  • Sodium: 502.6 mg
  • Fat: 19.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 17.8 g
  • Protein: 23.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 77.1 mg

Keywords: paleo sloppy joe, whole30 sloppy joes, sweet potato sloppy joes

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  1. This was very easy to make and I so appreciate that! I made this specifically for my picky three year old daughter. I was wondering if there’s a way to sweeten this up a little. My husband said it tastes kind of bitter😕. Thank you!

    1. Hello,
      You can definitely try some coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit. Traditional sloppy joe mixture has brown sugar which you could try as well.