I first had these homemade sloppy joes at a good friend’s house and absolutely fell in love with them. She sent me her recipe and I tweaked it a tiny bit to make what I consider the best sloppy joes ever.

This sloppy joes recipe is made with real ingredients like tomato sauce, olive oil and honey and is so delicious I can’t even describe it – they just always hit the spot.

Plus, you can serve them as classic sandwiches, or you can serve them over rice with a variety of toppings as sloppy joe bowls (our preference)!

Homemade Sloppy Joes: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Ground beef. I suggest 93/7% or 85/15% lean ground beef for the best results.
• Onion. Use yellow, white or red on onion.
• Minced garlic. freshly minced or jarred are both great choices.
• Fine sea salt. I use Redmond fine sea salt in this recipe and I really think it’s amazing! But any sea salt works well.
• Tomato sauce. I use organic tomato sauce. You can use canned or homemade.
• Olive oil. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
• Honey. I don’t suggest substitutes, but granulated or brown sugar do both work in place of honey.

How to Make Sloppy Joes

Begin by cooking the ground beef, onion and garlic in a large, nonstick skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat, breaking the meat up into small pieces until it is no longer pink. 

Then, add the tomato sauce, sea salt, paprika, black pepper, olive oil and honey and stir to combine.

Cook the sloppy joes uncovered over medium heat, until the mixture comes to a boil.

Then, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Serve

You can serve these as traditional sloppy joes on buns, or as sloppy joe bowls (our preference).

To serve on a bun, choose your favorite bun (I suggest these homemade hamburger buns or pretzel rolls). Scoop some of the sloppy joe mixture onto the bottom half of the bun, then add toppings (if desired) like pickles, coleslaw, etc., then put the top of the bun on and enjoy.

Serve with your favorite side dishes, some suggestions include:

• French fries or Sweet Potato Fries
• Fruit Salad (or Winter Fruit Salad)
• Serve them with a side salad like spinach salad, broccoli salad, or pasta salad.
• I often roast veggies to accompany these homemade sloppy joes – our favorites are roasted broccoli, roasted green beans, and roasted carrots.

Sloppy Joe Bowls

To serve as sloppy joe bowls, cook 1 cup white rice in 2 cups water (according to package instructions).

Then, serve sloppy joe mixture over rice with cheddar cheese, black olives, cilantro, etc.

Store/Freeze

Store leftover homemade sloppy joes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe FAQS

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe

This Homemade Sloppy Joes recipe is one of my favorite, easy dinners. These sloppy joes are made with 8 real ingredients and can be served as sandwiches or as sloppy joe bowls!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Author Laura

Cost $8

Equipment

• cast iron skillet
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• spatula

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion diced
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons honey

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cook the ground beef, onion and garlic in a large, nonstick skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat, breaking the meat up into small pieces until it is no longer pink.
• Then, add the tomato sauce, sea salt, paprika, black pepper, olive oil and honey and stir to combine.
• Cook uncovered over medium heat, until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Then, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Serve:
• You can serve these as traditional sloppy joes on buns, or as sloppy joe bowls (our preference).
• Sloppy Joe Bowls
• To serve as sloppy joe bowls, cook 1 cup white rice in 2 cups water (according to package instructions).
• Then, serve sloppy joe mixture over rice with cheddar cheese, black olives, cilantro, etc.

Video

Notes

Note: I often shred 1 zucchini into the mixture and cook it with the ground beef and onion. No one can tell!

Ingredient Substitution Notes

• Ground beef. I suggest 93/7% or 85/15% lean ground beef for the best results.
• Onion. Use yellow, white or red on onion.
• Minced garlic. freshly minced or jarred are both great choices.
• Fine sea salt. I use Redmond fine sea salt in this recipe and I really think it’s amazing! But any sea salt works well.
• Tomato sauce. I use organic tomato sauce. You can use canned or homemade.
• Olive oil. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
• Honey. I don’t suggest substitutes, but granulated or brown sugar do both work in place of honey.

To Serve as Sloppy Joe Bowls

Cook 1 cup white rice in 2 cups water according to package instructions. 

Then serve the sloppy joes mixture over the rice with topping like:

• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar cheese 
• Sliced olives (black or green), 
• Diced red or green onions
• Avocado
• Chopped Cilantro

These homemade fruit snacks are not your average fruit snacks. They are made with whole fruits and vegetables and naturally sweetened. Plus they are gluten and grain free and have a 45 grams of protein per batch! So much better than store-bought varieties.

I also love that the gorgeous colors of these homemade fruit snacks come from the natural colors in the fruits, no food dyes required! Natural foods are the best “dyes” if you ask me!

I love making homemade snacks instead of buying prepackaged, also try my homemade granola bars, energy balls and homemade granola.

Homemade Fruit Snacks: Ingredients & Substitutions 

The great thing about this recipe is that, while the method is pretty particular, the ingredients are fairly versatile.

• Fruit: I have given suggestions for the different fruits I used to make each color, but you can let your preferences drive you here. The only two fruits that you cannot use are Kiwi and Pineapple. They contain the enzyme bromelain, which breaks down the proteins in the gelatin and will prevent the fruit snacks from setting up.
• Vegetables: the same freedom applies with the vegetables, use your favorites. Each mixture contains 1 cup of fruit and ¼ cup vegetables. You can use all fruit if you don’t want to add vegetables.
• Juice:  I highly recommend using an organic, unsweetened juice variety of your choice. I chose apple because it has a neutral color and flavor, but you can use any flavor you like.

Raw vs. Cooked Vegetables

All of the vegetables used in these combinations were blended raw (including the beets). If you decide to use a vegetable like sweet potatoes, I recommend cooking it first and using the soft puree in this recipe.

How to Make Homemade Fruit Snacks

Let’s walk through how to make homemade fruit snacks, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Lay Out Supplies & Materials

Begin by putting the silicone molds on a large baking sheet or line an 8×8’ square dish with wax paper or a silicone mat and lightly grease, set aside.

Make the Fruit Snack Mixture

I share how to make green, red, orange and blue/purple fruit snacks in this recipe. You really can use any combination of fruits and vegetables. Each mixture contains 1 cup of fruit and ¼ cup vegetables. You

Begin by putting the fruit, vegetables and ¼ cup apple juice in the container of your Vitamix and secure the lid.

Then, turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed to high. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. (add more juice 1 Tablespoon at a time if necessary, until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency).

For green use green grapes and spinach (or zucchini).

To make red, use strawberries and beets.

For orange fruit snacks, use peaches and carrots.

For blue use blueberries and zucchini.

Then, add the honey and vanilla and blend until smooth. Taste the mixture and add more honey if desired.

Once the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a small saucepan and whisk in the gelatin.

Heat on medium heat until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is no longer grainy when touched (about 3 minutes). Make sure it does not boil.

Using a dropper, fill the silicone molds. Or pour your mixture into your prepared baking pan. I suggest keeping the saucepan on the warm burner (with the heat source turned off) as you fill the molds. That way the mixture remains slightly warm and cools more slowly.

Be sure to work quickly. The fruit/veggie fruit snack mixture begins to thicken as it cools. I

Transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.

Once set remove from molds and enjoy.

If you don’t have molds then simply spread the mixture in ax 8×8″ pan lined with wax paper. Let the Homemade Fruit Snacks set and then cut them with a warm, sharp knife.

Serve

I suggest serving these fruit snacks slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Store/Freeze

Homemade fruit snacks can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Thaw slowly in the refrigerator before serving.

Homemade Fruit Snacks Recipe FAQs

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Homemade Fruit Snacks Recipe

This homemade fruit snacks recipe is made with whole fruits & vegetables! A healthy, high-protein snack loaded with nutrients – better than store bought!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Chilling time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 57.7kcal

Author Laura

Cost $8

Equipment

• Vitamix blender
• fruit snack molds
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• spatula

Ingredients

• 1 cup fruit chopped
• ¼ cup vegetables chopped (and peeled if necessary)
• ¼ to ½ cup pure apple juice no added sugar
• 2 Tablespoons raw honey
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons gelatin preferably collagen, grass-fed

Green:

• 1 cup green grapes
• ¼ cup spinach

Red:

• 1 cup strawberries diced
• ¼ cup beets

Orange:

• 1 cup peaches chopped
• ¼ cup carrots

Blue/purple:

• 1 cup blueberries
• ¼ cup zucchini

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place silicone molds on a large baking sheet or line an 8×8’ square dish with wax paper and lightly grease, set aside.
• Place fruit, vegetable and ¼ cup apple juice in the container of a high powered blender (Vitamix) and secure the lid.
• Turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed to high. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. (add more juice 1 Tablespoon at a time if necessary, until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency).
• Add honey and vanilla and blend until smooth
• Taste mixture and add more honey, if desired.
• Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and whisk in gelatin.
• Heat on medium heat until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is no longer grainy (about 3 minutes).* Make sure it does not boil.
• Using a dropper, fill the silicone molds. Or pour your mixture into your prepared baking pan. (I suggest keeping the saucepan on the warm burner (with the heat source turned off) as you fill the molds. That way the mixture remains slightly warm and cools more slowly).
• Transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.
• Once set remove from molds and enjoy. If using a baking dish, remove from the dish, cut and serve or store.

Video

Notes

*Tip on doneness: to ensure the gelatin is dissolved, put a small amount on your thumb. Then rub your thumb and pointer finger together. If it’s smooth, the gelatin is dissolved. If it’s grainy, keep cooking. 

Ingredient Substitutions

• Fruit: I have given suggestions for the different fruits I used to make each color, but you can let your preferences drive you here. The only two fruits that you cannot use are Kiwi and Pineapple. They contain the enzyme bromelain, which breaks down the proteins in the gelatin and will prevent the fruit snacks from setting up.
• Vegetables: the same freedom applies with the vegetables, use your favorites. Each mixture contains 1 cup of fruit and ¼ cup vegetables. You can use all fruit if you don’t want to add vegetables.
• Juice:  I highly recommend using an organic, unsweetened juice variety of your choice. I chose apple because it has a neutral color and flavor, but you can use any flavor you like.

Store

Store homemade fruit snacks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 57.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.5g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 28.8mg | Potassium: 84.7mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 9.1g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 20.4mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Note this recipe was published in 2017, and has been updated with process photographs and a video and additional helpful information, but the recipe itself remains unchanged.

try these recipes

Homemade Granola Bars

Chocolate Date Energy Balls

Crispy Baked Kale Chips

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Best Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Peanut Butter Protein Balls (Energy Balls)

In this fruit salsa recipe, in-season summer fruits are finely diced, then tossed with a jam & honey “dressing” and served with some homemade cinnamon tortilla chips.

This recipe is a fresh and delicious summer appetizer (just like this layered Greek dip and bruschetta) that everyone absolutely loves! My kids ask me to make it all the time in the summer months.

This fruit salsa is such a crowd-pleaser that it is always the first appetizer to disappear at any party or barbecue!

Fruit Salsa Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions 

• Seasonal fruit. I’ve given a list of our favorite combination of fruits to use in this recipe. You can substitute them with your favorites – or what you have on hand.
• Seedless jam. It’s important to use seedless jam or fruit preserves in this recipe. Our top 3 favorite varieties are strawberry jam/preserves, seedless raspberry jam, and apricot jam.
• Honey. agave or maple syrup work well too.
• Tortillas. We prefer to use flour tortillas for this recipe, but you can choose your favorite. Corn also work well. If you don’t want to make the cinnamon chips, try these Siete cinnamon chips – they are so delicious! Or you can use cinnamon sugar pita chips.
• Butter. melted coconut oil or ghee are good substitutes.
• Granulated sugar. white sugar or organic cane sugar are the best choices.

How To Make Fruit Salsa

Let’s walk through how to make fruit salsa together, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by combining the jam, honey, vanilla and granulated sugar in a small bowl.

Then, put all the fruit in a large bowl – preferably one with a lid. Stir it together very gently.

Make sure to finely dice the fruit so it’s easy to eat, and so that there are pieces of each fruit in every bite. The only fruit not chopped are the raspberries.

Next, add the jam mixture and stir again – very gently so you don’t break down the fruit.

Then, put the lid on the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight.

Make the Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

While the fruit salsa is chilling, make the cinnamon sugar chips. Begin by lightly greasing a large baking sheet.

Then, combine the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.

Next, brush each tortilla with melted butter and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the melted butter.

Cut each tortilla into 8 triangular pieces, then spread them evenly on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until they are just barely golden brown and slightly puffed.

Then, transfer the cinnamon chips from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve

Transfer the fruit salsa to a serving bowl on a large platter, then arrange the cinnamon tortilla chips on the platter around the bowl. A chip and dip serving set is perfect for this.

It’s a great appetizer to your favorite barbecue recipes.

Store

Store leftover fruit salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to store the cinnamon chips separately, in an airtight container at room temperature.

Fruit Salsa Recipe FAQs

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

This fruit salsa with cinnamon chips is a fresh & delicious summer appetizers! Loaded with seasonal fruits, it's always the hit of the party!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Chilling time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16 Servings

Calories 113.6kcal

Author Laura

Cost $8

Equipment

• glass batter bowl
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• spatula

Ingredients

Fruit Salsa

• 1 pound strawberries (finely chopped, 3 cups)
• 2 kiwis (finely diced)
• 1 apple (finely diced)
• 1 peach (finely diced)
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons seedless fruit preserves or jam

Cinnamon Sugar Chips:

• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter (melted)
• 8 tortillas

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the Fruit Salsa

• Combine honey, sugar, vanilla and jam in a small bowl.
• Add all chopped fruit to a large glass bowl (with a lid) and stir to combine.
• Gently stir in the jam mixture until evenly distributed.
• Put the lid on the bowl and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight.

Make the Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two large baking sheet, set aside.
• Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl, set aside.
• Using a pastry brush, brush each tortilla with melted butter on one side.
• Sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon sugar on each tortilla.
• Cut each tortilla into eight triangular pieces with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
• Evenly place the cinnamon sugar tortillas on two large baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10-11 minutes or until they are just barely golden brown and just begin to puff.
• Remove from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack or plate.

Serve

• Transfer the fruit salsa to a serving bowl. Put it on a platter and arrange the cinnamon chips on the platter around the bowl.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

• Seasonal fruit. I’ve given a list of our favorite combination of fruits to use in this recipe. You can substitute them with your favorites – or what you have on hand.
• Seedless jam. It’s important to use seedless jam or fruit preserves in this recipe. Our top 3 favorite varieties are strawberry jam/preserves, seedless raspberry jam, and apricot jam.
• Honey. agave or maple syrup work well too.
• Tortillas. We prefer to use flour tortillas for this recipe, but you can choose your favorite. Corn also work well. If you don’t want to make the cinnamon chips, try these Siete cinnamon chips – they are so delicious! Or you can use cinnamon sugar pita chips.
• Butter. melted coconut oil or ghee are good substitutes.
• Granulated sugar. white sugar or organic cane sugar are the best choices.

Store

I recommend storing this fruit salsa recipe in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 113.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1.8g | Fat: 3.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 38.8mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.8mg

try these recipes

Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

Pineapple Salsa

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Easy Guacamole Recipe (5 Minutes)

Chocolate Hummus

Summer Fruit Salad

We eat spaghetti in our house at least once a week, and I was so tired of sub-par jarred sauces that I created this homemade marinara sauce recipe and have never looked back.

This easy marinara sauce is as simple as it is delicious. Made with 9 ingredients in 30 minutes, it’s delicious served with homemade meatballs or your favorite Italian recipes for quick and hearty weeknight dinner.

Marinara Sauce: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Onion. I suggest a sweet white or yellow onion for the best results.
• Minced garlic. Use freshly minced or jarred.
• Olive oil. I really don’t recommend substitutes, but if you must, avocado oil is the next best choice.
• Whole Peeled Tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes for ease – to use fresh tomatoes, you need to boil and peel the tomatoes, then use in this recipe as directed. You can also use crushed or diced tomatoes if you don’t keep whole, peeled tomatoes on hand.
• Fresh basil. No substitutes here!
• Dried oregano. you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano with 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano.
• Granulated sugar. honey is a good substitute for sugar. This just helps cut the acidity of the marinara sauce, it does not make the sauce sweet.
• Or, if you want to make a sauce with meat, try this meat sauce for spaghetti.

How to Make Marinara Sauce

Well walk through the steps in this marinara sauce recipe together, and be sure to watch the video for extra guidance.

Begin by cooking the onion, olive oil, onion and garlic in a 5-quart saucepan until onion is soft, stirring occasionally (about 3-5 minutes).

Then, add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and sugar and stir to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, breaking up the tomatoes into smaller pieces.

After 20 minutes, transfer the marinara sauce to a blender, or use an immersion blender, and blend until smooth (note this is optional if you like a chunkier sauce).

Serve

Marinara sauce is a key ingredient in so many Italian recipes – and pairs well with many of our favorite Italian dishes. Here are some serving suggestions:

• Serve it with spaghetti and homemade meatballs (or turkey meatballs, chicken meatballs or gluten-free meatballs).
• Make homemade whole wheat pasta or homemade gnocchi and serve it on top.
• Use it to make Baked Goat Cheese Dip.
• Or in this pizza casserole or Italian stuffed peppers.

Store

Store leftover sauce in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Freeze

Freeze leftover sauce in a glass jar (make sure to leave some room at the top because the sauce expands in the freezer), for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature, reheat on the stovetop.

Marinara Sauce Recipe FAQS

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe

This homemade marinara sauce recipe is easy to make in 30 minutes. It's smooth and flavorful and so more delicious than store-bought marinara sauce.

Course Main Course, sauce

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 40kcal

Author Laura

Cost $6

Equipment

• 5 Quart Sauce Pan
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• Vitamix blender

Ingredients

• 1 small onion diced (1 cup onion)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 28 oz whole tomatoes peeled (https://amzn.to/3p6c7Ra)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey

Instructions

• Add onion, olive oil, onion and garlic to a 5-quart saucepan. Cover and cook until onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and sugar and stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, breaking up the tomatoes into smaller pieces.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender, or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth (note this is optional if you like a chunkier sauce).
• Serve on top of your favorite pasta, tortellini, etc.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Notes/Substitutions

• Onion. I suggest a sweet white or yellow onion for the best results.
• Minced garlic. Use freshly minced or jarred.
• Olive oil. I really don’t recommend substitutes, but if you must, avocado oil is the next best choice.
• Whole Peeled Tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes for ease – to use fresh tomatoes, you need to boil and peel the tomatoes, then use in this recipe as directed.
• Dried oregano. you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano with 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano.
• Granulated sugar. honey is a good substitute for sugar. This just helps cut the acidity of the marinara sauce, it does not make the sauce sweet.

Store

Store leftover sauce in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Freeze

Freeze leftover sauce in a glass jar (make sure to leave some room at the top because the sauce expands in the freezer), for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature, reheat on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Try these Recipes

Homemade Meatballs Recipe

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Turkey Meatballs

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

My kids adore salmon – and this oven baked salmon recipe is their favorite (they also love maple salmon)!

Seriously, the 6 of them can devour many pounds of salmon in one sitting, and I absolutely love making it for them because it’s so good for their little growing bodes (plus, I love it too).

In this baked salmon recipe – a delicious homemade spice mixture is rubbed all over the salmon, then it’s baked to just the right temperature to ensure it remains moist. The entire recipe takes 20 minutes from start to finish – making it perfect for busy weeknights.

Oven Baked Salmon: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Wild caught salmon. I always try to buy wild-caught salmon when it’s available. Any variety of salmon will do – but this will yield the best results.
• Spices: I use a blend of spices that compliment the fish very well. Feel free to adjust them as you wish, or substitute dried herbs with fresh.
• Cane sugar. white sugar or brown sugar are good substitutes for canes sugar.

How to Bake Salmon in the Oven

Let’s walk through how to cook salmon in the oven step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by making the rub. Plus the rub ingredients together in a high-powered blender or food processor until a coarse powder forms (no more large pieces of rosemary remain), about 5 seconds.

Once the rub is ready, place the salmon on a baking sheet or in a 9×13” baking dish and brush it with olive oil.

Then, sprinkle the rub evenly over the salmon on the top and sides.

At this point, you can cover the salmon with aluminum foil and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to let the rub really penetrate the fish. Or, you can bake it right away.

I usually prepare the salmon at lunch to cook for dinner!

Next, bake the salmon at 425°F for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F. 

Serve

Remove the salmon from the oven and serve warm with your favorite side dishes. Here are some serving suggestions:

• Serve with roasted veggies like: roasted broccoli, roasted carrots, asparagus and Brussels sprouts.
• Green salads make a great side, try these: burrata salad, kale salad, panzanella salad, spinach salad, and broccoli salad.
• Potatoes go great with everything! Try this potato salad, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and crispy roasted potatoes.
• Serve with wild rice!

Store/Freeze

Store leftover baked salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Oven Baked Salmon Recipe FAQS

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Oven Baked Salmon Recipe

This oven baked salmon recipe is an easy healthy main dish ready in 20 minutes! Salmon is brushed with olive oil, seasoned with a delicious homemade rub and baked.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Lactose

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes minutes

Total Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 194kcal

Author Laura

Cost $20

Equipment

• Food processor
• Vitamix blender
• measuring spoons
• baking sheet

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds wild caught salmon
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Rub

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon cane sugar

Garnish

• Fresh parsley or rosemary (optional)

Instructions

Make the rub

• Pulse rub ingredients together in a high-powered blender or food processor until a coarse powder forms (no more large pieces of rosemary remain), about 5 seconds.

Prepare the salmon

• Place the salmon on a baking sheet or in a 9×13” baking dish, skin-side down.
• Brush the salmon with olive oil.
• Then, sprinkle the rub evenly over the salmon (top and sides).
• At this point, you can cover the salmon with aluminum foil and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to let the rub really penetrate the fish. Or, you can bake it right away.

Bake

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bake the salmon in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F. (baking time depends heavily on the thickness of your salmon).

Serve

• Remove from the oven and serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley or rosemary if desired.

Video

Notes

Salmon Thickness

The baking time depends heavily on the thickness of your salmon. Bake salmon for 10 minutes per 1 inch of thickness.

Ingredient Notes/Substitutions

• Wild caught salmon. I always try to buy wild-caught salmon when it’s available. Any variety of salmon will do – but this will yield the best results.
• Spices: Feel free to adjust them as you wish, or substitute dried herbs with fresh.
• Cane sugar. white sugar or brown sugar are good substitutes for canes sugar.

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25lb salmon | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 441mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Try these recipes

Maple Salmon

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Burrata Salad

Pistachio Chicken

Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I drink a smoothie every single morning – without fail. I even pack my Vitamix in my suitcase when we travel so I can fuel my body with healthy foods like this spinach smoothie, even when we’re on vacation!

There are tons of delicious smoothie recipes on my website, and this spinach smoothie is one of them. It’s light and refreshing and loaded with nutrition from frozen fruit and fresh spinach.

It takes less than 5 minutes to make with 5 ingredients. Plus this spinach smoothie recipe is completely customizable, add a variety of mix-ins to make it your own. Enjoy it alongside peanut butter oatmeal, cottage cheese pancakes, etc.

Spinach Smoothie: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Almond milk. use your favorite milk – whole milk, 2%, coconut milk, etc.
• Fresh spinach. Frozen spinach works well too, however make sure you use 2 cups of loosely packed frozen leaves.
• Frozen Banana. Adding frozen banana to smoothies is the best way to sweeten and impart a smooth texture. Using frozen banana instead of ice ensures the flavor isn’t watered down.
• Frozen fruit.  you can choose any variety of fruit you would like. I prefer a tropical flair for our spinach smoothie. You can substitute apples, oranges, pears, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. Use a total of 1 cup of fruit. If using fresh fruit (not frozen) freeze your fresh spinach so it is frozen.

How to Make a Spinach Smoothie

Let’s walk through how to make a spinach smoothie together, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Use a Vitamix

For the best smoothies I recommend using a Vitamix blender. Check out this Vitamix Buying Guide to learn why I chose Vitamix 10+ years ago and never looked back! 

Add ingredients to blending container

Begin by adding all the ingredients in the order listed in the spinach smoothie recipe to the container of a Vitamix blender (or another high-powered blender).

Add the milk first, then the rest of the ingredients, for easy blending. Then add the honey on top of the frozen fruit so that it doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the blending container.

Blend the Spinach Smoothie

Once the ingredients are in the blending container, secure the lid and blend until the mixture is smooth – starting on low speed and increasing to high. Use the tamper to press the ingredients to the blades (if using a Vitamix).

Then, blend on high speed for 50-60 seconds until mixture is smooth.

Spinach Smoothie Optional Mix-Ins

You can add some nutritional boosters to this spinach smoothie, here are some suggestions.

• Greens. Add kale, chard, etc. in place of some of the spinach, if desired.
• Protein powder. Adding a scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder is a great choice.
• Chia seeds.  for some extra protein and fiber, add 1 tablespoon chia seeds and drink the smoothie immediately. 
• Nut butter. some cashew butter or almond butter (or homemade vanilla almond butter) are great choices.
• Bee Pollen. I love putting this in my smoothies for flavor and nutrients.

Serve

Once you have finished blending, pour the spinach smoothie into 1 to 4 glasses (depending on who you’re sharing it with) and serve immediately.

Store/Freeze

You can store leftover spinach smoothie in a glass jar with a lid for up to 1 day in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Spinach Smoothie Recipe FAQS

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Spinach Smoothie Recipe

This spinach smoothie recipe is a healthy and delicious way to enjoy your greens! Made with 5 ingredients in 5 minutes, it's the perfect quick breakfast or snack.

Course Breakfast, Drinks, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Calories 262kcal

Author Laura

Cost $5

Equipment

• Vitamix blender
• measuring cups

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups almond milk
• 2 cups spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 1 banana frozen
• ½ cup pineapple frozen
• ½ cup mango frozen
• Optional add ins: protein powder bee pollen, collagen, etc.

Instructions

• Put ingredients into the container of a Vitamix blender in the order listed.
• Start blending on low speed and increase to high.
• Blend on high speed for 50-60 seconds until mixture is smooth.
• Pour into 1 to 4 glasses and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

• Almond milk. use your favorite milk – whole milk, 2%, coconut milk, etc.
• Fresh spinach. Frozen spinach works well too, however make sure you use 2 cups of loosely packed frozen leaves.
• Frozen Banana. Adding frozen banana to smoothies is the best way to sweeten and impart a smooth texture. Using frozen banana instead of ice ensures the flavor isn’t watered down.
  
•  
• Frozen fruit.  you can choose any variety of fruit you would like. I prefer a tropical flair for our spinach smoothie. You can substitute apples, oranges, pears, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. Use a total of 1 cup of fruit. If using fresh fruit (not frozen) freeze your fresh spinach so it is frozen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Smoothie (full recipe) | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 986mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 6642IU | Vitamin C: 97mg | Calcium: 535mg | Iron: 2mg

More delicious recipes

Best Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Banana Spinach Muffins

Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal

Egg Muffins

Best Green Smoothie Recipe

Smoothie Bowl Recipe – 3 Ways

I adore beets. Whether they’re in a salad, blended into a smoothie or roasted and eaten all by themselves, beets are a delicious & versatile vegetable and nutritional powerhouse.

This Oven Roasted Beets recipe is my favorite way to prepare fresh beets. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness, which is enhanced by a drizzle honey and balsamic vinegar. Roasting beets also give them the best texture (not mushy like boiled beets).

Roasted beets taste like vegetable candy, and are so delicious my kids love them too!

Roasted Beets: Ingredients & Substitutions 

• Fresh Beets. You could use drained canned beets, but fresh are so much better. Any color of beet (or a mixture of colors) works well.
• Olive oil. Any neutral tasting oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, etc. is a good substitute.
• Balsamic Vinegar is an ingredient I splurge on. A high-quality balsamic vinegar should be thick and naturally sweet. If your vinegar pours like water instead of syrup and tastes sour then you do not have a quality product and your recipe will not turn out as delicious.
• Honey. Use pure maple syrup for a vegan version. If you are using the highest quality balsamic vinegar you can omit the sweetener. However I find that kids are more likely to eat and enjoy these roasted beets if I use a little honey/syrup.

How to Roast Beets 

Let’s walk through this roasted beets recipe together, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by using a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the beets. This is a messy process, but will be worth it in the end! Peeling and chopping the beets before roasting cuts down the bake time significantly.

Then, drizzle the peeled & chopped beets with olive oil and sprinkle them with sea salt. Make sure to stir them well.

Next, spread the seasoned beets in an even layer on a large baking pan.

Then, roast the beets in the oven for 30 minutes, or until they are soft to the touch, stirring once halfway through. Note: the size of the beet cubes will greatly effect baking time.

Roasting the beets before adding the balsamic glaze will ensure that the glaze doesn’t burn before the beets are fully cooked.

While the beets are roasting, combine the honey and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.

After 30 minutes, remove the beets from the oven and drizzle the balsamic glaze over them. Stir until they are evenly coated.

Then, return the beets to the oven and roast an additional 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The beets are done when they are soft to the touch and the balsamic glaze has thickened and coated the them. 

Serve

Transfer the roasted beets from the baking pan to a dish and serve. I chose to garnish them with chopped beet greens, you can also use parsley, fresh rosemary, or basil as delicious & beautiful garnishes.

I suggest serving them on a salad, like burrata salad or kale salad. Or as a side to your favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Store

Store roasted beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop if desired, or serve them cold.

FAQs about Roasted Beets

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Balsamic Roasted Beets Recipe

Made with 5 ingredients including fresh beets, this easy Roasted Beets recipe is a delicious side dish or addition to any salad. Follow our step-by-step instructions to learn how to roast beets in the oven.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 61.2kcal

Author Laura

Equipment

• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• spatula
• glass batter bowl
• baking sheet

Ingredients

• 3 beets peeled & diced (about 3 cups)*
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey (pure maple syrup for a vegan version)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a large baking sheet or dish, set aside.
• Peel and cut 3 beets into ½” cubes.
• Toss beets with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and ½ tsp sea salt.
• Spread onto a greased baking sheet in an even layer.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beets are soft to the touch, stirring once halfway through.
• While the beets are roasting, combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl.
• After 30 minutes (or when beets are soft to the touch), remove the beets from the oven and drizzle the honey/vinegar mixture over the beets on the baking sheet.
• Stir until all the beets are evenly coated.
• Return to the oven for 10 minutes ( until the balsamic/honey mixture coats the beets), stirring once half way through.
• Remove from the oven and serve warm or store and serve later over your favorite salads.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions 

• • Fresh Beets.  Any color of beet (or a mixture of colors) works well.

• • Olive oil. Any neutral tasting oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, etc. is a good substitute.

• • Balsamic Vinegar is an ingredient I splurge on. A high-quality balsamic vinegar should be thick and naturally sweet. If your vinegar pours like water instead of syrup and tastes sour then you do not have a quality product and your recipe will not turn out as delicious.

• • Honey. Use pure maple syrup for a vegan version. If you are using the highest quality balsamic vinegar you can omit the sweetener. However I find that kids are more likely to eat and enjoy these roasted beets if I use a little honey/syrup.

How to prevent staining your hands: 

Wear rubber or plastic gloves while peeling and cutting the beet.s

Note on baking time: 

The size the beets are cut to makes a difference in roasting time. Please be aware of this and check your beets after 15 minutes of cooking to ensure they are not getting overdone! 

How to Roast Whole Beets

*Instead of peeling and cutting the beets, you could roast them whole in the following way:

1. Wrap beets individually in aluminum foil and set on a baking sheet.
2. Roast in an oven set to 450 degrees F until the beets are soft to the touch, 50-70 minutes depending on the size of the beets.
3. Remove skin from beets with your hands or a vegetable peeler. (at this point you can store the roasted beets until later when you’re ready to add the rest of the ingredients, dice and roast)
4. Dice and toss with recipe ingredients.
5. Roast for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees F until beets are soft and the balsamic mixture is thick and coats the beets.

Store/Freeze

Store roasted beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat them in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop if desired, or serve them cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 61.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.7g | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 2.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Sodium: 142.3mg | Potassium: 223.1mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7.5g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.6mg

More Delicious recipes

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Oven Roasted Green Beans

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Oven Roasted Carrots

Oven Roasted Asparagus

I often order sweet potato fries when we go out to eat because they’re my favorite. However, these homemade sweet potato fries are even more delicious and healthier than any frozen or restaurant varieties.

Many store-bought or restaurant fries contain unnecessary ingredients such as vegetable oil, corn starch, food coloring (not joking), and preservatives.

But these homemade sweet potato fries are made with 4 nutritious ingredients and they are baked, not fried. Also try these roasted sweet potato cubes!

Sweet Potato Fries: Ingredient Substitutions & Notes

• Sweet potatoes. I recommend using organic sweet potatoes! Red garnet yams are also a good choice.
• Olive oil. Use pure, organic olive oil for the best flavor. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
• Fine sea salt. I always use this fine mineral sea salt in all my baking and cooking – highly recommend. You can use regular salt, you may just need to decrease the amount slightly.
• Black pepper. use freshly ground pepper for best results.

How to Make Sweet Potato Fries

We’ll walk through how to make sweet potato fries step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. I have seen many different, more complicated methods for making these, but I have found this straightforward technique to be the best!

Begin by preheating the oven oven to 425 degrees F and greasing a large baking sheet (21” x 15”) or two regular sized baking sheets with olive oil.

Then, cut the sweet potatoes into long matchsticks and put them in a large mixing bowl.

Note: the thickness/size of the sweet potatoes will greatly affect baking time. You can use a knife and cut them thin or a mandolin.

Then, pour ¼ cup olive oil over the sweet potatoes in the bowl and stir until they are evenly coated.

Sprinkle half of the sea salt over the sweet potatoes, stir, and repeat with the second half plus the black pepper.

Spread the sweet potatoes evenly in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stir, and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve warm immediately.

Serve

Here are some serving suggestions:

• Serve them with the best meatloaf (or turkey meatloaf)
• I often make them with these Greek meatballs, greek salad, and tzatziki.
• Pair with your favorite chicken recipes, like baked chicken breasts, hummus baked chicken, etc.

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat over low heat on the stovetop or by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and reheating until they are warmed through. You can reheat them in the microwave – but they won’t be as crispy.

Recipe FAQs

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These baked sweet potato fries are easy to make with only 4 ingredients! Homemade sweet potato fries are healthier and tastier than frozen or restaurant varieties.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 47 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 157kcal

Author Laura

Cost $3

Equipment

• mixing bowls
• measuring spoons
• spatula
• 2 baking sheet

Ingredients

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Extra olive oil for greasing the pans

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet (21” x 15”) or two regular sized baking sheets
• Cut sweet potatoes into long matchsticks and put them in a large mixing bowl.*
• Pour ¼ cup olive oil over sweet potatoes, stir until the potatoes are evenly coated.
• Sprinkle half of the sea salt over the sweet potatoes, stir, and repeat with the second half plus the black pepper.
• Spread the sweet potatoes evenly in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet(s).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stir, and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. If you do not have a convection oven, switch the baking sheets between the top and bottom halfway through baking.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

* Note: the thickness/size of the sweet potatoes will greatly affect baking time. You can use a knife and cut them thin or a mandolin.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Sweet potatoes. I recommend using organic sweet potatoes! Red garnet yams are also a good choice.
• Olive oil. Use pure, organic olive oil for the best flavor. Avocado oil is a good substitute.
• Fine sea salt. I always use this fine mineral sea salt in all my baking and cooking – highly recommend. You can use regular salt, you may just need to decrease the amount slightly.
• Black pepper. use freshly ground pepper for best results.

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat over low heat on the stovetop or by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and reheating until they are warmed through. You can reheat them in the microwave – but they won’t be as crispy.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 16088IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Try These Recipes

Candied Yams

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Soup

Roasted Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

Best Sweet Potato Casserole

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples

I created this slow cooker pulled chicken recipe as a delicious but simple way to prepare chicken breasts.

I always prefer to cook meat in the crockpot, and this slow cooker shredded chicken isn’t an exception. The meat always turns out tender, flavorful, and easy for my little ones to chew – which is important for babies and kids who are in the phase of losing teeth!

This slow cooker pulled chicken recipe is easy to make with 5 simple ingredients. It’s flavorful enough to serve on its own, but seasoned in a way that make sit incredibly versatile (also try slow cooker barbecue chicken, slow cooker Italian chicken and crock pot teriyaki chicken)!

It can be used in a variety of different dishes. I often use this recipe to cook chicken for chicken pot pie (or healthy chicken pot pie), chicken noodle soup, chicken & rice soup, chicken tetrazzini and to make chicken salad (or avocado chicken salad).

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Chicken breasts. Both, chicken thighs or a combination of thighs and breasts work well.
• Chicken broth. Use ready-made broth or make your own with 1 cup water and 1 tsp better than bullion)
• Paprika. smoked paprika tastes amazing in this recipe. You can also add more seasonings like oregano, cumin, coriander, fresh herbs, etc. if you want to experiment with new flavors.
• Salt. It’s always better to start with less salt because you can always add more later, but you can’t remove it from the recipe once it’s in there!
• Onion. yellow, white, or red onions are all great choices.
• Minced garlic. Fresh or jarred both work well. You can substitute 1 tablespoon minced garlic with 1 tsp garlic powder.

How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Crock Pot

Let’s walk through how to make shredded chicken in the crock pot step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by whisking together chicken broth, paprika, salt, pepper, onion, and minced garlic in the container of a slow cooker.

Then, add the chicken breasts and turn to coat.

Next, cook the chicken breasts on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours until they are fork tender.

Then, shred the chicken with two forks, turn crockpot to low, and let the mixture cook for another 30-60 minutes (to soak up the juice). Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

You can also remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it in a separate bowl with forks or using a standing mixer.

Serve

Serve the slow cooker pulled chicken warm with your favorite sides here are some suggestions:

• We always serve it with a vegetable side or salad recipe like Roasted vegetables, roasted broccoli, kale salad, burrata salad, etc.
• Serve it with potatoes like these mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, etc.

Or, use the crockpot shredded chicken in your favorite recipe that calls for cooked chicken. Here are some of our favorites:

• Chicken pot pie (or healthy chicken pot pie)
• Soup: chicken noodle soup, chicken & rice soup
• Chicken salad or avocado chicken salad

Store

Store leftover slow cooker pulled chicken in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Freeze

Put the shredded chicken in a freezer-friendly, airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Pulled Chicken Recipe FAQs

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

This simple slow cooker pulled chicken recipe is easy, versatile and a great way to meal prep chicken for the week. This flavorful slow cooker shredded chicken is made with only 5 ingredients and can be used in a variety of ways – in soups, chicken salad sandwiches, pot pies, casseroles, etc.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 137kcal

Author Laura

Cost $8

Equipment

• Slow Cooker
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water + 1 teaspoon better than bullion)
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt* (or to taste, see note)
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• ½ onion diced
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

Instructions

• Whisk together chicken broth, paprika, salt, pepper, onion, and minced garlic in the container of a slow cooker.
• Then, add the chicken breasts and turn to coat.
• Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours until fork tender.
• Shred the chicken with two forks (alternatively, you can remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it in a separate bowl with forks or use a standing mixer).
• Then, turn the crockpot to low, and let the mixture cook for another 30-60 minutes (to soak up the juice). Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
• Serve warm.

Video

Notes

*Do not add any salt if you are using better than bullion. If using chicken broth, the amount needed will depend on the salt content of the broth. I suggest starting by adding ¼ tsp. You can always add salt later, but you can’t remove it.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Chicken breasts. Chicken thighs or a combination of thighs and breasts work well.
• Chicken broth. Use ready-made broth or make your own with 1 cup water and 1 tsp better than bullion)
• Paprika. smoked paprika tastes amazing in this recipe. You can also add more seasonings like oregano, cumin, coriander, fresh herbs, etc. if you want to experiment with new flavors.
• Salt. It’s always better to start with less salt because you can always add more later, but you can’t remove it from the recipe once it’s in there!
• Onion. yellow, white, or red onions are all great choices.
• Minced garlic. Fresh or jarred both work well. You can substitute 1 tablespoon minced garlic with 1 tsp garlic powder.

Store

Store leftover slow cooker pulled chicken in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Feeze

Put the shredded chicken in a freezer-friendly, airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

try these recipes

Best Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (From Scratch)

Best Chicken Salad Recipe

Chicken Tetrazzini

Pecan Cranberry Chicken Salad

Healthy Avocado Chicken Salad

Chicken Noodle Soup

I first had pistachio chicken when my friend made it for a dinner party at her house. Between the three moms present we had 18 kids (6 each) and every single one devoured the meal!

I fell in love with it and asked her for the recipe. She said it was simple and she just coated chicken with ground up pistachios! So I got to work creating the most delicious pistachio crusted chicken recipe.

This pistachio chicken is easy to make with 5 ingredients. I often prepare it before naps and store the pistachio coated chicken in the refrigerator until we’re ready to bake & eat it at dinnertime.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, keto, etc. etc. but we love it because it’s delicious! My daughter even chose this as her birthday dinner – which is a big deal around here!

Pistachio Chicken: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Chicken breasts. You can use chicken tenders, which saves the step of cutting the breasts into strips. I don’t love the stringy tendon in most tenders, which is why I usually opt for chicken breasts.
• Avocado or Olive Oil cooking spray. I choose to use a spray oil (non-aerosol) because it coats the chicken evenly and lightly without using too much oil. You can use regular olive oil or avocado oil, if you prefer. Or a canola oil cooking spray (but I’m trying to decrease the amount of canola oil we use).
• Dry roasted, salted pistachios. You can use an unsalted pistachio, you will just want to add more salt to the chicken before baking.

How to make pistachio chicken

This pistachio crusted chicken is really easy to make, but as always we’ll walk through the processes step-by step. Don’t forget to watch the video!

Begin by greasing two large baking sheets, then set them aside to use later.

Crush the pistachios

Place pistachios in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, or in the container of a high-powered blender and process/blend (pulse) until coarse crumbs form.

If using a high powered blender (like a Vitamix), be very careful not to over-blend the pistachios and turn them into powder or nut butter!

Coat the Chicken

Next, transfer the crushed pistachios from the blending container to a shallow bowl.

Put the chicken in a bowl and spray with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Then, put the chicken pieces into the bowl with the pistachios and turn to coat.

Evenly place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheets, spray the tops with oil to seal the coating on.

Prepare in Advance

At this point in the recipe, you can qrap the baking sheets with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator until ready to bake (up to 3 hours). I prefer to let them sit in the fridge for at least 30-60 minutes because I feel like it helps the pistachio coating stick to the chicken.

Bake the Pistachio chicken

When you’re ready, bake the prepared pistachio chicken in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Baking time varies based on the thickness of the chicken.

Serve

Serve immediately. Here are some suggestions of dishes that pair well with this pistachio crusted chicken:

• Salad. Serve this on top of a kale salad, burrata salad, or quinoa salad!
• Serve with a side of homemade french fries or sweet potato fries.
• My daughter chose to enjoy this chicken with a side of homemade pita bread and homemade hummus for her birthday!
• Roasted vegetables. Serve this recipe with roasted carrots, roasted broccoli, roasted brussels sprouts, etc.
• Mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes are a great side to go with this pistachio chicken.

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

Pistachio Chicken Recipe FAQs

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Print

Pistachio Chicken Recipe

This pistachio chicken recipe is easy to make with 5ingredients. Pistachio crusted chicken is a gluten-free, paleo and keto main dish that is loved by both adults and children!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 197kcal

Author Laura

Cost $10

Equipment

• Food processor
• Vitamix blender
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• spatula
• glass batter bowl
• baking sheet

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breasts cut into strips (or chicken tenderloins)
• Pure olive or avocado oil cooking spray
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces pistachios roasted, salted, shelled (2 Cups)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Grease two large baking sheets – set aside.
• Place pistachios in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, or in the container of a high-powered blender and process/blend (pulse) until coarse crumbs form (be careful not to turn them into a powder). Put the crushed pistachios in a shallow bowl.
• Put chicken in a bowl and spray with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Place chicken pieces into the bowl with the pistachios and turn to coat.
• Evenly place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheets, spray the tops with oil to seal the coating on.
• *to prepare in advance: wrap the baking sheets with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator until ready to bake (up to 3 hours). I prefer to let them sit in the fridge for at least 30-60 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Baking time varies based on the thickness of the chicken.
• Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions 

• Chicken breasts. You can use chicken tenders, which saves the step of cutting the breasts into strips. I don’t love the stringy tendon in most tenders, which is why I usually opt for chicken breasts!
• Avocado or Olive Oil cooking spray. I choose to use a spray oil (non-aerosol) because it coats the chicken evenly and lightly without using too much oil. You can use regular olive oil or avocado oil, if you prefer. Or a canola oil cooking spray.
• Dry roasted, salted pistachios. You can use an unsalted pistachio, you will just want to add more salt to the chicken before baking.

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Try these recipes

Oven Baked Salmon Recipe

Baked Hummus Chicken

Bruschetta Chicken

Maple Salmon

Baked Pesto Chicken

Oven Roasted Broccoli