These 15-Minute Chorizo Sloppy Joes Have a Smart Shortcut

Our old friend sloppy Joe gets a little feisty, and we like it.

By
Liv Dansky
Liv Dansky
Liv Dansky is a recipe tester and developer in the Dotdash Meredith Test Kitchens. Her recipes have been published in Real Simple, Southern Living, Food & Wine, and Eating Well, among other publications. Liv discovered a love of eating food, writing about food, and making food at a young age.
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and
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published October 18, 2023
Close-up: chorizo sloppy joe ith a few avocado slices and a crushed fritos

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

This lunchtime favorite is all grown up and it’s feeling feisty. Don’t get us wrong, we love a traditional sloppy Joe as much as the next person, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like mixing things up every now and again.  

Enter the spicy chorizo sloppy Joe. You start by browning fresh Mexican chorizo until just cooked through. Then up the ante by stirring in two pouches of skillet sauce. Finish it off by scooping it onto toasted hamburger buns and topping it with fresh avocado (yum) and corn chips (yummier). These easy, saucy, salty, crunchy, flavor-packed sandwiches are what dreams are made of.

Mexican Chorizo for The Win

Mexican chorizo is a fresh sausage made from ground pork, pork fat, chile peppers, vinegar, and spices such as cinnamon, cumin, and coriander. Chorizo is easy to spot because it has a distinctive red color from the red chile peppers, but don’t confuse it with shelf stable Spanish chorizo, which is cured and smoked. Chorizo is slightly spicy, but the spice level can vary from brand to brand. If your chorizo happens to be spicier than you’d like, add a touch of ketchup to your sloppy Joe mixture–its sweetness will help tame the heat. 

Chorizo sloppy joe (with avocado slices and crushed Fritos) on a plate with a fork at a table setting with another serving on another plate, two glasses of beer, a bowl of crushed Fritos, and a colorful stripped kitchen towel

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Thank Goodness for Skillet Sauce

Skillet sauces, like Frontera, are a fantastic way to add flavor quickly. Pick your favorite flavor profile, mix it with chorizo, and enjoy the easiest sloppy joe in the world!

Entering the World of Sloppy Joes

Easy Chorizo Sloppy Joes

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 servings
Yield 3 cups chorizo mixture

If you want a little more spice in your life, we recommend throwing a few slices of fresh or pickled jalapeños on top.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds  bulk fresh Mexican chorizo

  • 1 (8-ounce) package red chile enchilada sauce (preferably Frontera Red Chile Enchilada Sauce with Roasted Tomato and Garlic)

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 4 sesame seed hamburger buns, split and toasted

  • 1 large avocado, thinly sliced

  • 3/4 cup corn chips (such as Fritos), roughly crushed if needed

Method

  1. Cook the chorizo:

    Starting in a cold nonstick skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller pieces, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. 

    Transfer the chorizo to a medium bowl using a slotted spoon. Remove the drippings from the skillet; discard or reserve for another use. Add the enchilada sauce and water; bring to a boil over medium-high. 

    Continue to cook over medium-high, stirring often, until the sauce is just slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved browned chorizo; cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat.

    Simple Tip!

    Chorizo blends and enchilada sauces may vary slightly in their flavor and salt level. Before piling on buns taste some of your chorizo mixture and adjust as needed, diluting with some water or tweaking the seasoning.

    Chorizo meat cooked in a skillet for chorizo sloppy joe recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
    Enchilada sauce cooking in the skillet for chorizo sloppy joe recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
    Cooked chorizo mixed with enchilada sauce in the skillet for chorizo sloppy joes recipes

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
  2. Assemble the sloppy Joes:

    Divide the chorizo mixture evenly among 4 bottom buns. Top evenly with corn chips, sliced avocado, and the remaining bun tops. Serve immediately. 

    Refrigerate leftover sloppy Joe in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a review below!

    Chorizo sloppy joe assembled with sliced avocados and crushed Fritos chips on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
405 Calories
22g Fat
45g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 405
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 6mg 2%
Sodium 890mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 28mg 140%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 629mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.