Mexican Sloppy Joes

Mexican Sloppy Joes, an easy family-friendly dinner recipe that is ready in less than 30 minutes! These homemade cheesy sandwiches can be made with ground beef, turkey, or chicken, as well as all your favorite taco toppings! Delicious!

Nothing fancy about these Mexican Sloppy Joes, which make them perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is kid-friendly! Add your favorite taco toppings like guacamole, cheese, salsa, lettuce, and tomato and you have a great meal.

I have always loved how quick and easy sloppy joes are to make. And since my kids are BIG on sandwiches, they are always a family favorite.

I wasn’t even going to post this delicious sandwich recipe since it’s so simple, but I thought we could all use a simple recipe for summer, right?!

What is a Sloppy Joe

I’m assuming most of you know what a sloppy joe sandwich is but I realize some of you may call it by a different name. I would love to hear what you all call them where you live.

A sloppy joe is a “loose meat” sandwich consisting of ground beef (or meat) with a tangy tomato sauce and served on a roll or hamburger bun.

(Full printable recipe card is at bottom of post.)

Mexican Sloppy Joe Ingredients

• Ground beef or ground chicken, turkey, pork, chorizo, or your favorite vegetarian substitute for a meatless version.
• Tomato sauce, be sure it’s PLAIN
• Taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade taco seasoning
• Rolls
• Cheddar cheese or slices of your favorite cheese
• Other toppings (optional): lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, tomato, pickled red onions, sliced olives, bell peppers, etc.

How to Make Mexican Sloppy Joes

1. COOK MEAT. Place ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, while crumbling meat with a fork or wooden spoon, about 4-6 minutes, or until meat is cooked through. Drain off excess fat.
2. ADD SAUCE. Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning to pan with meat. Stir to combine and cook another minute or two over medium-high heat until heated through.
3. MAKE SANDWICHES. Spoon meat on to bottom part of rolls. Top with slices of cheese and other favorite toppings. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions

• Top the sloppy joe sandwiches with your favorite taco toppings or whatever you have in the fridge.
• Serve with a salad, Mexican rice, tortilla chips, or even refried beans for a full Mexican meal. This Mexican Rice recipe looks tasty!
• If you like your cheese ooey-gooey, put the sandwiches (without the tops) on a baking sheet and place in the oven or under the broiler for a little while to melt the cheese.

Quick Tips for Best Results

• Be sure you use a PLAIN tomato sauce. Italian flavored pasta or pizza sauces are not a good fit for this recipe.
• Since these sandwiches are hot, serve right away. They’re not very good cold.
• Set up a “topping bar” with all your favorite toppings so everyone can make their own.

Mexican Sloppy Joe FAQ

How should I store sloppy joes?
You can make the meat filling ahead of time and reheat when serving. If you do that, store the cooked meat filling covered in the fridge.

Can I freeze sloppy joes?
You can’t freeze the sandwiches, but the cooked meat with the sauce freezes well.

How long will sloppy joes last?
In the fridge, the meat filling should last at least a few days or longer in the freezer.

Substitutions?
Instead of ground beef, you can use your favorite ground meat or meat substitute.

Can I use low-fat ingredients?
Yes! Use low-fat ground beef or meat. Low-fat cheese will also work.

What else can I add to this recipe?
You can add vegetables to the ground meat when cooking such as chopped bell peppers and onions.

Can I make this vegan/vegetarian/low carb/gluten-free?
Here are some suggestions, but I can’t guarantee results. Be sure as always to check particular brands and ingredients if you’re following a specific diet or have diet restrictions or allergies.

Vegan – Use your favorite vegan meat substitute and vegan cheese. Be sure to check specific brands of the other ingredients.

Vegetarian – Use your favorite vegetarian meat substitute or chopped mushrooms and/or beans would be a good alternative.

Low-Carb – Skip the bun and serve as lettuce wraps or use a lower carb roll or tortilla.

Gluten-Free -Use gluten-free bread, or try lettuce wraps instead.

Other Sloppy Joe Recipes You May Enjoy

• Sloppy Burger Grilled Cheese – A fun twist on the classic grilled cheese sandwich.
• Sloppy Joe Bread Bowls – All the great flavor but in a bread bowl.
• Italian Sloppy Joes – Italian and American fusion in this easy recipe.

Hope you enjoy this easy Mexican Sloppy Joe recipe. Tell me in the comments what toppings you put on your sandwiches!

You might also like this Nacho Chicken and Loaded Nachos recipes!