Are you ready to give your classic Sloppy Joe night a major, flavor-packed upgrade? This incredible Chorizo Sloppy Joe recipe is the ultimate comfort food mash-up, combining the nostalgic, messy fun of a classic Sloppy Joe with the bold, smoky, and spicy flavors of authentic Mexican chorizo! We’re talking a rich, saucy, and deeply savory chorizo filling, piled high on a toasted bun and topped with creamy avocado and a crunchy corn chip topping for the perfect bite.
This isn’t just another sandwich recipe; it’s a guide to your new weeknight obsession. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to cooking chorizo perfectly and how to assemble a sandwich that is a true explosion of flavor and texture. Best of all? This stunning, from-scratch-tasting meal is ready in about 20 minutes from start to finish.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Comfort Food Mash-Up
What makes these Chorizo Sloppy Joes so spectacularly delicious is their brilliant and simple concept. It’s a perfect marriage of two beloved comfort foods. The heart and soul of the dish is the rich and spicy Mexican chorizo, which is cooked down into a savory, crumbly base. This is then simmered in a quick and easy, flavor-packed sauce made from a high-quality, store-bought red chile enchilada sauce. The entire, saucy mixture is then piled onto soft, toasted hamburger buns and finished with two essential toppings that provide the perfect textural contrast: cool and creamy sliced avocado and a salty, irresistible crunch from corn chips.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 20 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 sandwiches |
The Flavor Powerhouses: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses one key ingredient and a handful of smart shortcuts to create its signature bold and savory flavor.
- The Chorizo (The Star of the Show!):
- Mexican Chorizo: It is absolutely crucial to use a fresh, raw, bulk Mexican-style chorizo for this recipe, not the hard, cured Spanish-style chorizo. Mexican chorizo is a raw ground pork sausage that is heavily seasoned with a delicious blend of dried chiles, vinegar, and spices.
- The “Cold Pan” Secret: The number one, non-negotiable secret to perfectly cooked, non-burnt chorizo is to start it in a cold, non-stick skillet. This allows the fat to render out slowly and evenly, which is the key that cooks the meat through and crisps it up without scorching the delicate spices in the sausage.
- The Shortcut Sauce:
- Red Enchilada Sauce: Using a high-quality, store-bought red chile enchilada sauce is a fantastic shortcut that provides a deep, complex, and savory flavor base with zero extra effort.
- The Toppings (Creamy & Crunchy!): The toppings are not just a garnish; they are an essential part of the experience!
- Avocado: Cool and creamy sliced avocado is the perfect, rich counterpoint that balances the heat and spice of the chorizo.
- Corn Chips: A handful of crunchy, salty corn chips (like Fritos®) adds an incredible, fun, and completely irresistible textural crunch to every single bite.
Step-by-Step to the Best Chorizo Sloppy Joes
This delicious, one-pan (mostly!) meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Cook the Chorizo and Make the Sauce
Step 1: In a cold, non-stick skillet, cook the 1 1/4 pounds of bulk fresh Mexican chorizo over a medium heat. Stir it often with a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller pieces. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the chorizo is cooked through.
Step 2: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked chorizo to a medium bowl. Carefully drain and discard the excess drippings from the skillet.
Step 3: To the same skillet, add the 1 package of red chile enchilada sauce and the 1/2 cup of water. Bring the sauce to a boil over a medium-high heat.
Step 4: Continue to cook the sauce for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until it has thickened slightly.
Step 5: Stir in your reserved, browned chorizo. Let it cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 more minute, until the chorizo is heated through and well coated in the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat.
Part 2: Assemble Your Sloppy Joes
Step 1: Toast your 4 split sesame seed hamburger buns. Pro Tip: Toasting your buns is a crucial step! It gives them a wonderful, crispy texture and creates a barrier that helps to prevent the bottom bun from getting soggy from the saucy filling. Step 2: Spoon the warm chorizo mixture generously onto the bottom half of each of your toasted hamburger buns. Step 3: Top each sloppy joe with a few slices of fresh avocado and a generous sprinkle of the crushed corn chips. Step 4: Place the top bun on and serve immediately while they are hot and messy!
Spicy Chorizo Sloppy Joes (A 20-Minute Meal!)
A quick and easy recipe for a spicy twist on classic sloppy joes, made with Mexican chorizo. In this simple, one-skillet meal, fresh bulk chorizo is cooked and crumbled, then simmered in a flavorful sauce made from store-bought red chile enchilada sauce and water. The savory meat mixture is served on toasted hamburger buns and finished with unique toppings of creamy sliced avocado and crunchy corn chips for a perfect blend of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds bulk fresh Mexican chorizo
- 1 (8-ounce) package red chile enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 sesame seed hamburger buns, split and toasted
- 1 large avocado, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup corn chips (like Fritos), roughly crushed
Instructions
- Start by cooking the chorizo in a cold nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir often with a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller pieces. Cook until it is cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chorizo to a medium bowl. Carefully drain the drippings from the skillet.
- Return the skillet to the stove. Add the enchilada sauce and water, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Continue to cook the sauce for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until it has slightly thickened.
- Stir the reserved browned chorizo back into the sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- (Final assembly steps inferred as they were missing from the article)
- Spoon the chorizo mixture evenly onto the bottom halves of the toasted hamburger buns.
- Top the meat with the sliced avocado and the crushed corn chips.
- Place the top buns on the sandwiches and serve immediately.
Notes
- This is an extremely fast weeknight meal that comes together in under 20 minutes.
- Starting the chorizo in a cold, nonstick skillet is a key technique that helps to render the fat slowly without the meat seizing up.
- The unique combination of creamy avocado and crunchy corn chips as toppings provides a great contrast in texture to the savory meat filling.
- The final assembly instructions were not provided in the source article and have been inferred.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by preparing the entire chorizo meat mixture up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftover meat mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat the chorizo mixture is in a skillet on the stovetop over a low heat. You may need to add a small splash of water or broth to loosen it up.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to cooking perfect chorizo?
The secret is to start it in a cold, non-stick pan. Unlike other ground meats, fresh Mexican chorizo has a very high fat content and is packed with delicate, dried spices. By starting it in a cold pan, you are allowing the fat to render out slowly and gently, which is the key that cooks the meat through perfectly and crisps it up without scorching and burning the spices, which would make them bitter.
Q2: What is the difference between Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo?
They are two completely different products! Mexican chorizo (what you need for this recipe) is a raw, fresh ground pork sausage that needs to be cooked before it is eaten. Spanish chorizo is a hard, cured sausage (similar to a salami) that is ready to eat and can be sliced and served on a charcuterie board.
Q3: Can I make this sloppy joe mix ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes, this is a fantastic freezer meal! The cooked and sauced chorizo mixture freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it gently on the stovetop.
Q4: Can I make this recipe with ground beef instead of chorizo?
You can, but it will have a very different flavor profile. If you want to make a more traditional sloppy joe with a Tex-Mex twist, you can substitute the chorizo with 1 pound of ground beef. You will also need to add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of a good chili powder or a taco seasoning to the meat as it cooks to mimic the flavor of the chorizo.
Q5: What is the best way to toast hamburger buns?
The easiest method is to simply place them, cut-side up, on a baking sheet and toast them under your oven’s broiler for just a minute or two, until they are golden brown. You can also place them, cut-side down, in a hot, dry skillet for a minute or two.