This 15-Minute Sloppy Joes Has a Smart Shortcut

Liven up the same old sloppy Joe with spicy, extra-savory chorizo. This dinner is ready in 15 minutes and is extra fun with avocado slices and crunchy corn chips.

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

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.

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

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

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.