Spicy Sloppy Joe Recipe (Mexican Inspired)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
Get ready to spice up your dinner routine with our Spicy Sloppy Joe Recipe! This twist on classic sloppy joes brings bold flavors, juicy beef, and a kick of heat. It’s messy, mouthwatering, and perfect for a family meal! If you love spice, you’re going to flip over our Mexican Sloppy Joes!
When I was growing up I thought it was a special meal when we had tacos. If we’d had this Spicy Sloppy Joe recipe, I think the mere taco would have been dwarfed in comparison!
We didn’t have any fast food restaurants in our town so tacos would have been just about as close to fast food as we could get. Even then I wondered why tacos had such a small amount of meat in them. They just didn’t know about Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes. Sad, very sad.
There’s something so comforting about a good sloppy joe, but imagine that savory beef filling mixed with Mexican spices. Now we’re talking next-level flavor! Mexican ground beef brings in layers of warmth and a hint of smokiness from spices like cumin, chili powder, and maybe a touch of smoky chipotle.
Each bite is juicy, a little spicy, and bursting with flavor that’ll have everyone reaching for seconds. It’s a simple yet exciting twist on the classic, making it feel fresh and a little adventurous—just the thing to shake up an ordinary weeknight meal!
Mexican Sloppy Joes Ingredients
Our tacos seasoning blend came from …you guessed it…a packet. I didn’t care tacos were just about the best food ever. Now, we add our own seasoning. Here’s why.
Making your own spice blend for a Mexican-inspired sloppy joe isn’t just about control—it’s about flavor! When you create your own mix, you can balance each spice to your taste, bringing in just the right amount of heat, warmth, or smokiness. Store-bought taco seasoning often has added salt, sugar, and preservatives, which can dull the taste and overpower the freshness of the dish. With your own spices, you get to play with depth and aroma, making each bite feel homemade and authentic, plus you can adjust it for your family’s preference—whether they like it mild, bold, or super spicy!
In addition to our spices, we piled on cheese. You can use cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend. Slices of fresh avocado add flavor and can tame the heat. And, don’t forget the cilantro. Just a garnish will amp up the flavor.
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I'd like to receive more tips and recipes from Hostess At Heart!
The funny thing about these sloppy joes is that I thought it was kind of an original idea. Not so, there are other people that had similar dreams. It’s the Spicy Beef Sloppy Joe’s sisterhood.
Spicy Sloppy Joe Variations
Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes could easily be made with pulled beef, chicken, or pork and you can make them as spicy as you want by adding additional chili powder or some fresh spicy peppers. Our choices would be jalapeno or serrano.
To serve Beef Mexican Sloppy Joe sandwiches, we set out bowls of our favorite taco toppings. Don’t forget a fork because we pile on the beef filling making picking them up a chore.
Sometimes it just has to be tacos. We’ve got some amazing recipes such as our Chicken Taco Salad Bowl, Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tacos, Crockpot Chipotle Chicken, and our Tacos Al Pastor. It’s a show stopper!
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 3 tbsp Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Garnishes: Cheddar Cheese and Cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Cook ground beef and diced onion together in a large skillet until beef is cooked through. Drain grease from the skillet.
- Add taco seasoning, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes and green chilies. Simmer until any extra juices have cooked off.
- Serve on brioche or hamburger buns. Garnish with cheddar cheese and cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
We love a good sandwich especially when we can pile on the filling!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!
It is a good thing that it is almost lunch time, your photos of your spicy sloppy joes are making me hungry.
Thank you, Karen!
I remember those packet spices all too well and I would definitely pile the spicy beef quite high as well. Looks absolutely delicious Julie
Oooh, Mexican style sloppy joes!! I love it! And love all that cheesy goodness, too!
Mollie
Thank you, Mollie! Mexican anything is my fav!
I haven’t had sloppy joes in so long. This is a great reminder! They look absolutely scrumptious!
Thank you Antonia! I’m with you I need to make them more often too!
This is straight up my alley! Who wouldn’t love sloppy joes? Thank you for the recipe, this is great! Surely my family would love this for a brunch tomorrow!
Thank you so much Ushmana! I really like a quick and delicious meal for those busy days. If you have a chance to make it please let me know what you think!
I love a Sloppy Joe and your ratio of meat to bread is just perfect! I haven’t made one in ages and now I am craving one 🙂
Thank you! I think sloppy joes is one of those sandwiches that we like even though our children are grown and gone! Plus they are so easy for a weeknight dinner.
I grew up on sloppy joes and they still are a favorite sandwich – I just kicked my mother’s recipe up a bit. I’m not sure we even had a taco restaurant nearby and just remember having them in college. I like that you added your own seasoning and the tomatoes and chilis – the cheese sure is a big plus!
Thank you Judi. I thought Manwich versus the packet was a huge improvement. I think my mom used mostly ketchup! Have you posted your mother’s recipe? I’d love to see it too!
Yes – “Mom’s Sloppy Joes” – Mom used chili sauce – I did make a few minor changes and indicated where.
That sounds really good!