Taco Sloppy Joes are jazzed up with salsa, taco seasoning, black beans, and corn in this zesty twist on the classic dinner sandwiches!

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There aren't many meals that can be whipped up more quickly on a busy weeknight than those starting with a pound of ground beef. Brown it, stir in a few other ingredients, and dinner is served! And as a bonus, most kids seem to love this type of supper, whether we're talking spaghetti or chili or sloppy joes.

So today, let's talk about that latter option...sloppy joes! It's true that I already have a few varieties on the ol' blog -- Homemade Sloppy Joes and Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joes and even a Skillet Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole. And incidentally, each of those recipes has gone over really well. So obviously, the logical thing to do is push my luck and come up with a new sloppy joe recipe! Because everything's better in a Tex-Mex incarnation, right? 😉

How to Make Them

You don't need to wait for the verdict on this recipe, though, because I can assure you that these Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes were just as big of a hit with my kiddos (and my hubby...and myself) as regular sloppy joes always are.

I started by flavoring the beef with my tried-and-true Homemade Taco Seasoning and then used salsa to replace the usual sloppy joe staple(s) of tomato sauce and/or ketchup. (The second time I made this recipe, I was actually out of jarred salsa, so I blended a can or Rotel with a small can of tomato sauce as a substitute and it worked swimmingly.)
Next I stirred in a can of rinsed, drained black beans and a cup of thawed frozen corn.
I simmered for a few minutes until the liquid reduced, pulled out a package of buns, and rang the dinner bell.

Easy. Peasy!

Variations

And here's the thing about this Tex-Mex Sloppy Joe mixture...don't feel limited to just eating it on buns.

You could clearly eat it rolled up in tortillas (tacos, burritos, etc.), since that's kinda the inspiration for this flavor combo in the first place.
Or if you're avoiding carbs, you could be all New Year's resolution virtuous and eat this mixture in lettuce wraps.
Or, you could just eat it with a spoon, rather like chili.

In fact, my 8-year-old did just that when he requested the leftovers to break in his new Thermos food jar in his lunchbox the next day (let's just say Santa knows a practical stocking stuffer when he sees one). And there wasn't a speck of beef or a stray black bean left when he brought his lunchbox home!

So do you love the humble sloppy joe as much as my crew does?

Are you up for putting a new spin on it?

If so, be sure to add these Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes to your weekly menu plan soon! Because it is still early January and that particular resolution hasn't flown out the window quite yet, am I right?

I give mine another two weeks... 😉

More Quick & Easy Dinners

Taco Sloppy Joes

Taco Sloppy Joes are jazzed up with salsa, taco seasoning, black beans, and corn in this zesty twist on the classic dinner sandwiches!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 452kcal

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Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups salsa, mild, medium, or hot
3 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning, OR 1 package store-bought taco seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
4 hamburger buns

Instructions

In a large pot or skillet set over medium heat, brown ground beef and garlic. Drain grease, mix in salsa and taco seasoning, and then stir in black beans and corn. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened. Serve on hamburger buns or rolls.

Notes

If you prefer your Sloppy Joe meat with onions and peppers, you may dice up half an onion and half a bell pepper and cook them in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened (about 5 to 10 minutes) before browning the beef. Remove the onions and peppers from the pot and proceed with the recipe, cooking the meat and then stirring the onions/peppers back in at the same time you add the sauce.
Instead of buns, you may enjoy this sloppy joe mixture in tortillas or lettuce wraps, or eat it like chili.