Part sloppy joe, part taco- these cheesy baked tacos are a quick and easy meal the kids & adults can all agree on. Make sloppy joe tacos for a 20 minute meal on busy nights when you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry.
Did you ever start to make sloppy joes and halfway through realize you didn’t have any hamburger buns on hand? Or even sandwich bread?
No, just me? That’s cool, because if and when it happens to you too- I found a delicious alternative.
Sloppy joe tacos, y’all.
All the guys in my house love a good sloppy joe, and what’re tacos if not just ultimately crispy shells of deliciousness stuffed with a seasoned ground beef mixture?
I might’ve worried for a split second that this taco recipe would just end up tasting funky, but it didn’t.
It is everything you love about a classic sloppy Joe, just combined with the comfort of taco shells and all the fixins.
Sloppy joe tacos were love at first bite, and are now a delicious way to change up our taco night menu.
Ingredients Needed
Like with any quality sloppy joe, you’ll need minimal ingredients & bare minimum effort to throw these sloppy tacos together.
You’ll need:
- Ground Beef – You can use any variety you like, but the leaner the beef the less volume you will lose during cooking.
- Veggies – Half a medium sweet, or yellow, onion and a green bell pepper
- Sauces – Both ketchup & yellow mustard make up the base of this sloppy joe mix- the traditional staples!
- Seasonings – Brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness, along with some garlic power, salt, & pepper to season the meat sauce.
- Cheese – We keep it simple by using shredded cheddar cheese, a fan favorite for tacos of all kinds.
- Lettuce – Shredded ice berg, but shredded green leaf or romaine lettuce will also work and be more nutritious.
How To Make Sloppy Tacos
Sloppy joe tacos are super easy to throw together. From start to finish, it’s roughly a 20 minute meal- perfect for this busy Mom’s menu!
Start by preparing the sloppy joe filling.
Add the ground beef to a large skillet set over medium heat. Cooking, breaking it up to crumble as it does, until it’s all completely browned.
Drain off excess grease.
Return the skillet to heat, and stir in the diced onion and green pepper. Continue cooking until the onions have begun to turn translucent and the peppers have softened slightly.
Add the ketchup, sugar, mustard, seasonings to the skillet stirring them all together to evenly incorporate.
Reduce the heat to medium low and allow the mixture to gently simmer for 8-10 minutes, until heated through and the flavors have melded together.
Remove the skillet from heat, and set aside.
Lightly spray a 9×13″ baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
Arrange 12 crunchy taco shells in the pan. I’ve found the best way is to do 8 across, and then the remaining 4 sideways, 2 by 2.
Evenly divide the sloppy joe filling out among the taco shells.
Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese out over the tacos, making sure to get the majority inside the taco shells.
You can use a little or a lot, we tend to spring for a lot around here, probably around 1 1/2 cups. Do what looks good to you.
Bake the sloppy joe tacos are 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes, just until the cheese has melted and the shells are nice and warm.
Carefully remove the hot tacos from the oven, and let them cool for 2-3 minutes.
Top them with shredded lettuce and whatever other toppings you enjoy, then transfer them to plates and serve.
Topping Ideas
Our family is always all about the toppings when it comes to tacos, and we love options.
I tend to sit out several bowls of various toppings on a lazy susan in the center of my dinner table to everyone can customize there’s to their liking.
Some of our favorite options include:
- diced red onion
- barbecue sauce
- pickled jalapenos
- sour cream
- diced dill pickles
- ranch dressing
- diced tomatoes
- extra cheese
With several different options, you can find the combination that works for you!
Storing Leftovers
Unfortunately, leftover sloppy tacos don’t store well.
The meat makes the shells soggy as they sit, and it’s impossible to get them to crisp up again even with baking.
Make and stuff these within 30 minutes of planning to enjoy them.
Can I Use Flour Tortillas?
They won’t be exactly the same as the original version, but you can easily make sloppy joe tacos using flour tortillas instead of crunchy shells.
These won’t be getting baked, so skip the baking dish portion of the recipe.
Instead, add some shredded cheese to the center of a flour tortilla.
Then top the cheese with a heaping spoonful of the warm sloppy joe meat mixture straight from the skillet. It’s best to do this while it’s sitting on a plate, as the filling’s hot.
Repeat until you run out of meat or flour tortillas.
Top them as desired, and then enjoy.
Can I Freeze Sloppy Joe Tacos?
Just like with the storing instructions, prepared sloppy joe tacos do not freeze well. Same issue with the soggy shells.
However, the sloppy joe filling freezes perfectly!
I often will make a double batch, and freeze the excess meat mixture for a quick dinner to pull out of the freezer another night when I don’t have time for cooking from scratch.
To freeze, let the meat mixture cool completely. Transfer to a zip-locking freezer bag, seal tightly squeezing out excess air, the freeze.
The sloppy joe mixture will be good up to 6 months.
When you’re ready to use it, pull it out and let it thaw completely. Heat up in a skillet, and use as instructed in the recipe.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Don’t like ground beef? Sub ground turkey instead!
- This recipe easily doubles to feed a larger crowd.
- Make your sloppy joe mixture on the weekend, then store it in an air tight container in the fridge for an easy dinner in the next couple days.
Other Easy Weeknight Taco Recipes
Part sloppy joe, part taco- these cheesy baked tacos are a quick and easy dinner the kids & adults can all agree on. Pair them with a side of our cheesy queso rice or warm Mexican street corn salad, and dinner is done!
Looking for other easy weeknight taco style recipes to try? Try these:
If you’ve tried these SLOPPY JOE TACOS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Sloppy Joe Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 crunchy taco shells
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded lettuce for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, crumbling as it cooks. Drain off excess grease, then add and saute the onions and pepper until onions begin to turn clear.
- Add in the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and garlic powder. Cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line taco shells in a lightly greased 9×13" baking and evenly divide the meat mixture in the shells. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake them for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and shells are warm.
- Divide lettuce evenly between taco shells.
- Serve warm with your favorite additional toppings & enjoy!
Notes
- Don't like ground beef? Sub ground turkey instead!
- This recipe easily doubles to feed a larger crowd.
- Make your sloppy joe mixture on the weekend, then store it in an air tight container in the fridge for an easy dinner in the next couple days.
Nutrition
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