This post may contain affiliate links.
Taco Joes are what happens when taco night and sloppy joe night have a baby, and the whole family fights over the last scoop, saucy taco-seasoned beef loaded with black beans and corn and piled onto a soft bun. I threw these together on a chaotic weeknight when Maddie wanted tacos and Lizzie wanted sloppy joes, and now they are on regular rotation. If you love our Dr. Pepper sloppy joes, meet their spicy cousin.
One skillet, about 30 minutes, and pantry-friendly ingredients turn taco night into the easiest handheld dinner ever.
Taco Joes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 16 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 31 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 222kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Saucy, mildly spiced taco beef with black beans, corn, and fresh cilantro
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our copycat Maid Rite sandwiches
Quick Answer
Taco Joes are a mashup of tacos and sloppy joes. Ground beef is browned with onion and bell pepper, seasoned with taco seasoning and spices, then simmered with tomato sauce, salsa, black beans, corn, and green chiles until saucy. The taco-flavored filling gets piled onto soft buns and topped with your favorite taco toppings for a fun, handheld family dinner.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- All the taco flavor, none of the mess. You get everything you love about taco night in a saucy, scoopable filling that piles onto a bun instead of falling out of a shell.
- One skillet, easy cleanup. The beef, beans, corn, and sauce all come together in a single pan, so dinner and dishes stay simple.
- Pantry-friendly ingredients. Canned beans, corn, green chiles, tomato sauce, and a packet of taco seasoning mean you can pull this together on a busy night.
- Kid approved and customizable. Everyone builds their own with their favorite toppings, so picky eaters and adventurous ones are all happy.
- Great for a crowd. The recipe stretches to feed eight and doubles easily for game day, potlucks, or meal prep.
- Ready in about 30 minutes. Faster than a taco bar and just as fun, this is weeknight dinner sorted.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They pack all the flavor of taco night into an easy, saucy sandwich the whole family loves.
- Everything cooks in one skillet in about 30 minutes with pantry staples.
- They are endlessly customizable, just like building your own bar of grilled skirt steak tacos.
Key Ingredients
A handful of taco-aisle staples come together for these Taco Joes.
- Ground beef: An 80/20 blend gives the best flavor and stays juicy. Drain the excess fat after browning so the filling is saucy, not greasy.
- Taco seasoning: A one ounce packet is the shortcut to big taco flavor. Use your favorite brand or a homemade blend.
- Black beans and corn: Canned, drained, and rinsed, they add heartiness, texture, and a little sweetness to balance the spice.
- Tomato sauce and salsa: The saucy base that makes these joes, not tacos. The salsa layers in extra flavor and a little heat.
- Green chiles and cilantro: Mild diced green chiles bring gentle warmth and fresh cilantro brightens it all up, the way it does in our smothered beef burritos.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Taco Joes are easy to make your own.
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or a plant-based crumble.
- Add a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles or a chopped jalapeno for more heat.
- Stir in a handful of shredded cheese at the end for an extra cheesy, melty filling.
- Skip the buns and spoon the filling over rice, tortilla chips like our BBQ beef nachos, or a baked potato.
How to Make Taco Joes
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion and green bell pepper, breaking the beef into crumbles, until there is no pink left, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Drain any excess fat, then stir in the taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cumin. Cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato sauce, salsa, black beans, corn, and green chiles. Stir well to combine everything into a saucy filling.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly but is still nice and saucy.
- Stir in the fresh chopped cilantro for a bright, fresh finish.
- Spoon the taco filling onto soft burger buns and pile on your favorite taco toppings. Serve warm and enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Drain the fat after browning so the filling stays saucy instead of greasy.
- Do not skip the simmer, which lets the flavors meld and thickens the sauce just enough to hold on the bun.
- Toast the buns for a minute so they hold up to the saucy filling without getting soggy.
- Taste and adjust, adding more salsa for tang, a pinch of salt, or a squeeze of lime at the end.
- Set up a topping bar with cheese, sour cream, avocado, jalapenos, and shredded lettuce so everyone builds their own.
- Make it ahead, since the filling reheats beautifully and even tastes better the next day.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Taco Joes are all about the toppings. Pile the saucy filling onto soft buns, then load them up with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, diced tomatoes, avocado, and pickled jalapenos.
Set them out as a build-your-own bar with a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa on the side, the same crowd-pleasing setup as our loaded BBQ beef nachos.
For a bigger Tex-Mex spread, serve them next to our smothered beef burritos or a batch of our grilled skirt steak tacos so everyone gets their favorite.
Round out the meal with Mexican rice, a simple green salad, or elote. Leftover filling keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days and reheats in minutes, so it is perfect for meal prep. Spoon any extras over a baked potato or into a quesadilla the next day for an easy lunch.
Taco Joes FAQs
Sloppy joes are made with a sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce, while Taco Joes swap in taco seasoning, salsa, black beans, corn, and green chiles for a Tex-Mex spin. Both are saucy ground beef fillings served on a bun, but Taco Joes taste like taco night in sandwich form.
Yes, the filling is great for making ahead. Cook it completely, cool it, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or salsa if it thickened, then pile it onto fresh buns.
Absolutely. Let the filling cool, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop. It is a great freezer meal to have on hand for busy nights.
For more heat, use a hot salsa, add a chopped fresh jalapeno with the onion and pepper, stir in a diced chipotle in adobo, or use hot green chiles. A few dashes of hot sauce or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes at the end works too.
Soft hamburger buns, brioche buns, or potato rolls all hold up well to the saucy filling. Toast them lightly so they stay sturdy. You can also serve the filling in slider buns for parties or over rice and chips if you want to skip the bread.
Yes, ground turkey or chicken both work well and make a lighter Taco Joe. Since they are leaner, add a drizzle of oil when browning and there will be little to no fat to drain. The taco seasoning and salsa keep the filling flavorful and juicy.
Made these Taco Joes? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Taco Joes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1 small sweet onion small diced
- 1 small green bell pepper small diced
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned whole kernel corn drained
- 4 ounces diced green chiles drained
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Buns and toppings of your choice
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, onion, and bell peppers. Break up the beef into crumbles and cook beef, stirring occasionally, until there is no pink left, about 8-10 minutes.1 pound ground beef, 1 small sweet onion, 1 small green bell pepper
- Drain any excess fat off of the mix and add the taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin, stir to combine well. Cook for about 1 minutes until fragrant.1 ounce packet taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Add the tomato sauce, salsa, black beans, corn, and green chilies, stir to combine. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture thinkens slightly but it is still saucey.8 ounces tomato sauce, 1/2 cup salsa, 1 cup canned black beans, 1 cup canned whole kernel corn, 4 ounces diced green chiles
- Stir in the fresh cilantro and serve on your favorite burger buns with your favorite taco toppings.1/4 cup chopped cilantro, Buns and toppings of your choice
Notes
- Brown the Meat Well: For the best flavor, make sure to cook the beef until it’s nicely browned.
- Drain the Fat: Remove excess fat for a healthier dish.
- Let It Simmer: Let the mixture simmer to meld the flavors together beautifully.
- Customize the Spiciness: Adjust the amount of taco seasoning to suit your spice preference.
- Fresh Toppings: Add fresh toppings right before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Warm the Buns: Toast the buns for an extra delicious experience.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
