Chorizo Is Your Secret Ingredient For Flavorful Upgraded Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are a great comfort meal, especially when you've got a crowd to feed. Typically made with ground beef, they're packed full of hearty flavor and yet relatively easy and inexpensive to assemble. But, while the original recipe is certainly delicious, why not mix things up and try making them with a bit of chorizo?

Chorizo is a type of pork sausage that often has some kick to it (although there are sweet and less spicy varieties as well). To use it in Sloppy Joes, you can opt for just chorizo meat or pair it with another ground meat. Either way, you'll get unique tasting notes thanks to the sausage, adding richness with herby and sometimes spicy notes to the meal.

With that said, there are a couple of other considerations to keep in mind if you decide to make chorizo Sloppy Joes. Plus, it pays to know what to add to your sandwich once it's prepped to really amplify the flavor.

The first thing to consider when making Sloppy Joes with chorizo is what kind of ground pork sausage you'll use. There are a number of different varieties to choose from, each with their own flavor. For instance, if you want a spicier meat, Mexican chorizo, which is typically made with chili peppers, might be a good pick. On the other hand, if you're after something mild and flavorful, a Colombian chorizo could work well. You could even use soy chorizo if you want to make vegetarian Sloppy Joes.

Besides the type you'll use, you'll also want to think about whether you plan on mixing other meats in or doing an all-sausage filling for the sandwiches. If you choose to mix meats, stick with the standard ground beef or use more pork to play on the flavors of the sausage. Or, you could pair it with white meat such as turkey or chicken.

Another thing to consider is that chorizo can come as whole encased sausage or as crumbled meat. If you buy it as whole sausage, you'll need to remove it from its casing and crumble it as you cook it. Otherwise, you won't get the right texture and consistency for a true Sloppy Joe. 

Once you've got your meat filling sorted, it's time to get down to what else to pack into the Sloppy Joe sandwich. You can never go wrong with a slice of cheese, for instance, which can add richness and flavor to the meal. And you can play around with different styles, going for a neutral cheese like provolone to balance out the spiciness of the sausage or turning up the heat even more with something like pepperjack.

Besides cheese, you can also get creative with your veggies. Banana peppers can add a sour spiciness to the sandwich, for instance, whereas slices of tomato are a classic that can complement the flavors of the Sloppy Joe sauce. You could also add greens such as kale, arugula, or lettuce to give some crunch and add refreshing flavor. Other veggies to try popping into your sandwich include slices of onions or sliced avocado. The onion can add texture and play up the spiciness, while the avocado can work to tone down the meal if you went overboard with the fiery seasoning. Another option could be to throw in some coleslaw to help balance out the kick and add a bit of tang.