Crock Pot Taco Sloppy Joes
Crock Pot Taco Sloppy Joes are sloppy joes with a taco twist. This filling is amazing in tacos and burritos or on tostadas. A huge family favorite!
A CROCK POT TACO INSPIRED DINNER
If you love sloppy joes then you just might love this taco version! Just like sloppy joes but with a taco flair! And you can use this filling in so many ways. It can be a hearty filling for tacos or burritos or even in a taco salad! Plus, I love any recipe that I can have hanging out in the slow cooker when I got off work is a win to me (but I do give stovetop directions below as well.) Pro tip: I often brown ground beef in advance and keep it in my freezer so all I have to do is pop it into the crock pot with the other ingredients and it’s ready to roll!
This was absolutely DELICIOUS! It’s a keeper of a recipe for sure! Thank you!
– Teresa
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
This stuff is so good! We all love it. This makes a great filling and not just for these Taco Sloppy Joes. I have made this to use in tacos, taco salad and tostadas and it was amazing! Make taco night just a little more extraordinary! And it’s a slow cooker recipe! Y’all know how much I enjoy crock pot cooking. Well, ya know when the words “easy” and “slow cooker” are involved, I am all in.
This can easily be made on the stovetop. Cook ground beef, drain grease, add back to pan with refried beans, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning. Stir well. Cover until heated through. Stir occasionally.
Sure, if you need to cut this recipe in half to make less, you certainly can. This recipe can be cut in half if you don’t need as much. You can also make it and freeze what you don’t use for later.
I think all the usual stuff you’d serve with sloppy joes would be just fine. Some of my favorites are French Fries, tater tots, Spanish Rice to go with the Taco vibes, etc. A big salad with your favorite dressing would also work. A bag of steamed veggies that you can toss in the microwave is a go to in our household too.
You can keep the filling in the slow cooker (on the warm setting) and let your family and friends serve themselves.
Leftover Taco Sloppy Joe meat can be stored in an airtight container and should be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- ground beef – this can be made with ground turkey or ground chicken. You can also cut the amount in half.
- refried beans– grab a can from the pantry, or use some leftover Homemade Refried Beans.
- enchilada sauce– any of your favorite enchilada sauces should work if you’re looking for the simple, quick way to toss this recipe together, but if you’d like to use some Homemade Enchilada Sauce, that would also work nicely. If you don’t like red enchilada sauce, green enchilada sauce can be used.
- taco seasoning– you can use a packet of whatever your favorite taco seasoning mix is, or you can grab some of your Homemade Taco Seasoning.
- salsa– if you want to go through the extra steps to make some, you can use your Homemade Salsa. You’ll want to use your favorite flavored salsa here.
- burger buns – as I said above, these are meant to be a taco version of sloppy joes but this makes an excellent taco or burrito filling or in a taco salad!
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT TACO SLOPPY JOES:
First you gotta brown and crumble your ground beef. Note: I have one of those slow cooker that allows you to sauté meat as well. I can brown the meat and cook it low and slow all in one cooker!
It has a stovetop setting. I just flip that on high then brown and crumble the ground beef with the lid off. This saves on having one more pan to wash! This produced a lot of grease. But if you don’t have that type of Crock Pot, browning the beef on the stove works just fine.
Drain excess grease.
Pop the ground beef back in the slow cooker and stir in the refried beans, enchilada sauce, taco seasoning and salsa. Stir together well.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Then it’s time to dig in! Spoon the filling onto hamburger buns.
Garnish with your favorite toppings.
This makes amazing taco and burrito filling or on taco salads. I love that this makes a generous amount. You can keep the filling in the slow cooker and let your family and friends serve themselves. And if you have some leftover, it freezes well.
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Originally published: April 2014
Updated & republished August 2025
Recipe inspired from Gooseberry Patch’s cookbook, ‘101 Super-Easy Slow Cooker Recipes’ .
Crock Pot Taco Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (see notes below)
- 16 ounce can refried beans
- 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 16 ounce jar salsa
- 10 hamburger buns
Optional toppings:
- shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Brown and crumble 2 pounds ground beef. Drain excess grease.
- Put the cooked ground beef into a 5-6 quart slow cooker and stir in 16 ounce can refried beans, 10 ounce can enchilada sauce, 1 packet taco seasoning and 16 ounce jar salsa.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Then serve on hamburger buns topped with your favorite toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, chopped tomatoes.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- You can easily cut this recipe in half if you don’t need as much or make it and freeze what you don’t use for later.
- This also makes great meat for taco salads!
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
do you use fine shredded cheddar cheese or regular shredded cheese?
whatever you prefer
This was absolutely DELICIOUS! It’s a keeper of a recipe for sure! Thank you!
Thanks so very much Teresa!! It means so much that you took the time to come back & comment
Thank you! Can’t wait to try!!
Love these type meals, and eating gluten free they are easily adaptable, many items are already g.f., taco mix can be found g.f., corn chips used, etc. As to your remarks about the Ninja cooker, my favorite cooking utensil in my 53 years of marriage. Bought mine when first available, few years ago.
Love hearing that Penny! Thank you!
Going to make to take camping for our group potluck. I’ve been using ground chorizo instead of ground beef. Kicks it up a notch for those that like a little spice.
I absolutely love that Paula! Great idea!
This sounds like it would also make for a great game day party dip, served with tortilla chips????
Oooooh – I really like that idea Kim!! Maybe even add some queso to it!
Husband cooked on stove top. It was very good. We are using the rest of it tomorrow night for goulash. We will add elbow noodles and corn. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I also have a Ninja crock pot. Best invention ever. I use it two or three times a week and don’t know why no one came up with it sooner.
I know! 🙂
Does the enchilada sauce make it spicy?
Could this meal just be prepped in a skillet or does it have to be in crockpot?
How could this be turned into freezer to crock meal?
This sounds yummy! Will have to try it. Thanks for sharing
Well I am so glad you found me! Hope you find many recipes to try and love!
I found your site from a link at the SouthernPlate. I love your site and will check back often for more recipes…. I'm sure you have a cookbook out, and I will be looking for it too!!!
Thank you for the simple, homestyle cooking that we love and can actually use daily!!
Blessings!
I made this last night with hot dog buns imy family of 4 loved it, my bean-hating husband didn't even mind them 🙂 I love how much this makes! I made a pan of enchiladas with the leftovers and still have enough left over for one more meal! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks Michelle! I wasn't sure how I would like it in buns but it was REALLY good! And Erin, the beans are not super obvious. I usually have to hide them from my son too. LOL. You could even mash them up even more before putting them in but they really add amazing flavor to this. Hope that helps!
This looks great and I plan on making this week! Just a question though, are the beans really obvious tasting in it? I love beans but my husband isn't a fan, I just want to try and sneak them in and hope he doesn't notice if I can! 😉
Love the idea of using hot dog buns:)
Kim, I think I'm going to use it even more in the summer. I try to keep the stove and oven use to a minimum in the summertime!
Hi Sue! I actually purchased mine at Wal-mart. They only sell one style right now. You can order it online too. 🙂
That looks delicious! A must try!
One suggestion, if you use a more lean hamburger it will produce less grease, we usually use a 80/20.
thanks for the recipe!
Hi Brandie, great recipe, thanks!And good to see that you love the Ninja cooking system…that has been my "next to buy" item for a long time now. Can't wait til I get it…:)
I am going to be looking for a Ninja cooker–its sounds wonderful!!
This sounds delish Brandie! I'm also loving the Ninja cooker idea, where would I shop for one? Thanks for another great post!
OMG Brandie….I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Ninja Cooking System!! As soon as I saw it I thought, WOW..she has one too! Oh yea, food…This looks like another one to try. Pinning!! Thanks!!