Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes
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Spicy Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes for the win! This is the ultimate comfort food makeover. I've turned traditional Joes into a healthy and Meatless Monday dinner recipe. Your whole family will LOVE these! Vegetarian + vegan + gluten-free.
In honor of what I thought was International Beer Day, I present you with Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes! Note: it's not beer day today, that was 2 weeks and a half ago. Who's really counting anyway?
Remember when I shared that recipe for Healthier Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream and declared I am basically a 5-year-old living in a grown-up's body? If you didn't believe me then, these messes on buns should seal the deal. I mean, what kind of adult eats sloppy joe's? Clearly winning at this adulting thing. #NeverGrowningUp
If being a kid means I get to chow down on Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes, I'll take it any day. You guys, these things are so good!
You guys prob know by now that I'm not a vegan. BUT … that doesn't mean I don't like digging into a meatless meal. I mean, I was vegetarian for 14 years. That must count for something.
I've said it before, I think meat-eaters are the best judges of vegan food. If I serve a meat-free meal to someone who normally eats meat, and they like it, I know it's a winner. Replacing the richness and depth of flavor that meat gives a meal is not an easy task. Most of the time, it's near impossible.
With this recipe, I've used a few tricks to create a deeply flavored sauce ← Is sauce the right word here? I think mess would be better here, but I'll leave it.
Mushrooms and walnuts. These two are the base of these Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes and both are flavor-packed alternatives to traditional protein. As a big bonus, walnuts are a great source of protein.
Caramelized onions. Deeply caramelizing the onions gives them a ton of sweet flavor that totally makes the joes.
Caramelized tomato paste. Same deal as the onions. Giving the tomato paste a few minutes to caramelize in the pan enhances its flavor.
Beer. It's not just for drinking. Using the combination of caramelized tomato paste and beer (rather than tomato sauce) is a huge flavor booster.
Worcestershire sauce. That weird sauce with the confusing to pronounce name has all sorts of umami. Use vegan or regular, your choice.
Chipotle peppers. These smoky spicy peppers have a naturally deep, almost meaty, flavor
Two things not to miss on these joes …
The Slaw. The super easy to make slaw adds the perfect amount of crunch factor that makes the joes. I've kept the slaw super simple as getting fancy with a dressing isn't necessary here. Veggies + a drizzle of oil = slaw. Simple and exactly what the joes want.
The Chipotle Aioli. I love this part. It adds another layer of richness and a tiny bit of creaminess that totally works.
Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 medium onions (minced)
- 1 lb. crimini or button mushrooms (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup tomato paste (or 1 – 5.5-ounce can)
- 1 bottle light beer – preferably a lager
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (vegan, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 hamburger buns (gluten-free, if needed)
The Slaw
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 medium carrot (grated)
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- A handful of chopped cilantro
- Oil (to drizzle)
Chipotle Aioli
- ¼ cup real mayonnaise (vegan, if needed)
- 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Juice from ¼ lime
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until they are well browned, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and increase the heat to high. Let the mushrooms cook until most of the liquid has been evaporated. (This happens much faster on high heat. About 10 minutes.) Once the pan is mostly dry, reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook until the mushrooms have browned, about 5 minutes more.1 tablespoon oil, 2 medium onions, 1 lb. crimini or button mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic
- While the mushrooms are cooking, prepare the veggies for the slaw and drizzle them with the oil. Also, mix the chipotle aioli ingredients together in a small bowl.2 cups shredded purple cabbage, 1 medium carrot, ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion, A handful of chopped cilantro, Oil, ¼ cup real mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, Juice from ¼ lime, A pinch of sea salt
- Move the mushrooms to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste. Let it caramelize, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Pour in the beer and scrape any stuck on bits off the bottom of the pan.½ cup tomato paste, 1 bottle light beer – preferably a lager
- Add the walnuts, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle peppers, chili powder, and sea salt to the pan. Adjust the sea salt to taste.1 cup chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Serve the Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes on the buns and topped with some slaw and chipotle aioli.4 hamburger buns
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
