Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes
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These mushroom sloppy joes are a flavorful vegetarian take on the ol’ classic dinner sandwich. The meatless mushroom and walnut filling is piled high on a burger bun and then topped with a crunchy slaw and spicy chipotle aioli. They’re sweet, smoky, and saucy, and ready in just 40 minutes!
Whether sloppy joes were a childhood favorite or not, these grown-up vegetarian mushroom sloppy joes are easy to fall in love with. The filling is hearty and satisfying, made with mushrooms and walnuts simmered in an umami-rich sauce that delivers big flavor in every bite.
I like to serve them piled onto soft buns with a simple crunchy slaw and a generous swipe of spicy chipotle aioli. It’s a messy, punchy, totally satisfying meal that feels nostalgic and fresh all at once.
Ingredient notes
Here’s what you need to make the hearty meatless mushroom & walnut filling:
- Mushrooms: we use a simple mix of button and cremini mushrooms, but feel free to use other varieties such as king trumpet or oyster mushrooms if they are available to you.
- Tomato paste: we let the tomato paste caramelize in the pan, which adds a ton of flavor.
- Light beer: a light beer such as a lager adds depth of flavor and a hint of sweetness while replacing the liquid from traditionally used canned tomatoes.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: chipotle peppers in adobo are spicy and distinctly smoky with an underlying sweetness. Find them in cans or jars with the Mexican products at your grocery store.
Other ingredients you need are vegetable oil, onions, garlic, walnuts, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, sea salt, and your favorite hamburger buns.
Sloppy joe toppings
Two things not to miss about these vegetarian sloppy joes are the easy-to-make slaw which adds a fresh crunch, and the aioli for another bold layer of flavor.
- To make the slaw, you just need purple cabbage, carrot, red onion, cilantro, and drizzle of olive oil.
- The easy 4-ingredient chipotle aioli is just a mix of mayonnaise (vegan if needed), chipotle peppers in adobo, fresh lime juice, and sea salt.
What to serve with mushroom sloppy joes
Enjoy a vegetarian mushroom sloppy joe on its own as a complete meal, or serve it with a big spring mix salad, some dill french fries, or our four cheese mac and cheese!
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare all the components of these sloppy joes 1-2 days ahead of time. Simply reheat the filling on the stove with a splash of water when you’re ready to serve them.
How long does the filling keep in the fridge?
Store any leftover filling in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze the filling?
You bet! The filling freezes well, making this recipe great for batch meal-prepping. Store it in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months.
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 a 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
The Slaw
Chipotle Aioli
- ¼ cup 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 heat. Add the onion and cook until they are well browned, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and increase the heat to medium-high. Let the mushrooms cook until most of the liquid has been evaporated. (This happens much faster on higher 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, Olive oil, ¼ cup 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
- 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.
More dinner sandwiches
For more inspiration, check out all of our dinner ideas!
Just delicious – thank you!
Are the garlic cloves left whole or minced before going into the pan?
Minced! 🙂
This was sooo yummy! It is very hearty as well, which is nice for folks who find a lot of plant-based foods “not filling”
Love the idea of mushrooms and walnuts for a sloppy joe filling! I made a few tweaks but the premise here is great. For those wishing to avoid beer, I ended up adding water in this step then stirred in a tablespoon each of Tamari and red miso at the end to enrich the flavor.
Great call on the tamari and miso!
HI ! Great recipe ! Thanks a lot ! 🙂
For a 100% gluten free menu I saw on your comments that we can use white wine instead of beer, but can we skip the Worcestershire sauce (bc there is malt vinegar Inside so its not gluten free) or is it tasteless without it ? Can we sub the Worcestershire sauce by Something else ?
Last question: do you think we can add cheese on this recipe (wut kind) ?
Thanks in advance ! 🙂
I buy Lea & Perrins, which is gluten-free!
Cheese is never a bad idea. I bet feta mixed in would be delicious. Or even melting some jack or cheddar over top would be great, too. 🙂
If you are gluten intolerant, what can you sub for the beer?
There are some gluten-free beers out there. Just make sure you don’t use anything too hoppy or bitter. White wine or even stock would work, too. 🙂
i used apple cider vinegar and a bit of water in place of the beer. it was very good. question- can this be frozen?
I haven’t tried freezing it so I’m not sure. If you give it a try can you pop back to let us know if it freezes well?
Love making sloppy Joe’s; always freeze half. Great after freezing!
Add crimini mushrooms, walnuts and grated carrots ir make a salad on the side with that flavor to give a savory contrast. Yum.
Ha ha making someone hungry when they’re not is the best compliment! Love it!
Made these last nite and loved them! Even tradtional Joe loving husband thought they were great! Making copies of the recipe for friends! Always find great recipes here!!! Yummy thank yous!
I’m so happy they were a hit! Hooray!!
Well, normally I would completely pass by a vegetarian recipe but I couldn’t on this one! These look so good! This is my first visit to your blog…it looks delicious and beautiful!
That’s the best compliment ever! Thank you so much!!