Hatch Chile Sloppy Joes
It’s that time of year again: Hatch Chile season! If you’re a chile fan, this is the time to strike. Every August and September Hatch Chiles start popping up everywhere from Gelsons to farmers markets to Melissa’s Produce. So, I make sure to grab a bunch at a local roasting and get to cookin’! While I always whip up some salsa or guacamole, I also try to make something new. In the past I’ve made hummus and even popsicles. This year was no different.
My boys had been begging me for Sloppy Joes. I love sloppy Joes. They’re easy to whip up on a week night, they’re always delicious and best of all, my boys are guaranteed to clean their plates. One of the main ingredients in a Sloppy Joe is a bell pepper. It just adds a little extra something to all that yumminess. Well, since I love hatch chiles, especially the mild ones, I thought I’d replace the classic bell pepper with the hatch. It was great!
Adding the roasted chiles gave the Joes a little more tang and a little more bite. But best of all, since I’d roasted them on the grill first, they added a smokiness you just can’t get with a plain bell pepper. But the best thing about adding Hatch chiles to this recipe means you can make them as spicy as you want. If you’re like me and don’t like spice, grab some mild chiles. If you prefer a little bite, go for the medium. But if you love to chase your meal with an iced cold cup of milk or water than stir in the hot chiles. No matter which you choose though, these Sloppy Joes will be delicious. They may be slightly different from the classic recipe you’re used to, but it’ll be a recipe you won’t forget, especially if you roast those chiles first.
But you better grab them soon. The season is over at the end of September. I know it’s short, but it’s totally worth it. These little green gems make everything better thanks to that smoky spiciness. You just can’t get that same flavor with your basic bell. So, no matter which Hatch chile you choose, mild, medium or hot, I guarantee these Sloppy Joes will be on your dinner menu for many fall seasons to come. They’re definitely going to be on mine.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 Hatch chiles, roasted, de-seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in the remaining ingredients through the garlic powder. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- While the hamburger mixture simmers, toast the hamburger buns. Serve the sloppy joes on the toasted buns and enjoy.
