Ok, Ok, I know what is going through your head! Sloppy Jose?? And wait, there isn’t any chili powder or anything that remotely would look like it has a Tex Mex flavor??!
No! There aren’t any of those flavors in this recipe at all! BUT, I assure you this one is going to become one of your favorites! If you don’t like spicy and enjoy more of a mild and less “cumin-ey” flavor then this one will be your go to!
The flavors in this recipe are more on the Caribbean side and have LOTS of fresh flavors! It all starts with the base of most Puerto Rican dishes and that is SOFRITO! Ahhh, the fresh smell of homemade sofrito, looking like a green goddess filled with so many fresh vegetables and herbs. Ok, so you may be sitting there asking “What exactly is this Sofrito stuff that you are raving about??!”
Sofrito is a combination of: Garlic, Onion, Cilantro, Green and Red Peppers, Sweet Peppers, Recao (or Culantro also known as wide leaf cilantro but, doesn’t taste exactly like cilantro), and some ground oregano. Almost like the Mirepoix of Puerto Rico except you put all of these ingredients in a blender or food processor and you blend it all up. And the beauty of it, you really don’t have to measure out anything (or at least that’s what I do!) If this sounds like too much work or you can’t find the Culantro (which is the most difficult ingredient to find, depending on where you live), you are in luck! This is sold already blended and you can find it in any Latin section of your supermarket and it is also sold frozen if you can find that version.
So with the combination of the Sofrito and the Sazon (which come in little envelopes in a box or also in a jar) and a touch of tomato paste, this recipe will be one of the easiest dishes you will make that has it’s own exotic flare! So if you are tired of the run of the mill Sloppy Joe dish that you will normally make, give this one a try! We even serve it in the most untraditional way for Sloppy Joe’s, we serve ours in a pita pocket lined with some salad greens. Delicious!
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey
- 1.5 Tbs of Sofrito (If you are using the store bought jars of Sofrito and Recaito, use 1 tsp of each) (See photo above)
- 1 packet of Sazon (or 1 tsp of sazon from the jar) (See photo above)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp of Tomato Paste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/3 Cup water
Directions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. If it is not a non stick pan, spray your pan with a little bit of non-stick spray.
- Once your pan is hot, add in your meat. Stir and break up meat and cook through until no longer pink. (If you are using a meat that is high in fat, be sure to drain the meat once you have cooked it through)
- When meat is cooked, lower heat to medium low and make a small well in middle of meat and add the sofrito. Stir with meat for about 1 minute. Next add in the onion and garlic powder and as well as the sazon. Stir and then add in the tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meat should look like a stewed meat. Add in the salt and pepper to taste, mix, remove from heat and let sit for about 2 minutes. Taste and season accordingly. Serve Hot.
Tips & Tricks: Sazon from Goya can be found in the Latino aisle of the supermarket, you can purchase either the red or green jar but, I highly recommend buying both for added flavor. You can also just blend up your own sofrito if you choose to by using the ingredients above. There is also a frozen Sofrito found in the frozen section of the supermarket. Sazon will come in a box with individual envelopes, there is also one in a jar with the spices. There is a variety of sazon to choose from but I like the one that says with coriander and annatto.
You can serve this in the traditional way of a bun or you can serve it in a pita pocket with salad greens, which is our favorite way to have it.
If you liked the recipe, be sure to comment below!