Taco-Stuffed Subs with Adobo Sauce

These easy Taco-Stuffed Subs with Adobo Sauce are an excellent addition to your Taco Tuesday dinner! Soft hoagie buns stuffed with a flavorful taco beef filling, loaded with your favorite fixings, and drizzled with a delicious zesty Adobo sauce- ready for you in less than 15 minutes!

I am a certified meatballs-in-a-sub lover! I have six different meatball subs variations that I routinely go through and make during game days, movie nights, picnics, or when I just feel like having a quick and easy yet filling sandwich for lunch or dinner. My favorites are Turkish Spiced Meatball and French Onion Meatball Subs– they are outrageously delicious! 

And while I am happy with my precious meatball hoagies, I have decided to try something else for a change. And this one is definitely going to be a constant during Taco Tuesdays- a sub stuffed with taco-seasoned ground beef and a homemade fiery chipotle Adobo sauce! We load them up with the usual Tex-Mex fixings like Pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapenos, tomatoes, and lettuce. It is like having tacos but hugged by hoagies instead!

Ingredients

Sandwiches are simple, all-in-one dishes that require only a handful of ingredients to make. This taco-loaded sub recipe is made using meat, spices, seasonings, and bread that are easy to find in supermarkets if you don’t have them in your pantry. 

• Ground beef- use 7-% to 80% lean ground beef to get a meatier and less greasy filling. Less oil from the meat means more of the spices and seasonings being absorbed.  
• Spices- I used chili powder,  ground paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, and garlic powder to give the beef filling an authentic taco flavor.
• Hoagie rolls- These soft, elongated buns are great for stuffing with meats, veggies, and cheese.
• Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce. This recipe will use 1 chipotle pepper and a tablespoon of abodo sauce. These will add smoky, spicy, and mild sweet flavors to the tacos.
• Sour cream- a dash of creamy sourness is the perfect way to balance the intense chipotle adobo taste! 
• Garnishes- shredded lettuce, grape tomatoes, jalapenos, Pico de gallo, and guacamole would be the perfect toppings for this taco-in-a-sub recipe! 
• Kosher salt and pepper- to taste.

Possible Substitutions

• Aside from ground beef, you can also use other proteins like ground pork, chicken, or turkey. Take note that the cooking time for these would be different. 
• French bread, brioche, or sub rolls can also be used to make these sandwiches. 
• You can use a ready-mix taco seasoning if that is what you have. 
• If you do not have sour cream, feel free to use greek yogurt instead. 
• Other optional fixings are roasted bell peppers, corn, fried beans, onions, avocado, cilantro rice, cheese , hot sauce, salsa, and olives.

How to Make Taco-Stuffed Subs with Adobo Sauce

One pan, a mixing bowl, and 15 minutes of your time are all you need to get these yummy sandwiches ready. 

The filling is enough for 4 to 6 hoagies depending on how much you per sandwich. You can easily double this recipe if you need more.

Preparations

• Preheat a large non-stick skillet using medium-high heat. 
• Slice the hoagie rolls lengthwise ¾ of the way. 

Instructions

1. Make the beef filling. Cook the ground beef in the preheated skillet for about 7 to 8 minutes or until it is no longer pink. Remove excess oil, then add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few more minutes under medium heat and set aside. 
2. Make the Chipotle Adobo sauce. Combine the adobo pepper, sauce, and sour cream in a small mixing bowl. 
3. Assemble. Place a hoagie roll on a plate and scoop some of the ground beef inside. Garnish it you’re your desired toppings and drizzle top with adobo sauce! Do the same to the rest. 

“Pro Tips for Easy Taco-Stuffed Subs with Adobo Sauce”

• Use room temperature beef for even cooking. If it is frozen, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Pull it out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. 
• Pat the ground beef dry using a paper towel to remove excess moisture. If the ground beef is watery, it will create steam when cooked, resulting in greyish beef bits instead of brown ones. 
• I do not add oil to the preheated pan as the ground beef will produce its own. This will help make the meat less greasy and brown better too. 
• Break the ground beef into large chunks and let them brown before breaking them down into smaller pieces. Do not stir them too much, and let the meat touch the hot pan for several minutes to get a good sear. 
• If you want it less spicy, skip the chili powder. 
• I like serving the beef filling, fixings, and bread separately to let everyone make their own subs! 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are hoagie rolls the same as sub rolls? In most cases, these two are interchangeable. You can use either one to make this recipe. 
2. Is chipotle in Adobo sauce really spicy? It is made of jalapenos which have a medium-hot range. So, this recipe is not for you if you do not like spicy food. However, you can lessen the spice level by omitting the chili powder and adding more sour cream. 
3. Can I add cheese? You absolutely can! Try using shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese. 
4. Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, you can. The meat filling and adobo sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days. You can just heat them up when you are ready to assemble your sandwich and serve. 

Storing Notes

The taco meat can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. You can also place them in a freezer-friendly bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.