Turkey Tacos

Lean ground turkey meat is simmered in a flavorful taco seasoning for these delicious and quick 20-minute turkey tacos. Pair with your favorite taco toppings for an easy weeknight dinner recipe.

The BEST Turkey Tacos

We live for an easy Mexican night meal around here. It’s one of the few cuisines my whole family enjoys and as the cook of the family I appreciate only having to make one meal.

These turkey tacos are the current highlight of Taco Tuesday (our usual Mexican-inspired dinner night). Ground turkey meat cooked in a zesty taco seasoning all in one skillet! Then add your desired taco toppings and you’ve got an easy dinner recipe that’s on the table in 20 minutes.

I personally like using lean ground turkey instead of ground beef because it’s a bit healthier and tends to absorb flavors a bit better.

And if tacos aren’t your thing, you could easily top this ground turkey mixture onto a salad or bed of lettuce for a taco salad or even rice for a burrito bowl! Options abound. Let’s get to the recipe.

Ingredients in Turkey Tacos

• Lean ground turkey – I personally prefer the taste and texture of lean ground turkey (usually 94%) in this recipe but use what you can find.
• Taco spices – or a mixture of chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano and salt and pepper. Exact amounts and ratios below. Feel free to reduce salt amount if watching sodium levels.
• Onion – you can use a yellow onion or white onion. Feel free to sprinkle green onions on top if you desire.
• Canned Tomato – You could also use fresh tomatoes (roughly 2) if you can’t get a small can of canned diced tomatoes.
• Corn tortillas – you can use soft or hard taco shells or flour tortillas if you prefer. Stick to corn if you’re gluten-free.

How to Make Ground Turkey Tacos

STEP 1: COOK ONIONS + TURKEY MEAT

Heat a skillet or pan over medium heat and add olive oil and chopped onion. Cook until lightly browned, roughly 3-5 minutes. Add ground turkey and brown on all sides for another 3-5 minutes.

STEP 2: ADD SPICES + TOMATOES + SIMMER

Stir in spices and salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute to allow flavors to absorb.  Add canned diced tomatoes and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes until tomatoes have mostly broken down.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE TACOS

Heat your tortillas on the stove-top or in microwave. Add a scoop of turkey mixture and top with desired toppings.

Topping Suggestions

The toppings are truly endless and can be customized to your liking, but here are some of my favorite taco toppings:

• Homemade salsa (or green salsa!) or even pico de gallo
• Avocado or homemade guacamole
• Shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack – cotija works great too!
• Fresh lime juice or homemade hot sauce
• Cilantro and/or sliced radishes
• Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
• Fresh or frozen corn (thaw first) or even beans (black beans, refried beans etc…)
• Jalapeno slices for a spicy kick!

Storage Instructions

While I wouldn’t suggest putting your whole tacos together ahead of time, the turkey meat can easily be made in advance and either stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Just remove from freezer and place overnight in the fridge and either reheat on stove top or in microwave.

You can then proceed with warming your tortillas and adding toppings.

Easy Swaps + Substitutions

• Swap protein – Any ground meat can easily be swapped for ground turkey. You can also make chicken tacos using my favorite Instant Pot Salsa Chicken.
• Add veggies – I like adding lettuce and sliced radishes but feel free to add in your favorite vegetables.
• Make into a taco bowl or burrito bowl – This ground turkey meat can easily be added to a bed of lettuce and tortilla chips or even rice for a taco bowl or burrito bowl.
• Make in the slow cooker – you’ll need to brown your onion and meat first but then all ingredients can be added to a slow cooker and cooked on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

More Mexican-Inspired Dishes

In addition to taco recipes, here are some of my favorite Mexican-inspired meals:

• Spicy Grilled Shrimp Tacos
• Quinoa Taco Casserole
• Chipotle Burrito Bowl
• Chicken Pozole
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos

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