Turkey Taco Recipe
Turkey Tacos that are quick, easy, healthy, juicy and packed with flavor – you won’t even miss the beef with my secret ingredient! They are the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight meal yet just as crave worthy as more labor intensive dinners. You can make Turkey Tacos with this ground turkey or turkey taco salad, lettuce wraps, burritos, etc. This turkey taco meat also freezes beautifully for prep ahead dinners – just when you didn’t think Turkey Tacos could get easier!
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
Turkey Taco Meat
- 1- 1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup Homemade Salsa or your favorite store bought
- salt to taste
For Serving
- tortillas or taco shells ( Love La Tortilla Factory)
- cheese
- lettuce
- Tomatoes
- avocaodes
- Guacamole
- hot sauce
- salsa
- sour cream
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
- Add ground turkey and all of the seasonings and cook until almost cooked through, but still slightly pink then add salsa and water simmer an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through and reduced. Taste and add salt or additional cayenne or hot sauce to taste.
- Divide filling between tortillas and serve with your favorite toppings such as tomatoes, avocadoes, lettuce, etc
Notes
How to Customize Turkey Taco Meat
- Add Beans. Add your favorite beans – some refried beans, black, pinto, etc.
- Add Veggies. The possibilities are as endless as there are veggies! You can add bell peppers, corn, zucchini, sweet potatoes, etc.
- Add Enchilada Sauce. Add some enchilada sauce for creamy turkey and simmer until reduced to desired consistency.
- More or Less Heat. would start with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper if you don’t like much heat and start with ½ teaspoon if you like heat. Taste and add more as desired, remembering a little goes a long way!
- Hot Sauce to taste. If it feels like it’s missing something, it is probably a depth of heat. You can add additional cayenne pepper as mentioned above or hot sauce to taste.
- Make it creamy. You can make your turkey taco meat creamy by adding refried beans, Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Make it cheesy. After your turkey meat is cooked, stir in desired amount of cheese to melt.
- Add rice or quinoa. Stir in cooked rice or cooked quinoa for added texture. If you do this, you may need to up the salsa. Alternatively, you can serve on top of Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Rice.
- Toppings! Serve with all your favorite toppings from avocados/guacamole to chopped tomatoes, salsa, salsa verde, pico de gallo, chopped lettuce cilantro, hot sauce, etc.
What should I make with Turkey Taco Meat?
In additional to ground turkey tacos, you can make all your favorite Mexican dishes!- Turkey tacos
- Turkey taco salad
- Turkey lettuce wraps
- Turkey burritos
- Turkey burrito bowls
- Turkey quesadillas
- Turkey nachos
- Turkey chilaquiles
How to Freeze Turkey Taco Meat
This ground turkey taco meat freezes beautifully! To freeze:- Cook turkey taco meat according to recipe.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Add ground turkey to a freezer size plastic bag.
- Press bag flat, squeeze out excess air and seal.
- When ready to use, defrost meat in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove from freezer bag and reheat ground turkey in a skillet on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe container in the microwave. You may want to add additional salsa for juicier turkey.