Taco, taco and more tacos!! Why don’t we ever get enough of this fun, hand held meal, which is so easy to whip up in no time?
Today our tacos get a tad bit healthier (but do we really care when it comes to tacos??), and a lot leaner. Why? Cos it gets loaded with leanest meat out there.
These Ground Turkey Tacos are absolutely delicious, loaded with flavors. It’s all in the seasonings and plenty of toppings!! Try this luscious, juicy ground turkey meat in between your favorite tacos, and make a very healthy, light meal out of your tacos. All this under in 20 minutes. Really? Read on…
Our taco love is quite apparent here on GypsyPlate. We have quite an array of tacos to choose from here. From unique Tacos Gobernador to famous Birria Tacos, from Baja Fish Tacos to Steak Tacos and plenty others… these taco nights are our beloved family fun dinner nights.
There is something about those meals when you bring your meats along with tacos and plenty of toppings to the table, and each person gets to make their own tacos, with whatever toppings they desire.
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Why Ground Turkey for Tacos Today
1. Ground turkey is a lighter and leaner meat compared to ground beef and ground pork, and lower in saturated fat, resulting in overall fewer calories. We used 93% lean, but you can use 85% or 90% as well, just drain of the excess fat.
2. Though it is leaner, it doesn’t turn out dry, as we will be cooking it in tomato sauce. The meat is loaded with flavors from homemade taco seasoning.
3. Ground turkey cooks very fast, making it a 20 minute meal option ready for busy weeknight dinners.
4. These tacos are fun, as you can load them with a variety of topping ideas, which are mentioned below.
5. This recipe can lead to other great secondary taco meals like ground turkey taco bowls, ground turkey lettuce wraps, ground turkey quesadillas, and so forth. So it’s a great meal prep option. Double or triple the ground turkey taco meat, and use it in different ways throughout the week.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
You might have made your tacos in the past with store bought taco seasoning, but please don’t. Making your own taco seasoning is so simple, and can be done in minutes. It’s a secret for delicious taco meat.
We swear by our simple taco seasoning, that we use in so many of our recipes. All you need is a few simple ingredients, which you probably already have in your pantry:
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika – we use smoked, but regular is fine.
- Red chili flakes
- Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
Just measure everything according to the amounts in the recipe card, mix it up and you are all set for some great tacos, as always!!
Turkey Taco Ingredients
- Ground Turkey – We used 93% lean ground turkey meat. Feel free to use any available.
- Tortillas – We love white or yellow corn tortillas for these ground turkey tacos.
- Flavor enhancers – Garlic, taco seasoning and tomato sauce.
- Oil
Topping Ideas for Ground Turkey Tacos
You can really get creative here. These are some of our favorites:
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Tomato
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced Avocado
- Cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Chopped Onion
- Sliced Black Olives
- Pico de Gallo
- Salsa
- Mexican Street Corn Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
How to Make the Best Ground Turkey Tacos
Start by making the taco seasoning by mixing all taco seasoning ingredients together in a bowl.
Heat up oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in the ground turkey, and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then give it a stir.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the ground turkey is no longer raw. We like to keep the meat on the chunkier side. Discard most of the liquid, if any, leaving behind a little to keep the meat moist.
Stir in garlic, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Mix everything well and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Cooking it a bit longer builds up all the flavors.
While the turkey taco meat is cooking, you can get your toppings ready by chopping and prepping.
Heat an ungreased non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, cook the tortillas about 10 seconds per side, just until some brown spots start to appear.
Scoop a generous portion of the ground turkey filling into each tortilla and fill with your favorite toppings. Voila… you are ready for amazing tasting ground turkey tacos!! Serve with a side of refried beans.
Variations to Customize Your Turkey Tacos
- Add beans into the taco mixture. Black beans and pinto beans are great options.
- Add more veggies to the mix. You can add bell peppers, corn or zucchini.
- Replace the tomato sauce with tomato salsa or even Salsa Verde for a different flavor profile.
- Give them more kick by adding chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, cayenne or your favorite hot sauce.
- Make the ground meat mixture a little creamier by adding a dash of sour cream.
- Make the same recipe with other ground meats like ground beef, ground chicken and ground pork.
- Think beyond tacos (though they’re tough to beat). Use the ground turkey mixture with lettuce wraps, serve it on top of cilantro lime rice, or in taco salad. You can make burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas with leftover meat.
Leftover and storage
You can refrigerate leftover taco meat in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When reheating, add a tablespoon or so of water.
This ground turkey taco meat also freezes beautifully! Go ahead and make a giant batch, as it’s a great meal prep option. Cool the taco meat completely, then store it in a freezer friendly bag. Press flat to gently squeeze out the air from the bag before sealing
To thaw, defrost the meat in the fridge overnight. Then reheat in a skillet with a dash of water. You can also microwave it until heated through.
Well there you go, one more taco recipe down. Never let a week go by without having a taco.
Try these super tasty and super easy ground turkey tacos, and give your family one healthy meal that’s brimming with the usual amazing taco flavors. When thinking what to cook with ground turkey… think tacos!! Brilliant!!!
Be sure to check our other cracking Ground Turkey Recipes on GypsyPlate, and come back again for all the new flavors coming to you…
Ground Turkey Tacos, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great taco recipes!
Ground Beef Tacos
Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos
Korean Beef Tacos
Breakfast Tacos
Ground Turkey Tacos
These Ground Turkey Tacos are a fun, easy, and healthy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. You won’t even want to wait till Tuesday!
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika (we use smoked)
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Taco Meat
- 1.5 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1lb ground turkey
- Taco seasoning
- 8oz tomato sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
Tacos
- 8 corn tortillas
Desired Toppings
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Tomato
- Diced Avocado
- Cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Chopped Onion
- Sliced Black Olives
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
Instructions
1. Mix all taco seasoning ingredients in a bowl.
2. Heat up oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in the ground turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then give it a stir. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until ground turkey is no longer raw.
3. Stir in garlic, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Mix everything well and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat an ungreased non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, cook the tortillas about 10 seconds per side, just until some brown spots start to appear.
5. Scoop a generous portion of the ground turkey filling into each tortilla, and fill with your favorite toppings.
Notes
You can use the same recipe for other ground meats like ground beef or ground chicken. You can use this taco meat in various other recipes like lettuce wraps, taco bowls and burritos.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former worldwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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