Ground Turkey Tacos made with few basic ingredients you probably already have on hand! This simple recipe comes together in 30 minutes or less and is ideal for taco night!
When I was in grad school I had a roommate whose love for food closely paralleled mine.
In addition to a brick of cheese and sleeve of crackers being a totally normal dinner for us, Turkey tacos were one of the meals we made constantly.
Some dude broke one of our hearts? Turkey tacos.
Celebrating a wonderful day skiing on the mountain? Turkey tacos.
The most magnificent companion to any beer or cocktail? You guessed it.
Our typical approach was to load our tacos with at least two different types of salsa and shower them with grated cheese.
We didn’t spring for many more toppings than that, as they are always just so delicious as is.
Nevertheless, these joyful tacos will accept any topping with which you could possibly swaddle them.
I love that these ground turkey tacos are loaded with lean protein, and can be served using any type of tortilla to fit your personal taste and dietary needs.
In essence, they’re a macro-friendly taco while still being
Plus, you get to pick and choose your toppings depending on mood.
Hint: if you love green salsa, try my Homemade Salsa Verde. It is the perfect accompaniment!
Pre-loading a ton of flavor into the ground turkey meat using onion, garlic and seasonings yields the most powerfully flavorful tacos.
This ensures the meat turns out nice and moist and every bite of taco is an explosion of savory, creamy, zesty flavors.
Of course, one of my favorite things about tacos is you can mix up the toppings and never eat the same taco twice.
Let’s discuss the fresh ingredients needed to make ground turkey tacos.
Ingredients For Ground Turkey Tacos:
Ground Turkey: Use lean ground turkey to make the most delicious taco meat that happens to be low-fat and protein packed.
Onion, Garlic, and Bell Pepper: Fresh onion and garlic give unparalleled flavor to the ground turkey meat. Load it up!
Chili Powder and Salt: The simple combination of classic chili powder and salt is responsible for the iconic taco flavor we’ve got going on here. You can also use a store-bought or Homemade Taco Seasoning.
Broth: Adding broth to the ground turkey meat helps it stay nice and moist and saucy. Some of the broth gets cooked down so that we’re left with a thicker sauce, making the meat nice and sultry.
Diced Green Chilis: Canned mild diced green chilis add more flavor to the meat to ensure it’s just teeming with delicious flavors. Use hot green chilis for spicy taco meat or skip them altogether if you aren’t into them.
Cabbage Slaw: I love making a quick red cabbage slaw using nothing more than red cabbage, fresh lime juice and salt. The cabbage gets massaged (by your lovely hands) with lime juice to help soften it up and break down some of the fibers.
Plus, the crunchy cabbage and lime juice adds nice texture and a big pop of fresh zesty flavor. If you don’t love cabbage, you can skip it!
Tortillas: I go with standard corn tortillas, but you can use low-carb tortillas, grain-free tortillas or even lettuce wraps.
Avocado: Bringing healthy fats to the meal and delicious creamy flavor, I love incorporating avocado slices into ground turkey tacos.
Additional Topping Options: Add grated cheese, salsa, hot sauce, fresh chopped cilantro, black beans, sour cream, guacamole, and more.
Now that we’re experts on the simple ingredients for ground turkey tacos, let’s make them!
How to Make The BEST Ground Turkey Tacos:
If you’re making the cabbage slaw, do so first.
Thinly slice the red cabbage and transfer it to a large bowl with the lime juice and salt. Use your hands to rub the lime juice into the cabbage. If possible, allow the cabbage to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to soften as the lime juice begins to break down some of the fibers.
Heat the avocado oil over medium-high in a large skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet that’s stainless steel, but nonstick or cast iron work too.
Add the onion and chopped bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies begin to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the ground turkey meat, garlic, chili powder and salt to the skillet and use a spatula to break the meat into tiny pieces.
Pour in the broth and diced green chilis and stir well. Bring mixture to a full boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thicker and the ground turkey is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Make your tacos by heating up the corn tortillas and preparing your toppings.
Load up the tortillas with ground turkey meat, salsa, sour cream, grated cheese, diced avocado and fresh cilantro. Incorporate any toppings you enjoy.
Store any leftover taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can use it to make more tacos, burritos, or my Crunchy Taco Salad with Spiced Ground Turkey.
If you love taco recipes, also try out these reader favorites!
More Taco Recipes:
- Crock Pot Birria Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Sauce
- Flank Steak Tacos
- Crock Pot Al Pastor Tacos
- Salmon Tacos with Slaw and Chipotle Lime Sauce
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Turkey tacos on repeat!
Ground Turkey Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- ½ yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- ½ cup chicken broth*
- 1 4-oz can diced green chilis
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
Cabbage Slaw:
- 2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
For Serving:
- Corn tortillas
- Avocado
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Grated cheese
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- If you’re making the cabbage slaw, do so first. Thinly slice the red cabbage and transfer it to a large bowl with the lime juice and salt. Use your hands to rub the lime juice into the cabbage. If possible, allow the cabbage to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to soften as the lime juice begins to break down some of the fibers.
- Heat the avocado oil over medium-high in a large skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet that’s stainless steel, but nonstick or cast iron work too. Add the onion and chopped bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies begin to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer the ground turkey meat, garlic, chili powder and salt to the skillet and use a spatula to break the meat into tiny pieces.
- Pour in the broth and diced green chilis and stir well. Bring mixture to a full boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thicker and the ground turkey is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make your tacos by heating up the corn tortillas and preparing your toppings. Load up the tortillas with ground turkey meat, salsa, sour cream, grated cheese, diced avocado and fresh cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
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