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Home » Juicy Turkey Tacos

Juicy Turkey Tacos

by Mike Hultquist · Jan 4, 2016 · 12 Comments

Jump to Recipe

A recipe for quick and easy ground turkey tacos that are juicy, healthy, and downright satisfying.

Most of you know my love for ground turkey by now. I'm in LOVE with turkey burgers (see one of my favorite turkey burger recipes) and we cook with turkey constantly.

As much as we both love beef, turkey is a lower calorie option that helps to keep the weight down. So! Bring on the Turkey Tacos. I can't say enough good things about turkey tacos.

They're healthy, low-calorie, inexpensive to make, super quick and easy to prepare, and flat out delicious. Seriously, you can have this recipe done in about 20 minutes or less.

The only thing holding you back is how many fixings you decide to serve up.

Turkey is your blank canvas protein that absorbs all the flavors you choose to bring to the plate. Choose wisely, though to be honest, it's really hard to mess this recipe up.

Juicy Turkey Tacos Recipe

This was always one our go-to recipes when we first got married, all those wonderful years ago.

I've adapted it a bit since then, but the base recipe remains the same for 2 people. 12 ounces ground turkey - use your favorite brand, but I tend to use the lower fat options, corn tortillas (gotta be corn!), avocado, jalapeno, some hot sauce or picante sauce. Taco seasonings.

YUM!

Seriously, once you have these, you'll start to crave them over beef or pork tacos, or at least as often. Come on, Taco Tuesday! We want turkey tacos!

The Key to Moist Turkey Tacos

The key to the moisture is simmering the ground turkey slowly in the water that you add along with your taco seasonings, and leaving just a bit of that water in the pan when you turn off the heat.

The moisture will absorb into the turkey and when you take a bite, you'll get that juicy deliciousness just like any great taco without all the fat. Hot sauce is good as well for an EXTRA burst of juiciness.

Who doesn't love hot sauce? We LOVE it!

Juicy Turkey Tacos

Patty's Perspective

There are a few recipes that Mike makes so often, we're amazed we haven't yet shared them with you. This is one of them. I've always preferred ground turkey over ground beef, and I love the seasonings here, and the way Mike is able to make them truly juicy, not fatty. The surprise each time is the toppings he decides to use. We hope to bring you all those regular yet amazing recipes in 2016!

Try Some of My Other Popular Taco Recipes

  • Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
  • Szechuan Salmon Tacos
  • Pork Street Tacos with Crispy Fried Habaneros
  • Tacos al Pastor
  • Baja Fish Tacos
  • Chorizo Tacos

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Print

Juicy Turkey Tacos Recipe - So Quick and Easy

A recipe for quick and easy ground turkey tacos that are juicy, healthy, and downright satisfying.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Calories: 135kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 6
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 6 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
  • 12 ounces ground turkey
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning - Try our homemade taco seasoning
  • ½ cup water
  • 6 corn tortillas lightly toasted
  • Fixings for toppings – I used a bit of crema sour cream, Cojita cheese, picante sauce, roasted jalapeno peppers, diced avocado and chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl.
  • Add onion, jalapeno pepper and ground turkey. Cook it all together about 8 minutes, or until the turkey is nearly cooked through.
  • Add taco seasoning and water. Stir. Reduce heat and allow to simmer about 10 minutes, until most of the moisture reduces and the flavorings thicken up. Leave just a bit of the liquid in the pan to keep the turkey nice and juicy and moist.
  • Serve onto toasted tortillas and top with your favorite fixings!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 135kcal   Carbohydrates: 13g   Protein: 15g   Fat: 2g   Cholesterol: 31mg   Sodium: 109mg   Potassium: 242mg   Fiber: 2g   Sugar: 1g   Vitamin A: 120IU   Vitamin C: 4.5mg   Calcium: 27mg   Iron: 0.8mg
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Categories: Game Day Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, cinco de mayo, easy/simple/quick recipes, game day and superbowl parties, jalapeno pepper, lighter fare and low calorie, low budget/inexpensive meals, mikes favorites, tailgating

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Holly Hooper says

    November 06, 2021 at 9:58 pm

    5 stars
    I enjoy trying new dishes to serve my family. This looks absolutely delicious.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 07, 2021 at 10:38 am

      Thanks, Holly! I appreciate it!

      Reply
  2. Joseph Donahue says

    July 21, 2021 at 10:44 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night, and it was wonderful! I added sauteed onions and mushrooms. My boyfriend loved it.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      July 21, 2021 at 11:45 am

      Thanks, Joseph! Glad you enjoyed them! So good.

      Reply
  3. Alvin Charles says

    December 08, 2019 at 12:09 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for giving me a great recipe for this weekend.

    Great Work

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 09, 2019 at 7:35 am

      Thanks, Alvin! Much appreciated! Have a great day.

      Reply
  4. Ankita says

    August 25, 2019 at 3:56 am

    5 stars
    Hi!!
    Love your post. It's really amazing & helpful too. Being foodie i keep trying new dishes i tried this recipe & it turned out to be really tasty . Keep sharing 🙂
    Thank You & Regards
    Ankita

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 25, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      Thanks, Ankita!

      Reply
  5. chilipeppermadness says

    February 22, 2019 at 4:12 am

    5 stars
    I tried this sauce on turkey meatballs last night and served them to my very picky children and their even pickier cousins.

    Reply
  6. Sonia Chauhan says

    May 17, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    I’m always looking for new recipes that help us cut back on the processed alternatives. Thanks for putting all of these in one place.

    Reply
    • Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 04, 2018 at 9:13 am

      5 stars
      Thanks, Sonia! I appreciate it!

      Reply
  7. techlazy.com says

    May 02, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    I tried this sauce on turkey meatballs last night and served them to my very picky children and their even pickier cousins. What a HUGE hit! I cannot thank you enough – you’ve added a new staple to their diets …
    REPLY: That's great! Glad it was a hit! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.

    Reply

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