Ground Turkey Tacos are juicy, flavor-packed, easy to make and on the healthier side! Make a quick batch of these tacos for your next taco Tuesday or upcoming Cinco de Mayo party to fully satisfy your guests.
Ground Turkey Tacos Recipe
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 ground turkey tacos! I can't say enough good things about these handheld masterpieces.
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.
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 up this recipe.
Ground turkey can be pretty boring and flavorless, but I build real flavor by cooking the ground turkey with peppers and onions first. Then I add a layer of seasonings and simmer it in a way that makes the ground turkey juicy and moist every time.
Ingredients for this Turkey Tacos Recipe
- Olive oil
- Vegetables - Onions and jalapeño peppers are all you need.
- Ground turkey- Use a lean ground turkey breast, or a blend of ground turkey, to your preference.
- Taco seasonings - Use my homemade taco seasonings for real taco flavor you'll love. Or use your favorite brand. Also, salt and pepper to taste.
- Tortillas - Use corn tortillas or flour tortillas, or hard taco shells.
- Taco toppings - I used a bit of crema, sour cream, Cojita cheese, picante sauce, roasted jalapeno peppers, diced avocado and chopped cilantro
How to Make Ground Turkey Tacos - the Recipe Method
Cook the veggies and turkey. Heat a large pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil and swirl. Add onion, jalapeño pepper, and ground turkey. Cook it all together for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the turkey is nearly cooked through.
Add seasoning and simmer. Add the taco seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir and cook another minute to let the spices bloom.
Simmer the taco meat. Add water and stir. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer at least 10 to 15 minutes, until most of the moisture reduces and the flavorings thicken up.
Serve and enjoy! Serve the seasoned turkey taco meat onto toasted or warmed tortillas and top with your favorite toppings like cilantro and lime juice!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Don't let it dry out. 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. Hot sauce also helps!
- Tame the heat. I find that the jalapeños in this recipe add just the right amount of heat. However, if that's too spicy for your palate, you can always substitute them with bell peppers.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover turkey taco meat in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 5 days. You can also freeze your taco meat in vacuum sealed containers for 3 months.
To enjoy them again, thaw and warm gently in a pan with a 2-3 tablespoons water. Use them for more turkey tacos or a taco salad.
Try Some of My Other Popular Taco Recipes
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.
Ground Turkey Tacos Recipe (Quick and Easy)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 12 ounces ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 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 for 8-10 minutes, or until the turkey is nearly cooked through.
- Add taco seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook another minute to let the spices bloom.
- Add water and stir. Reduce heat and allow to simmer at least 10 minutes, until most of the moisture reduces and the flavorings thicken up. You can simmer longer to develop more flavor. Leave just a bit of the liquid in the pan to keep the turkey nice and juicy and moist.
- Serve onto toasted or warmed tortillas and top with your favorite fixings!
Nutrition Information
marc felker says
the only turkey tacos I have ever had were dry and tasted like cardboard. these saved turkey for me. they were moist and flavorful. I made your taco seasoning,not going back to the packet stuff again, and also made your taco sauce-excellent by the way. a little taco sauce added to the pan and this dish is a complete winner. we made taco's and taco salad. going to the store to buy more turkey THANKS!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear, Marc!! I'm glad you enjoyed them! I love this recipe. =)
Holly Hooper says
I enjoy trying new dishes to serve my family. This looks absolutely delicious.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Holly! I appreciate it!
Joseph Donahue says
I made this last night, and it was wonderful! I added sauteed onions and mushrooms. My boyfriend loved it.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Joseph! Glad you enjoyed them! So good.
Alvin Charles says
Thanks for giving me a great recipe for this weekend.
Great Work
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Alvin! Much appreciated! Have a great day.
Ankita says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Ankita!
chilipeppermadness says
I tried this sauce on turkey meatballs last night and served them to my very picky children and their even pickier cousins.
Sonia Chauhan says
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.
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Sonia! I appreciate it!
techlazy.com says
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.