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This ground turkey taco recipe is a perfect weeknight meal that’s easy, healthy, and packed with flavor. Made with a mixture of tomato sauce and seasonings, it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
Weekdays can be hectic, and these ground turkey tacos are one of my favorite quick and easy meals to make when I’m short on time. They’re a great alternative to traditional ground beef tacos and are ready in under 30 minutes.
Plus, you can make your own taco seasoning to get the perfect flavor or use your favorite store-bought blend. It’s really up to you. They are one of my favorite things to make for those busy weeknights when you don’t have much time but still want something delicious.
Ingredients
- Ground turkey: It’s a leaner meat with less saturated fat than beef, making it an ideal choice when you’re looking for a lighter meal. I prefer the 93% lean variety instead of anything extra lean so I don’t run the risk of the meat being too dry.
- Taco seasoning: My blend of spices includes chili powder, ancho chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, ground cumin, and ground oregano. However, there’s nothing wrong with a store-bought taco seasoning. To replace the seasoning in this recipe with store bought, use 3 tablespoons.
- Tomato sauce: I used tomato sauce, but you can also use fresh diced Roma tomatoes for a lighter and fresher flavor profile.
- Pickled jalapeño juice: This is the real secret ingredient of this recipe. It provides so much flavor to these tacos without adding a ton of heat. You can leave this out if you prefer.
- Tortillas: Feel free to use corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Whichever you prefer. If you use flour, I recommend using the smaller 6-inch size.
- Toppings: Classic options like shredded lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream are perfect.
How to Make Ground Turkey Tacos
Cook the ground turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat with all the taco seasonings until the meat has browned.
Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for 4 minutes until it’s slightly thickened.
Then, remove from the heat and stir in the pickled jalapeño juice. This is optional, but I find that it adds a delicious vinegary flavor that really elevates the sauce!
Serve warm in tortillas with all the fixings, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re looking to create a really great taco bar situation, here are a few sides that would go great with turkey tacos!
Tips
- If you prefer to use a store-bought taco seasoning packet instead of the individual spices in the recipe, you’ll need about 3 to 4 tablespoons of taco seasoning.
- If you don’t have ancho chili powder, you can substitute it with additional chili powder.
- Instead of a can of tomato sauce, you can substitute tomato paste or diced Roma tomatoes instead.
Recommended Tools
- Skillet. A cast iron skillet is essential in my kitchen. It’s a versatile pan, perfect for cooking pretty much anything from meats to vegetables.
- Tortilla warmer. A must for keeping tortillas warm at the dinner table!
- Measuring spoons. These are dishwasher safe, made of stainless steel, and have the measurements engraved so they won’t fade off over time.
Storing and Reheating
Leftover ground turkey taco filling can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm the ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until fully heated through or on high in the microwave.
More Taco Recipes
Ground Turkey Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ½ tablespoon pickled jalapeño juice
For serving
- Warm corn or flour tortillas
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced roma tomatoes
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add in the ground turkey, chili powder, ancho chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground cumin, and ground oregano. Cook for 8 minutes until the meat is browned, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the pickled jalapeño juice.
- Serve in warm corn tortillas with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and your favorite hot sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photos by Erin Jensen of The Wooden Skillet.
Awesome ! 😋👍