These Ground Turkey Tacos are made with rich, juicy, flavorful ground turkey in your favorite tortillas. Finish them off with the best taco toppings for a healthy and delicious weeknight meal!
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There is probably nothing I love more than an easy dinner. One that is made with ingredients I already have, that takes next to no time to come together, and that the whole family will love.
Well, these Ground Turkey Tacos are one of those dinners!
This recipe takes just 15 minutes (yes, you read that right) and the result is incredibly flavorful and juicy ground turkey you can serve in tortillas with any of your favorite toppings.
This meal is healthy, filling, and a total hit!
Serve it with Homemade Salsa, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice and a glass of Blueberry Lemonade for your next taco Tuesday!
Ingredients Needed:
- Ground Turkey: I use 1 pound of lean ground turkey for this recipe. You can swap it for 1 lb of any ground meat, but then you won’t have turkey tacos 😉
- Onion: our aromatic flavor base for the ground turkey.
- Tomato Paste: mixed into the turkey to add moisture and rich tomato flavor.
- Garlic: fresh, finely minced garlic adds just the flavor these turkey tacos need.
- Brown Sugar: optional, but helps balance out the acidity in the tomato paste.
- Seasonings: we’re using a simple blend of chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, paprika, and black pepper.
- Water: adds moisture and helps distribute the seasonings throughout the ground turkey.
- For Serving: tortillas (corn or flour), shredded cheddar, chopped lettuce, tomato salsa, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, you name it!
How to Make Ground Turkey Tacos
This 15 minute dinner is loaded with flavor and made with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- Brown the turkey: In a large skillet, cook the turkey and onion until browned and softened.
- Add the aromatics and seasonings: Mix in the tomato paste, garlic, brown sugar, and seasonings. Cook until combined.
- Mix with water: A little at a time, stir in water until the mixture comes together.
- Serve: Serve in tortillas with all of the toppings of your choice.
FAQs for Turkey Tacos
That depends on how you define “healthy”, but ground turkey is definitely a leaner source of protein than regular ground beef. Looking for a healthy ground beef taco recipe? Check out this Instant Pot Taco Meat from Frozen Ground Beef.
We’re using a combination of tomato paste, optional brown sugar, and a few simple seasonings to add flavor to the ground turkey. Who knew just a few simple things could make such a difference!
Leftover ground turkey will last in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stove until heated through.
Tips and Notes
- Season to taste. You can adjust the amount of whatever seasoning you like to make the ground turkey your own. Start with less and add more to taste!
- Play with texture. We like to add enough water to make the ground turkey a little bit saucy as it mixes with the tomato paste. Feel free to add as much or as little as you like until your desired texture is reached.
- Don’t skip the brown sugar. While the added brown sugar is optional, it really does help to balance out the bitterness of the tomato paste. I recommend adding it.
- Swap the meat. Okay, I know. Then it wouldn’t be Ground Turkey Tacos. BUT this recipe works great with ground beef or ground chicken too!
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve the ground turkey in corn or flour tortillas topped with shredded cheddar cheese, finely chopped lettuce, jarred tomato salsa, and fresh cilantro, avocado, and tomatoes.
Feel free to bulk your meal up with a side of chips and salsa, Mexican rice and beans, or roasted veggies!
More Taco Recipes You’ll Love
Ground Turkey Tacos
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½-1 cup water
For serving
- 8 corn or flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup finely chopped lettuce
- ½ cup jarred tomato salsa
- fresh cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, etc. as desired for serving
Instructions
- Cook ground turkey and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until browned.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, paprika and pepper and cook until combined.
- Add a little water at a time, stirring until combined. The combination of the tomato paste and the water will make the taco mixture a little saucy which we love. Add only as much water as you want until your desired consistency is reached.
- Serve with tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and any other toppings you enjoy!
Notes
- You can swap the turkey in this recipe for ground chicken, pork or beef.
- Feel free to omit or adjust any of the seasonings in this recipe to your tastes — bump up the spice or play around with it if you like! Just keep in mind all changes will affect the flavor in the end.
- Brown sugar: you do not have to use sugar but I highly recommend it as it balances out the bitterness of the tomato paste. You can use another sweetener if you prefer.
Nutrition Information
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