Flavorful, nutritious, and kid-approved ground turkey tacos are proof that healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated. Made with lean protein and simple seasonings, this recipe makes it easy to serve a balanced, delicious meal the whole family will love in 15 minutes!
Please don't let taco night stress you out! While all the hype around 'Taco Tuesday' can sound intimidating, it's really quite simple, especially if you serve the taco meat and sides like a simple guacamole, fruit salsa, shredded cheese, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) on the side.
If I plan ahead, I often make chicken tacos in my slow cooker, but when I want a more traditional style taco or am in a pinch for time, this ground turkey taco recipe comes to my rescue. Have I mentioned that this only takes 15 minutes from start to finish?!
In fact, I've gotten to the point where I serve the taco meat separately from even the tortillas or taco shells, then let my family makes their own taco creations. Truly a family favorite, especially on busy weeknights!
Save this ground turkey taco recipe for when you need a quick, wholesome meal that everyone can customize. They're versatile, packed with amazing flavor, and perfect for building taco bowls, taco salads, or classic crunchy tacos.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe The most complicated step is chopping the onion, which is made easy by using a good food chopper 😉
- 15-Minute recipe Just like my simple pasta with tuna and air-fryer BBQ chicken recipes, these tacos only take 15 minutes to make!
- Kid-approved Who doesn't love a good taco, especially when you can build your own?
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Turkey Lean ground turkey is a good source of protein. Ground turkey has a similar texture to ground beef.
- Black Beans Good source of plant-based protein, fiber, and other bioactive compounds.
- Taco Seasoning I love to make my own taco seasoning, but a packet of taco seasoning from the grocery store will work, too.
- Arrowroot powder Mix with water to add moisture to the taco meat. Cornstarch can be used in place of arrowroot powder. This mixture levels up the taco meat, making it more restaurant style.
How to Make Ground Turkey Tacos
Here's a brief overview of the steps to make ground turkey tacos. For the complete recipe, with the full list of ingredients, including amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Heat a large skillet with a light drizzle of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and garlic to the pan and sauté for about three minutes, then, add a pound of ground turkey to the onion and garlic mixture and continue to cook until the meat is browned. Stir in one can of black beans that have been drained and rinsed.
- Mix the arrowroot powder and water together in a small bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the taco seasoning and arrowroot powder and water mixture. Stir for about one to two minutes to let the juices to thicken.
- Assemble your ground turkey tacos and enjoy!
Dietitian Tips
Adding beans to ground turkey is an easy way to add a variety of nutrients, including fiber to recipes. It also helps reduce the cost of the meal, since beans are less expensive than ground meat.
Recipe Variations
- If you prefer beef tacos, ground beef can be used in place of ground turkey.
- Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to add spice to this taco meat.
- To make this vegetarian, textured vegetable protein can be used in place of the turkey meat.
- Chopped bell pepper or mushrooms can be added with the onion to help 'extend' the meat and add even more nutritional value to the meal.
- Chopped walnuts can be added in place of the black beans or in addition to black beans. The texture will blend right in. Just be sure to add the chopped walnuts with the onion so it has plenty of time to cook and soften.
- Turn these tacos into a taco salad by topping salad greens with the taco meat and all of your favorite toppings.
What to Serve with Turkey Tacos
- Guacamole Homemade guacamole is actually very easy to make. Guacamole adds a vibrant color, fiber, and mono-unsaturated fats (known as healthy fats) to tacos.
- Salsa Fresh salsa or Pineapple Mango Salsa can be served as taco toppings or alongside tortilla chips as a side dish.
- Cilantro Lime Rice Cook plain white or brown rice, add a squeeze of fresh lime, some chopped cilantro, and a dash of salt. It's so good!
- Fruit Salad Since there is already so much flavor in homemade tacos, I like to serve a simple fresh fruit salad as a side dish on taco night.
Helpful Tips
- Any kind of ground turkey can be used in the recipe. "99% lean ground turkey" will be drier than "93% lean" ground turkey, so you will have to break it into pieces more than less lean ground turkey in order for it to resemble ground meat.
- Make sure the black beans are drained before adding it to the meat mixture.
- Corn starch can be used in place of arrowroot powder.
Questions You May Have
Yes, ground turkey is great for making tacos because the texture is similar to ground beef, and it takes on the flavor of the taco seasoning.
It depends on your budget and taste preferences. Ground turkey that is higher in fat is less expensive and is the most similar to ground beef. But, because it is higher in saturated fat, I either use lean ground turkey or a mixture of lean and regular ground turkey to make turkey tacos.
Yes, you can absolutely freeze taco meat.
Once the taco meat cools to room temperature, it can be stored in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Freeze and use within three months.
To defrost leftover taco meat, either place in the refrigerator overnight or reheat it from frozen on the stove.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
- Easy Feta and Spinach Turkey Burgers
- 15-Minute Pesto with Tortellini
- Easy Asian-Inspired Noodle Bowl
- 30-Minute Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Did you make this ground turkey taco recipe and love it as much as I do? Please leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating to let me know. A 5-star review is the best compliment!
And remember to follow me on Instagram @carrots.and.cookies for more easy recipes and helpful tips!
📖 Recipe
Easy Ground Turkey Tacos
Equipment
- 1 Food masher or spatula
- 1 Food Chopper to make chopping the onion easy
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 yellow onion chopped into small pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced or chopped
- 3 tablespoon taco seasoning Store bought or homemade. Can add more if you prefer your taco meat heavily seasoned.
- ½ teaspoon arrowroot powder can use corn starch instead
- ¼ cup water
- 8 corn tortillas Slightly warmed on a skillet (warming is optional). Flour tortillas can be used instead.
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic to the pan and sauté for about three minutes, until the onions begin to soften.
- Add the ground turkey to the onion and garlic mixture, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook until meat is browned. Use a wooden spatula or meat masher to break apart chunks of turkey meat as it cooks.
- Stir in one can of black beans that have been drained and rinsed.
- Stir taco seasoning into the meat and bean mixture.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and, in a separate small bowl, stir the arrowroot powder and water together. Then, pour the arrowroot powder with water mixture into the meat mixture. Stir for about one to two minutes.
Assembling Turkey Tacos
- Place cooked ground meat and bean mixture in the center of the tortilla or taco shell.
- Add taco toppings. I like to put the cheese on last so that it doesn't melt as it wound if I placed it right on top of the meat.
Notes
- Any kind of ground turkey can be used in the recipe. 99% lean ground turkey has less moisture than 93% lean ground turkey because it has less fat, so it might take a little more work to break it into pieces using a food masher.
- Make sure the black beans are drained before adding it to the meat mixture.
- Corn starch can be used in place of arrowroot powder.
- If you don't want the cheese to melt before you eat it, sprinkle the cheese on last.
- Time saving tip #1 Get all of the taco toppings out and ready while the turkey meat cooks. This way, when the meat is finished cooking, tacos can be assembled right away.
- Time saving tip #2 Leave the onion out. While it does add flavor and texture, it also takes a few minutes to chop. If you are in a pinch for time or don't have onion on hand, you can make this recipe without it.
- Time saving tip #3: Double this recipe and freeze half of it for later use.
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