These Ground Turkey Tacos are great for your taco weeknight dinners. These tacos are juicy and full of amazing flavor with only a few ingredients.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
My oldest daughter requests tacos about three times a week. I can’t blame her, tacos are pretty amazing and versatile. Whether they are made with this yummy carnitas meat, beef, or fish, my household knows how to have an epic Taco night.
I started making these ground turkey tacos to give us a nice spin on the traditional beef taco, and they do not disappoint. They’re full of flavor and juicy and the perfect taco addition.
I don’t use a pre-packaged taco mix for this recipe as I prefer to make my own. With just a few spices, you can have an amazing dinner in no time.
Ingredients Needed
- Aromatics - yellow onions and minced garlic add amazing flavor.
- Canola oil - to help sauté the ingredients.
- Ground turkey - I prefer to use the 85% lean, 15% fat ground turkey meat. It doesn't dry out as easily.
- Seasoning - chili powder, cumin, oregano, kosher salt. This is our seasoning for the tacos so you don't have to use premade packets.
- 10 oz can tomatoes with chilies, undrained - adds flavor and keeps the tacos juicy.
- Fresh lime juice - This is the game changer of the recipe. The addition of acid is what gives the taco meat the ultimate flavor.
How to make Ground Turkey Tacos
First, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, turkey meat, onion, and garlic to the skillet. Stir and cook until the meat has broken up and fully browned.
Then add the seasonings (use the ones in the recipe card or use 2 Tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning)and the undrained can of tomato and chilies. The extra liquid in the tomatoes helps keep the turkey meat juicy rather than dry. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
Squeeze a hint of lime juice over the top. This is the acid that will take your taco meat to a whole other level. Serve with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy.
Is Ground Turkey better than Ground Beef?
I did a ton of reading and research and ultimately found that...it depends a lot on the fat content of the ground turkey or beef you buy. I just choose to buy ground turkey to give my family a variety of the foods we consume.
Are ground turkey tacos dry?
Nope. Ground turkey has a reputation for being dry and boring. And it usually is. But with these tacos, adding the seasoning gives it a ton of flavor, and adding an undrained can of tomatoes with chilies adds the moisture that it needs.
Can you freeze leftover ground turkey meat?
To Freeze
Yes! To freeze the meat, allow it to cool and place it in a freezer-safe container. Label the container with the name and date. Taco meat can be frozen for up to 6 months.
To thaw
When ready to thaw, it should be thawed in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
Recommended Taco Toppings:
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Shredded Lettuce
- Did I mention Sour Cream?
- Guacamole
- Or you can try any of these taco toppings.
This taco meat is great for bowls, burritos, enchiladas, and lettuce wraps. The possibilities are endless.
You may also like these fried chicken tacos.
Looking for recipes to serve with these tacos? Try these out:
- Yellow Rice
- Homemade Salsa
- Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Nachos
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob (Mexican Street Style)
Looking for more ground turkey recipes? Try this Pressure Cooker Turkey Chili.
Juicy Ground Turkey Tacos
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoon canola oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 oz can tomatoes with chilies undrained
- 1 squeeze fresh lime juice
- tortilla shells
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, ground turkey meat, onion, and garlic to skillet. Stir and cook until the meat has broken up and fully browned.
- Then add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and the can of tomato and chilies. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until the meat mixture is heated through. Squeeze fresh lime, about 1 tsp, over the meat mixture. Serve and enjoy 🙂
Suggested Tools
Video
Notes
- Top with your favorite toppings such as cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, or avocado.
- This ground turkey taco meat is great for meal prep and freezes well.
- I used the 10-inch Mealthy stainless steel skillet for this recipe.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 8/29/2019. It has been updated with some new photos and helpful tips.
Michelle says
This recipe had way too much salt and way too much chili powder. I was choking on it while I was trying to eat the turkey. It was quite repulsive. I even came back and searched the recipe back up in order to leave this review because it was so disappointing
Tanya says
Hi Michelle, mind sharing what brand of chili powder you used in the recipe? 1 teaspoon of salt is normal for 1 pound of meat. Depening on the brand of chili powder you used, that could explain why yours was too salty. If your brand has salt as a leading ingredient, it's likely more salt than actual chili powder.
Sheila says
I just started the low FODMAP diet for bloating. I forgot to add the oil. I admitted the garlic and onions. I doubled the batch with half turkey half 10% fat grass fed beef. Came out great. Has nice heat to it. May put a little quinoa in this. And added it to a roasted spaghetti squash topped with scallions. Oh, I added just one can of roasted tomatoes
Jeanne says
I made this recipe, but omitted the oregano (I'm used to New Mexico-style dishes that don't use it). It was delicious and moist! I will be making this again for sure (in fact, that's exactly what I'm doing tonight). Thank you for sharing this quick, easy, and delicious recipe!
Tanya says
Thanks so much, Jeanne! Ironically, I made it again tonight lol. It's our go-to for taco nights. So happy you like the recipe 🙂
Laura says
Love how simple yet delicious this recipe is. I used your homemade taco seasoning and loved it. Husband loves the left overs in his eggs the next morning. This has become a regular for a quick, easy yet yummy meal.
Tanya says
Thanks, Laura! This is one of our favorites as well. Adding it to the eggs in the morning is a great idea! Thank you, I'm going to have to start doing the same.
Grannycan says
Great taco recipe without the 'taco seasoning' packet, I like using my own spices. This recipe works with any protein, have even used shrimp. Noticed that you have a Mealthy skillet! I have the pressure cooker and love it. Found your site when I (finally!) got an air fryer and have learned so much from you. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Tanya says
Thanks so much Grannycan! I actually have that Mealthy pressure cooker as well. I agree, it's an amazing appliance. So happy you liked the recipe and the air fryer tips.
Melanie says
The tacos had just the right amount of spice & heat, were juicy w/o being too thin or runny. Perfect for us 2 & had a little leftover, but I’m sure someone will beat me to it tomorrow!
Tanya says
Thanks so much, Melanie! So happy you liked the tacos!
Nita says
This recipe is awesome! I tried it a few months ago with ground turkey. I've been vegan for a little over a month now. Tonight I used Gardein Plant-Based Ground Be'f crumbles from Wal-Mart. It turned out delicious! I went a little heavier on the oil. I used olive oil because that's what I had. The vegan crumbles don't have as much water as turkey does. Even after adding the tomatoes with chilies. I also went heavier with the cumin and salt and I added black pepper. I added a pinch of sugar because the vegan crumbles were a little bitter. I love that the onion and tomato stretches the volume of the taco meat. You can never have too much taco meat. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Tanya says
Thank you Nita! I love that you made it plant-based too 🙂
Ran says
I love this recipe, and so does my family. The turkey comes out very juicy and flavorful. I used this same recipe to repurpose leftover grilled chicken breast, and it came out great too! I chopped it up, added it to the pan after the onions and garlic and followed the rest of the recipe as is.
Tanya says
Thank You! I love that you used leftover chicken breast too. Such a great idea.
JP says
Made these and they were the bomb! Used fresh oregano from the garden. Peace and Thanks- Jan