Healthy Ground Turkey Tacos – Rachel Cooks®

Make the best ground turkey tacos packed with zesty Southwestern flavor, lean protein, and plenty of veggies. This healthy ground turkey taco meat is ready in one skillet in just 30 minutes. It’s the ultimate make-ahead weeknight recipe!

Quick and Flavorful Ground Turkey Tacos

I’m sometimes a little hesitant to share my simpler recipes, the ones that I make so often, I could make them with my eyes closed. But these ground turkey tacos are so easy and full of flavor (not to mention healthy) that I know you’ll love them just as much as we do.

My turkey taco meat recipe has seen many, many variations throughout the years. The main ingredients are always there: lean and juicy ground turkey, crisp bell peppers and onions, and my favorite homemade taco seasoning. But tacos are really one of those “clean out the fridge” recipes in our house, with endless ways to make them using ingredients we have on hand.

Of course, we can’t forget toppings. I’ve included all my must-have taco toppings later on in this post, so you can plan the ultimate weeknight meal. I can’t wait for you to try these simple yet amazing turkey tacos!

Why You’ll Love This Taco Recipe

There are so many reasons why I’ll always come back to these flavorful and easy turkey tacos. This recipe is:

• Protein-packed. Ground turkey packs in tons of lean protein while keeping this recipe healthy and light. It’s also super easy to swap in ground beef or go half-and-half if you’d prefer a more traditional taco.
• Loaded with veggies. I love the flavor and nutrition that diced red peppers and onions add to this recipe. Adding veggies is also an inexpensive way to bulk up your taco meat with fewer added calories.
• Make-ahead friendly. This recipe makes a generous batch of taco meat, enough to feed a hungry family of four, plus leftovers! You can even double the batch and freeze your extras for easy meal prep. 

What You’ll Need

Below is a short list of ingredients needed to make savory homemade turkey tacos. Don’t forget to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below the post.

• Olive Oil: For sautéing your veggies and turkey meat.
• Onion and Bell Peppers: I love the flavor and nutrition that diced red peppers and onions add to this recipe. Adding veggies is also an inexpensive way to bulk up your taco meat with fewer added calories.
• Ground Turkey: These turkey tacos are a great source of lean protein. You can also make this recipe with ground beef or ground chicken, or a combination of ground meats.
• Flour: Sprinkling all-purpose flour into the taco meat thickens up the sauce.
• Taco Seasoning: It’s so easy to make your own Taco Seasoning (highly recommended!), but you can also use your favorite brand of packaged taco seasoning as well. If you’re using store-bought taco seasoning, you can skip adding flour as the pre-packaged seasonings already contain thickeners.
• Fixings: Everything you need to make your tacos into a meal. Your choice of tortillas, plus toppings like shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, etc. See further on for more ideas and serving suggestions.

How to Make Turkey Taco Meat

The filling for your flavor-packed turkey tacos comes together in less than 30 minutes in one skillet:

• Saute the ingredients. First, you’ll saute the ground turkey, onion, and bell peppers in a large skillet with oil. Break up the meat as you go, and give it the occasional stir until the turkey is browned and the veggies are tender.

• Combine. Now, stir in your taco seasoning along with a sprinkle of flour. Continue to cook off the flour and spices for a minute or two longer, then pour in a bit of water to create the sauce.
• Cook. Simmer the taco meat on medium-low for about 10 minutes, until thickened.

Tips for Success

You really can’t go wrong with these healthy ground turkey tacos. Here are my final tips for a perfect easy dinner:

• Keep the taco meat warm until serving. You can keep your taco meat simmering at a low temperature on the stove until you’re ready to serve it. Just stir in a bit more water if you find it’s dried out a bit.
• Scale the recipe. This recipe makes about 4 servings, but feel free to double or even triple the recipe if you’re feeding a crowd, or to store and save for later meals. See below for storing and reheating directions.

Recipe Variations

It’s easy to change up the ingredients, seasonings, and toppings to suit your family’s tastes. You can make these tacos spicy, mild, or loaded with even more veggies. Here are some fun variations to try:

• Different protein. If you’re not a fan of the ground turkey in this recipe, try these Crockpot Chicken Tacos or Instant Pot Carnitas. You can also replace ground turkey with lean ground beef instead.
• More vegetables. Sauté diced carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, riced cauliflower, sweet corn, or jalapeños with the ground meat for a spicy kick.
• Add beans. Stir in cooked black beans or pinto beans.
• Make it spicy. Up the amount of taco seasoning, or stir in additional cayenne pepper or chili powder for extra heat.

What to Serve with Turkey Tacos

These healthy turkey tacos are a family-favorite dinner. Serve them with a side of air fryer tortilla chips and salsa or butternut squash queso (it’s a must). I’ll also pair my tacos with this zesty cilantro lime rice whenever I need to bulk up the meal.

Make it a Tex-Mex-style feast and serve these lean turkey tacos with cauliflower nachos, a southwestern chopped salad, or this black bean and avocado salad. When I make this with friends, we’ll always wash everything down with a fresh, spicy paloma cocktail. And don’t forget to fill the table with your favorite taco toppings!

Topping Ideas

I’m always adding tacos to our weekly meal plan, so I can have all the fixings for a great taco ready to go. Try these easy taco topping ideas:

Can I Prepare Taco Meat in Advance?

Yes! This taco meat freezes well. Make a double batch so you have plenty to freeze (see below). Use this turkey taco meat in tacos, salads, burritos, quesadillas, you name it! It’s super versatile and handy. 

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

I love having leftover turkey tacos in the house. You’re going to want to make a batch (or two) every week to have on hand for lunch, dinner, and beyond. 

• Fridge. Store leftover cooked turkey taco meat airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the taco meat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a bit of water added to get it saucy again.
• Freezer. Cool the fried ground turkey taco meat to room temperature and freeze it in airtight containers or resealable bags for up to 3 months. Thaw your taco meat in the fridge before reheating.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

4 servings

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Make the best turkey taco meat packed with zesty Southwestern flavor, lean protein, and plenty of veggies. These healthy ground turkey tacos are the ultimate make-ahead weeknight recipe!

Instructions

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. If you’re using a nonstick skillet, you may not need oil.

• Add onion, bell peppers, and ground turkey. Cook, breaking up the meat, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are cooked.

• Add flour and taco seasoning and stir to combine, continuing to cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until spices are fragrant.

• Stir in water, and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until water is mostly evaporated, about 10 minutes. You can keep this at a low simmer, partially covered, until you’re ready to serve, adding more water if necessary to keep mixture from drying out.

Notes

• Omit the flour in this recipe if you’re using store-bought taco seasoning. Many packaged taco seasonings already contain thickeners (ours does not).
• Lean ground beef or a 50/50 combination of beef and turkey can be substituted for the turkey.
• Makes 2⅔ cups, about 4 servings, ⅔ cup each. Nutrition information is for meat mixture only and does not include tortillas or toppings.
• Make-Ahead: The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Cool the mixture and store it in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
• Recipe updated 11/30/2022.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.66cup, Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 182mg, Potassium: 312mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 784IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.