Turkey Tacos Recipe | The Gracious Pantry (2024)

Taco Tuesdays just got a healthy upgrade! But shhhh!!! Nobody will know the difference between these turkey tacos and the beef variety.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who didn’t like Tacos. They are such a fun and easy food to make and eat, and even easier to prepare clean.

I buy my tortillas at Trader Joe’s. There are very few and very simple ingredients in them. Lime, water, and corn. So I know they are as clean as I’m going to get with pre-packaged food.

The great thing about healthier Tacos is you can make them as healthy as you like. Heck, you can even make them vegetarian. The basics of a taco always remain relatively the same. You just have to “upgrade” the toppings and spices to a healthier version.

How To Cook Ground Turkey For Tacos

You have two options for cooking the ground turkey for tacos.

1. You can sauté it in a skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil.
2. You can sauté it in a skillet with approximately half a cup of broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef). This reduces the fat content if that’s a consideration for you.

How To Season Ground Turkey For Tacos

Most folks buy a seasoning packet for making tacos. But if you’ve read the ingredient list on most of those packages, you know that there is often much more in there than just spices. Stuff you probably don’t want to consume. So if that’s the case, you can easily make your own taco seasoning in minutes with spices you probably already have in your pantry. You’ll only need four of them. You can find that homemade taco seasoning recipe here.

I generally use 2 to 3 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of ground turkey. But you can start with less, cook it fully, and then taste it and adjust with more seasoning if you like. I don’t add salt, so I usually go heavy on the spices.

What To Serve With Turkey Tacos

These tacos would go well with a side of brown rice or Spanish rice and a side of refried beans.

What Tortillas To Use

While many folks prefer corn tortillas for tacos, some prefer flour tortillas. Either way, check the ingredient list on the package or make your own at home. It’s not always easy to find tortillas without unwanted ingredients.

In a pinch, you could serve all of this as a layered casserole dish and serve it with tortilla chips or corn chips.

Ground Turkey Tacos Recipe Ingredients

Ground turkey – You can use any ground turkey you prefer. The fat content doesn’t matter for the purposes of this recipe. That part is up to you and your eating plan. And yes, you can use ground beef in place of turkey here. But that kind of defeats the purpose of a turkey taco. Just sayin’…

Oil – Use can use any type of oil you normally cook with.

Garlic powder – Or garlic granules. Whatever you have handy.

Chili powder – If you don’t have any, paprika will work as a substitute. The regular stuff, not smoked paprika.

Red onion– Chopped fine. Any color onion will work, though.

Onion powder – Or onion granules. Whichever you have handy.

Tomato sauce– Low sodium – no sugar added.

Topping Ideas for Ground Turkey Tacos

• lettuce
• tomatoes
• onions
• cheese
• guacamole
• olives
• salsa
• sour cream
• jalapeno peppers
• cayenne pepper
• cumin
• black beans
• avocado
• cheddar cheese
• cilantro
• fresh lime juice

How To Make Turkey Tacos

Cook your meat in a non-stick pan using olive oil, or, if you really want to do away with the fat, use a bit of chicken broth. You can even use this method in a cast iron pan if you don’t like it or have a non-stick version.

Stir in the spices and tomato sauce.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients for toppings.

Stuff your shells and serve!

Storing Leftover Turkey Tacos

If you have leftovers, store all the toppings and the meat in separate containers. Vegetable-based toppings will usually last 3-5 days in the fridge, depending on the toppings, and animal-based toppings will last about three days in the fridge if packed well.

Reheating

To reheat the taco meat, simply return the cold meat to a skillet with a bit of oil or broth and stir until heated through.

Freezing

You can freeze the turkey meat. Particularly if you want to make a double batch to freeze for later, just make sure you wrap it well before storing it in the freezer. An airtight container works best.

More Healthy Mexican-Style Recipes

• Taco Salad
• Guacamole

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