If you’re looking for a lighter twist on classic tacos, these turkey tacos are for you. I promise they’re bursting with flavor and will easily beat any store-bought seasoning mix. Made with a blend of jalapeño, garlic, and spices, they’re quick to prepare and endlessly customizable. Perfect for any taco night, they’re almost guaranteed to please.
Here’s the turkey tacos recipe along with some helpful tips to make it perfect.
Turkey Tacos: What to expect
- Taste: These turkey tacos have a nice kick from the jalapeño, garlic, and cumin. The cilantro adds a fresh finish that balances everything out perfectly.
- Texture: The ground turkey has a soft, juicy texture, and when you add the crispy taco shells and the creamy avocado, it all comes together perfectly for that satisfying bite.
- Foolproof factor: This recipe is beginner-friendly and easy to get right. Just make sure to cook the turkey all the way through, chop the vegetables evenly for consistent cooking, and adjust the spice level by adding more or less jalapeño to suit your taste. It’s simple, customizable, and hard to mess up.
- Timing: You can have these turkey tacos ready in about 30 minutes, making them an ideal choice for a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner.
Turkey tacos ingredients and how to use them
This recipe uses a few simple ingredients that bring big flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground turkey: 3/4 lb. It’s lighter than beef but still gives you that satisfying, meaty bite that makes these tacos so good.
- Onion: 1 medium, chopped. Adds a sweet, savory base once it’s cooked down — makes everything taste better.
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons. This is what you’ll use to sauté the veggies, adding some richness and helping things not stick.
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced. Brings that classic aromatic flavor that makes everything pop.
- Jalapeño pepper: 1, seeded and minced. Adds a bit of heat — adjust how much you use depending on how spicy you like it.
- Chili powder: 1 1/2 tablespoons. Gives a smoky depth that ties all the flavors together.
- Ground cumin: 1 teaspoon. Adds that warm, earthy taste that makes tacos taste like tacos.
- Salt and pepper: To taste. Essential for bringing out all the other flavors — make sure to season as you go.
- Canned chopped tomatoes: 3/4 cup. These add some moisture and a little acidity to balance out the spices.
- Chicken broth: 1/3 cup. Keeps the turkey juicy while it cooks, adding a bit of extra flavor too.
- Fresh cilantro: 1/4 cup, finely chopped. Adds a fresh kick right at the end to brighten everything up.
- Tortillas or taco shells: 12 (5-inch). You can use soft tortillas or crunchy taco shells — whichever you like best.
Optional toppings
- Romaine lettuce: Just thinly slice it up. It adds that perfect crunch to balance all the warm, spicy flavors in the filling.
- Tomatoes: Dice them up. They bring a burst of freshness and a bit of juicy flavor to each bite.
- Avocado: 1-2, diced. You can’t go wrong with some creamy avocado — it helps mellow out the spice.
- Monterey Jack cheese: Shredded. This melts beautifully over the hot filling, giving you that ooey-gooey cheesy finish.
- Sour cream: Totally optional, but it adds a nice, cool creaminess if you’re looking to balance the heat a bit.
Equipment needed to make turkey tacos
You don’t need any fancy equipment for this recipe. Just grab a medium skillet, a chopping board, a knife for chopping, a ladle for stirring the meat, and a measuring cup or spoon.
Similar recipes to try
If you’re in the mood for more taco-inspired dishes, here are a few more recipes to try:
- Beef Tacos Recipe: Slow-cooked beef seasoned just right, ready to pile high with your favorite toppings — super easy and always a hit.
- Chicken Fajitas Recipe: Juicy chicken cooked with bell peppers and onions, perfect for wrapping in tortillas with all the extras you love.
- Shrimp Tacos Recipe: Shrimp with a kick, paired with crispy bacon and fresh toppings — wrap it all up for a quick, tasty meal.
- Chicken and Black Bean Taco Salad Recipe: Grilled chicken, black beans, and crisp lettuce tossed together with a zesty dressing — everything you love about tacos in a hearty salad.
Turkey Tacos Recipe
If you’re looking for a lighter twist on classic tacos, these turkey tacos are for you. They’re bursting with flavor and will easily beat any store-bought seasoning mix.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 22
- Total Time: 32
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, and minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup canned chopped tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 12 (5 inches) corn or flour tortillas
Toppings (optional)
- Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- Tomatoes, diced
- 1–2 avocados, diced
- Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Sour cream
Instructions
- In a medium skillet over medium heat add oil, onions, garlic, jalapeno pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender. It should take about 10 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high, add tomatoes and boil for 2 minutes. Add turkey and chicken broth bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the turkey is cooked through and the mixture thickens. This takes about 12 minutes.
- Add cilantro and stir.
- Assemble tacos with the various toppings.
Notes
You can use any kind of taco shell you like — corn tortillas, flour tortillas, or crunchy shells. I like flour tortillas! You can also substitute another chile for the jalapeno. I used green chile when I took the photos.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 846
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 2396.9 mg
- Fat: 38.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 92.6 g
- Protein: 37.8 g
- Cholesterol: 75.9 mg
I’m loving ground turkey lately. I’d love to try this. Yum!
Hmmm, I like this idea a lot. I’ll have to give it a try. Never thought of having turkey with tacos, but it actually sounds delicious!
I don’t even think of beef anymore when making tacos, have been using ground turkey breast for years. Now I’m hungry.
What a great recipe-since I don’t eat beef, this is a great alternative for me! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Bobby, you have onions listed in the directions but not the ingredients. Also, you don’t include what to do with the cilantro.
Kent – I have fixed the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Btw Bobby I made this recipe the same night I made that post, they turned out well, looks like I was correct on the onion, I used a medium onion but I mixed the cilantro in with the vegetable mixture when cooking them. Still turned out great though!
All I can say is fab Bobby! Those were some tasty tacos I just made :). The only thing I did different was a I added a little less than two tbs oil and I used soft corn tortillas. I never knew I would like turkey tacos so much.
I loved them but made them go a little bit further by adding some refried beans
I’ve made these several times now and I won’t go back! I change it up from time to time just a little. I will use canned tomatoes with green chilis or add a can of pinto beans and up the spices accordingly. Sometimes I add a little oregano. This is the only way I make tacos anymore. I have always HATED the packaged taco seasoning and the high sodium in it. This is awesome..thank you for the great recipe!