Turkey Tacos {20-Minutes} – Two Peas & Their Pod

Quick Summary

Are you ready for Turkey Tacos that will rock your world? This lightened-up taco recipe is a family favorite, especially when served with a variety of taco toppings! The perfect quick and easy weeknight meal!

Taco night is a weekly occasion at our house. We don’t always do Taco Tuesday, but I promise Taco Thursday or Taco Saturday is just as fun and just as delicious. Tacos are good any day of the week.

We love mixing up the tacos we have: steak, sweet potato, shrimp, chicken, cauliflower, and more. I love making tacos because it’s minimal prep time and everyone can make their tacos exactly how they like them!

Turkey Tacos are a regular because my boys BEG for them. This easy Turkey Taco recipe can be made in less that 20 minutes, so before you know it, dinner is on the table and everyone is full and happy.

Ground Turkey Tacos

Using ground turkey makes for a lighter, leaner meal that doesn’t lose any flavor! Ground turkey is lower in saturated fat than ground beef and overall has fewer calories. We add lots of spices to give the turkey plenty of flavor.

A common concern with cooking ground turkey is that it might dry out, which makes sense since it usually has less fat than ground beef, but don’t worry, our turkey tacos are loaded with flavor and plenty juicy.

We simmer the taco meat in tomato sauce, onion, a little bit of water, spices, and mild green chiles, all of which add the perfect amount of moisture and keep the delicious flavor in!

Taco Seasonings

I know it’s super simple to buy a packet of taco seasoning, but we like to make our own spice mix with the spices we have in our cabinet. I think the flavor is SO much better!

To perfectly season this turkey, use:

Chili powder
Cumin
Smoked Paprika (the smoky flavor is SO good)
Oregano
Salt & Black Pepper

20-Minute Meal

Everyone needs a good 20-minute meal in the regular dinner rotation and these turkey tacos are always a hit! You can have them on the dinner table in 20 minutes and the entire family will gobble them up!

To make the turkey tacos:

First, brown the ground turkey in a skillet with onion, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon.
Next, add the garlic, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens.
While the turkey is simmering, you can get your toppings ready and set the dinner table!
When the turkey mixture thickens up, stir in the mild green chiles. Don’t skip them. Josh says they are the secret to the best turkey tacos. They add SO much flavor!
Spoon the mixture into corn or flour tortillas and it’s topping time!

Taco Toppings

Our family loves going all out when it comes to taco toppings. We love shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, guacamole or avocado slices, diced tomatoes, salsa or pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

Let everyone customize their own tacos with their favorite toppings! You can put all of the toppings out on the counter in small bowls or pass them at the dinner table. Try a little of everything!

Side Dishes

If you want to serve a few sides with your turkey tacos, here are a few of our favorites!

More Taco Recipes

Main Dishes

Turkey Tacos

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 oz mild green chiles
Corn or flour tortillas, for serving
Toppings: shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, guacamole or avocado slices, diced tomatoes, salsa or pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, lime wedges

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking apart the turkey with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in the green chiles.
To assemble the tacos, spoon the turkey into to warm tortillas (corn or flour). Top with desired toppings: shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, guacamole or avocado, diced tomatoes, salsa or pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve warm!

Calories: 189kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 876mg, Potassium: 672mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1162IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 3mg