Turkey Tacos

These ground turkey tacos are packed with bold flavor thanks to a homemade spice blend (it’s easy!) and a simple tomato-based sauce that makes the meat incredibly juicy and flavorful. Lighter than beef tacos but just as satisfying and delicious.

Y’all know that I am a Certified Taco Fanatic and here we are with some of the best turkey tacos!

Turkey Tacos That Actually Get You Excited

I’ll be honest – for the longest time, I thought turkey tacos were just the sad, health-ified version of the real thing. Like, do they actually taste good or are you just eating them as a sad substitute?

Turns out, ground turkey tacos can actually be seriously delicious. You won’t miss the beef at all, because these pack in big, bold flavor.

I found this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen way back in the day and I’ve been loving them ever since.

The secret is in the seasoning blend and that little bit of tomato sauce and brown sugar that makes everything taste rich and flavorful instead of dry and boring. So much better than a packet with just a smidge more work.

This filling works great in our fried tacos, too. Drizzle on some cilantro lime dressing for the ultimate drippy taco messy eating experience.

3 Reasons You’ll Love These Turkey Tacos

1. More flavorful than beef tacos. The homemade spice blend and tomato sauce combo creates deeper, richer flavor than regular ground beef with packet seasoning.
2. Lighter but still satisfying. Turkey is leaner than beef but these tacos are just as filling and satisfying thanks to all that bold seasoning.
3. No weird packet ingredients. You know exactly what’s going into your taco meat, and it tastes way better than anything from a packet.

Ingredient Notes:

Turkey – You’ll need a pound of lean ground turkey for these turkey tacos. This recipe also works well with ground chicken and you really won’t even notice the difference. I use the two interchangeably pretty regularly, depending on what’s on sale at my grocery store.

Veggies – Some diced sweet onion, minced garlic, and diced green chilis will add loads of flavor to these turkey tacos.

Seasoning – You’ll need some chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, and salt.

Sauce – Along with the seasoning you’ll also mix together a simple and flavorful sauce that the ground turkey will cook in. It’s a mix of tomato sauce, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and a little brown sugar!

Notes From My Kitchen

Over the years I’ve made this recipe at least 100 times. Here are some of the things I’ve learned as we’ve perfected it:

Spice Level Tips: These aren’t really spicy, but if you’re cooking for sensitive palates, start with half the cayenne. You can always add more next time!

Turkey vs. Chicken: I use ground turkey and ground chicken interchangeably in this recipe – whatever’s on sale at the grocery store. Honestly can’t tell the difference in the final dish.

Make It Saucier: Some people love their taco meat really saucy (my husband), others prefer it drier (my kids). Add a little pour of taco sauce to these at the end for extra sauciness.

The Brown Sugar Secret: Don’t skip this! It seems weird but it balances the acidity from the tomato sauce + vinegar and makes everything taste more complex and rich.

Prep Ahead Win: This taco meat actually tastes better the next day after all the flavors have time to meld. We usually double this one to ensure we have leftovers.

Serving Suggestions

Tacos – Pile the meat into your favorite tortillas and load them up with your favorite toppings, like homemade guacamole and pico de gallo.

Bowls – Add our Instant Pot Mexican Rice to a bowl, top with taco meat + all the fixings. We like to top it off with our restaurant style salsa.

Burritos – A giant tortilla, some cilantro lime rice, and whatever else you love inside a burrito!

Storage

Store leftover taco meat covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of broth.

Freezes well for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers.