Turkey Tacos

Our Ground Turkey Tacos are big on flavor and perfect for your next taco fix! This turkey taco recipe skips the packet and uses a handful of common spices to bring that classic, bold taco flavor you love.

Y’all know that I am a Certified Taco Fanatic.

I will literally eat tacos every day of the week and I will never grow tired of them. 

Usually, we just do the standard American taco that I grew up with – ground beef seasoned with a packet of taco seasoning + shredded lettuce + shredded cheddar + a soft tortilla. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll toss on some sour cream or diced tomatoes. 

Of course, our fried tacos are a major favorite too, especially dipped in our cilantro lime dressing.

Lately, though, we’ve been trying to eat a little lighter and so I started making turkey tacos. 

You guys. We are all converts. Turkey taco converts. 

This ground turkey taco recipe is literally the best. I snagged the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, sooooo you know I’m right when I say THE BEST.

Are you ready to do this? 

Ingredient Notes:

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate and member of other qualifying programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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 and a little heat to these turkey tacos.

Seasoning – The perfect taco meat is made with just the right seasoning. For these turkey tacos 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!

How to Make Turkey Tacos: 

Turkey: First, we’re going to cook the lean ground turkey, garlic, and diced onion in a little bit of oil. I’m really loving avocado oil lately, but you could also use olive oil.

Seasoning: Once the meat is cooked through, add in the green chiles and the taco seasoning. We’re skipping the packet today and instead using plenty of chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and cayenne pepper. So much flavor!

Sauce: Stir it well to really coat the ground turkey taco meat in the seasonings and then add in some tomato sauce, chicken broth, and apple cider vinegar with a little brown sugar and bring that mixture to a boil.

Simmer: Reduce to a simmer and let the meat cook for about 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.

Serve: These ground turkey tacos seriously pack some flavor! You won’t miss the beef or the seasoning packet, promise. Serve these tacos with some tortillas or over lettuce. They go great with our Instant Pot Mexican Rice! See below for some suggestions on taco toppings!

We like these turkey tacos because there are no funky ingredients, you know exactly what is going into your meat, and the seasoning is spot on.

I am not above using a seasoning packet, but I find that for turkey tacos you just need something more to amp up the flavor. 

This recipe does that thanks to the spices and tomato sauce! 

Turkey Taco Toppings: 

You can top your ground turkey tacos with all the same toppings you’d use for traditional beef tacos!

Our favorites include shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar, my restaurant style salsa, and our favorite hot sauce: Cholula!

Slices of avocado, a squeeze of lime juice, and some fresh cilantro add bright, fresh flavors to these tacos.

We never say no to homemade guacamole either!

FAQs: