Ground Turkey Tacos

Our Ground Turkey Tacos recipe is a family favorite! These hard shell tacos are made with ground turkey, homemade taco seasoning, homemade taco shells, and your favorite taco toppings.

These ground turkey tacos are made with budget friendly ingredients, and they’re quick and easy to make even on busy weeknights.  

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Quick and Easy. This is a quick and easy recipe that you can make any night of the week. These ground turkey tacos come together in about 30 minutes.
• Great Tasting. The turkey taco meat is perfectly seasoned with our homemade taco seasoning.
• Simple Ingredients.  We use ground turkey, corn tortillas, and your favorite taco toppings.

Best Ground Turkey Tacos Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these perfectly seasoned ground turkey tacos…

• Ground Turkey.  Use 93% lean ground turkey. If you use 99% lean ground turkey, the meat will be dry.
• Olive Oil. We use extra-virgin olive oil to cook the turkey in. It also adds a little fat which makes the ground turkey moist and flavorful.
• Aromatics. We saute a little onion and galric (finely minced) to add to the meat, giving it a ton of flavor.
• Soy Sauce. We stir in a little soy sauce (2 teaspoons) into the sauteed onion and garlic which adds a nice flavor.
• Taco Seasoning.  We use our homemade taco seasoning for these tacos.
• Tomato Sauce. You’ll need 1 8-ounce can of low or no sodium tomato sauce.
• Water. We add just a few tablespoons to keep the meat moist.
• Tortillas. Use either flour or corn tortillas. You can use either soft or hard shell taco shells for these tacos.
• Toppings. Add cheese, shaved lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado or any of your favorite taco toppings.

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make Ground Turkey Tacos

1. Saute Onion. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they turn soft and lightly golden. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute. 
2. Add Soy Sauce. Stir in the soy sauce so all of the onion and garlic is lightly coated.
3. Add Meat. Add the ground turkey meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir in with the onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the meat is partially cooked but still pink.
4. Add Seasoning and Sauce. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, remaining tablespoon of olive oil and homemade seasoning to the meat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Continue to break up the meat with the wooden spoon to your desired texture. If you like bigger pieces, then don’t break it apart too much.
5. Prepare Taco Shells.  Warm the tortillas if using soft taco shells, and fry the tortillas if using hard taco shells.
6. Serve. Spoon the cooked taco meat into the taco shells and top with grated cheese, shaved lettuce, pico de gallo and any of your favorite taco toppings.

Tips For Making The Best Ground Turkey Tacos

1. If the meat starts to dry out, add 2-3 tablespoons water and another tablespoon olive oil. Ground beef has more fat than ground turkey, so we use olive oil to add fat and flavor to our ground turkey. 
2. Cook over low heat so the meat doesn’t dry out.
3. Chop the onion small (almost minced) and cook it until its tender so it blends in with the meat, adding flavor. We don’t want large or uncooked pieces of onion in our taco meat.
4. These are mild flavored tacos, so add more chili powder (1/2 tablespoon more) if you want to add a little kick to the taco meat.
5. When making hard taco shells, keep the heat on low so you can avoid pops and spatter of hot oil. You will need a pair of tongs to make hard taco shells. We always use toothpicks to hold the tortillas open in the shape of a taco shell as they fry.  If you don’t use toothpick, you may end up with flat shells that break apart when you try to stuff them with meat and toppings.

How To Heat Soft Taco Shells

1. Use tongs to heat the tortillas over an open flame on the stove or heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. This will give the tortillas a little charring (which we love).
2. You can also warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat, flipping them over so both sides are heated through.

How To Cook Hard Taco Shells

1. To make hard taco shells, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one corn tortilla at a time to the skillet. You may need to add more oil to the skillet depending on how many shells you make.
2. Cook for about 30 seconds and turn over cooking another 30 seconds on the other side. As the tortilla starts to turn golden, use a pair of  tongs to fold the tortilla over in half.
3. While holding the top of the tortilla with the tongs, use your other hand to carefully poke a toothpick in the bottom of the tortilla and lay the top of the tortilla on top of the toothpick so that the toothpick is securing the tortilla open into the shape of a taco shell.
4. Use the tongs to turn the taco shell over on each side until they are golden and crispy.
5. Use the tongs to transfer the taco shells from the oil to a plate covered with paper towels to allow the excess oil to drain off. 
6. Remove and discard the toothpick before serving.

Taco Toppings

Everyone has their go-to taco toppings. Here are some of ours…

• Easy Pico de Gallo
• Homemade Guacamole
• Restaurant Style Salsa
• Avocado slices
• Sour Cream
• Cheese (Cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack, Mexican blend)
• Shaved lettuce (Romaine or ice berg lettuce)
• Coleslaw 
• Pickled Jalapenos
• Pickled Onions
• Pickled Radishes

Sides For Tacos

Here are some of our favorite sides to serve with tacos.

• Mexican Green Rice
• Homemade Spanish Rice
• Spanish Brown Rice
• Spanish Quinoa
• Cilantro Lime Quinoa
• Black Beans
• Borracho Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Homemade Tortilla Chips
• Chipotle Black Bean Dip

More Mexican Dinner Recipes

• Chicken Fajita Casserole
• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Caldo de Pollo
• Baked Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
• Chicken Taco Salad Bowl
• Mexican Shredded Chicken
• Taco Skillet

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Ground Turkey Tacos

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Our Ground Turkey Tacos recipe is a family favorite! These hard shell tacos are made with ground turkey, homemade taco seasoning, hard taco shells, and your favorite taco toppings.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (low or no sodium)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For Hard Taco Shells

• Corn tortillas
• 3 tablespoons oil

Toppings

• Cheese
• Shaved Lettuce
• Pico de Gallo

Instructions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they turn soft and lightly golden. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute. 
2. Stir in the soy sauce so all of the onion and garlic is lightly coated.
3. Add the ground turkey meat to the cooked onions, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the meat is partially cooked but still pink.
4. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, remaining tablespoon of olive oil and homemade taco seasoning to the meat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Continue to break up the meat with the wooden spoon to your desired texture. If you like bigger pieces, then don't break the meat apart too much.
5. For soft taco shells, using tongs hold the tortillas over an open flame or in a cast iron skillet, and flip a few times so they are warmed on both sides.
6. For hard taco shells, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and fry tortillas on each side folding them in half with a toothpick so that the toothpick is securing the tortilla open into the shape of a taco shell.
7. Spoon the cooked taco meat into the taco shells and top with grated cheese, shaved lettuce, pico de gallo and any of your favorite taco toppings.

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Ground Turkey Tacos

1. If the meat starts to dry out, add 2-3 tablespoons water and another tablespoon olive oil. Ground beef has more fat than ground turkey, so we use olive oil to add fat and flavor to our ground turkey. 
2. Cook over low heat so the meat doesn't dry out.
3. Chop the onion small (almost minced) and cook it until its tender so it blends in with the meat, adding flavor. We don't want large or uncooked pieces of onion in our taco meat.
4. These are mild flavored tacos, so add more chili powder (1/2 tablespoon more) if you want to add even more flavor to the taco meat.
5. When making hard taco shells, keep the heat on low so you can avoid pops and spatter of hot oil. And you definitely need a pair of tongs to make them. Toothpicks are great to use to make perfect hard taco shells.  If you don't use toothpick, you may end up with flat taco shells that break apart when you try to stuff them with meat and toppings.

How To Heat Soft Taco Shells

1. Use tongs to heat the tortillas over an open flame on the stove or heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. This will give the tortillas a little charring (which we love).
2. You can also warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat, flipping them over so both sides are heated through.

How To Cook Hard Taco Shells

1. To make hard taco shells, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one corn tortilla at a time to the skillet.
2. Cook for about 30 seconds and turn over cooking another 30 seconds on the other side. As the tortilla starts to turn golden, use a pair of  tongs to fold the tortilla over in half.
3. While holding the top of the tortilla with the tongs, use your other hand to carefully poke a toothpick in the bottom of the tortilla and lay the top of the tortilla on top of the toothpick so that the toothpick is securing the tortilla open into the shape of a taco shell.
4. Use the tongs to turn the taco shell over on each side until they are golden and crispy.
5. Use the tongs to transfer the taco shells from the oil to a plate covered with paper towels to allow the excess oil to drain off. 
6. Remove and discard the toothpick before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 579Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 1015mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 33g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.