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Four ground turkey tacos topped with lettuce, cilantro, and red onion on a white plate

Best Ground Turkey Tacos

Seasoned ground turkey tacos with black beans, sauteed bell peppers, and onions wrapped in warm tortillas. A healthy, family-friendly dinner ready in under 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 6 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Calories: 303
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 cup chopped yellow or red onion
  • 1 bell pepper any color, chopped
  • 1 lb ground turkey 93% lean recommended
  • 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 tsp chili powder adjust to taste; use 1 tsp for mild
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.25 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt taste and adjust at end
  • 0.125 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 cup tomato sauce plain, not seasoned
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 12 small corn or flour tortillas warmed before serving
  • toppings as desired shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, guacamole, cilantro, red onion

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Spatula or wooden spoon
  • Can opener

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion looks slightly translucent.
  2. Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until fully browned with no pink remaining, about 5 to 6 minutes. Do not rush this step as browning builds flavor.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the black beans, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, and water. Stir to combine.
  4. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the turkey is fully cooked through and most of the liquid has cooked off. The filling should look moist but not watery. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  5. Warm the tortillas directly over a gas flame for 20 to 30 seconds per side or in a dry skillet over medium heat. Spoon the filling into each tortilla, add your favorite toppings, and serve immediately.

Notes

Use ground chicken as a direct substitute for turkey with the same cook time. For extra heat add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the seasoning. Leftover filling keeps in the fridge up to 4 days and works great in rice bowls, burritos, quesadillas, or nachos.