Turkey taco rice skillet is an easy 20-minute one-pot dinner with ground turkey, fluffy brown rice (or white rice) and all your favorite taco flavors! Great for a quick weeknight meal!

This post is sponsored by the National Turkey Federation. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

We are back from a weekend with family and my heart is feeling oh so full!

We visited my brother and his family in Atlanta, and so did my parents, and it was so great to have everyone together. I especially love watching all of our kids play and get in some quality cousin time. ❤️

We did some tubing, lots of pool time, a bingo night, and plenty of chatting and catching up. We also got to meet their TWO new dogs, who are both so cute and sweet. Our crew really wanted to take their fluffy white puppy home with us… not sure how our sweet Dixie dog would feel about that though!

But we’re back to life, back to reality, and I’m back in the kitchen. So let’s talk food!

This turkey taco rice skillet is a great all-in-one dinner with lean ground turkey, fluffy brown rice (or you can use white rice) and all your favorite taco flavors.

I even add some veggies and beans in here to really kick this party up a few notches.  🎉

(Check out my ground turkey, rice and veggie skillet for a similar easy dinner that’s endlessly customizable.)

Basically, today’s recipe is all of your favorite ingredients put together in one easy recipe!

(And if you love these flavors like we do, definitely check out my Mexican fried rice.)

This ground turkey recipe is flavorful, colorful and completely delicious!

And I said quick and easy already, right? We’re talking just 20 minutes to make.

Cause we are in back-to-school season my friends, and I need all the help I can get!

Plus, there’s all kinds of fun topping options so everyone can customize theirs. (More on that in a minute.)

I’m also thrilled to be partnering with the National Turkey Federation for this post.

Turkey is one of my favorite proteins and I use ground turkey ALL the time at home. (We don’t actually buy ground beef so I substitute turkey for any recipe that calls for that. Check out these other ground turkey recipes for more inspiration!)

Here’s a few of our favorite ground turkey recipes:

– Curry ground turkey with rice and peas

– Easy healthy white turkey chili

– Easy baked turkey meatballs

– Fiesta turkey burgers

– Turkey taco spaghetti squash boats

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the healthy ground turkey recipes I have here on the site – and so many more to come!

(I’ve also got a few must-make dishes on my list for the next couple of months, including turkey bacon ranch sliders and cheese stuffed turkey meatloaf.)

Since I’m also a health and nutrition editor, and all-around nerd, I thought I’d share some fun turkey trivia with you. 🤓

Fun turkey facts:

• Turkey is naturally low in fat, packed with lean protein and provides nutrients like iron, zinc and potassium, as well as B vitamins.
• A single serving of turkey offers 50% of your daily value of lean protein.
• Turkey’s also a really budget-friendly protein option.

I also feel strongly about healthy foods and knowing what goes into my foods.

So you’ll be happy to know, if you didn’t already, that it is illegal for hormones or steroids to be added to turkey. Nice to have one less thing to worry about!

You know, too, that I’m a food safety proponent. Here’s a good little graphic for using ground turkey.

And I’m feeling a little bit special because I live in one of the top six turkey producing states: North Carolina.

(The others are Minnesota, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and Virginia in case you can claim this honor too!)

If you’re as smitten as me, check out more turkey recipes and cooking tips over at ServeTurkey.org.

Okay, enough of the turkey love fest, let’s make this recipe so we can eat!

I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on turkey taco rice skillet:

• The rice for this recipe needs to be already cooked when you stir it in at the end, so please plan accordingly. (Trust me, this is the better way to do it so everything stays fresh and perfectly cooked instead of soupy or overcooked and tough.) It’s a great way to use some extra Instant Pot brown rice if you make that all the time like I do!
• I use brown rice but white rice is fine here too. You could even use a quick-cook rice if you prefer.
• Homemade taco seasoning is my favorite, but you can substitute store-bought as well.
• Black beans are our go-to but you could substitute pinto beans if you prefer. Kidney beans would also work here.
• I use a can of Mexicorn but any canned corn, or even frozen corn that’s been thawed, will work for this recipe. You’ll need about 1 cup.

Another fun add-in I sometimes use is a small can of chopped green chilies. I say add it if you got it!

And as I mention in the recipe card below, the zucchini here is entirely optional.

I love that it adds some green and some extra veggies, but you can skip it. I’ve actually made this before without zucchini or bell peppers and it was still great.

Want to make this a spicy taco rice skillet? You know I support that! 🌶

Spicy taco rice skillet ideas:

– Add 1-2 chopped jalapeños along with the other veggies in the beginning. Or…

– Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the taco seasoning to give it a good kick. Or…

–  Use 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes for a little less kick than the cayenne.

– You can also spice this up with just your toppings. (I do this so it’s mild enough for the kids.)

– Top your taco rice with pickled jalapeños, hot sauce and/or sriracha for some extra heat.

Finally, speaking of toppings, let’s get a full run-down of your options. You know I’m all about the toppings!

Topping ideas for turkey taco rice skillet:

– Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

– Sliced or diced avocado or a dollop of guac

– Dollop of plain nonfat Greek yogurt or sour cream

– Chopped fresh cilantro

– Fresh or jarred salsa or pico de Gallo

– Pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños

– Hot sauce or sriracha 🌶

– Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Ah, I do love me some toppings.

Last thing: If you happen to have leftovers, this saves great and reheats really well!

Storage tips for taco rice:

• You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat it in the microwave for a yummy lunch.
• Or you can freeze it for 3-4 months. Let the taco turkey and rice mixture cool completely, then pack it in a labeled freezer-safe ziptop bag or container and store it for another day.
• Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a microwave-safe container in the microwave.

Next taco night, throw it all in your skillet, let everyone add their favorite toppings and be ready to dive in cause you’re gonna love it!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. You might also want to try my healthy taco turkey and potato skillet!

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Yield: 6 servings

Turkey taco rice skillet

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Turkey taco rice skillet is an easy 20-minute one-pot dinner with ground turkey, fluffy brown rice (or white rice) and all your favorite taco flavors! Great for a quick weeknight meal!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped (any color)
• 1 small zucchini, chopped (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 1.25 lbs. lean ground turkey (I use 93% lean)
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (I use petit diced tomatoes), drained
• 1 (11 oz.) can Mexicorn, drained
• 3 cups cooked brown or white rice (from about 1 cup uncooked)

Optional toppings:

• Shredded cheese, sliced or diced avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, salsa or pico de gallo, hot sauce or pickled jalapeños, etc.

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil.
2. Add chopped onion, bell pepper and zucchini, if using. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and stir well.
3. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up with a spatula, until cooked through and no pink remains, about 5-6 minutes. 
4. Sprinkle everything with taco seasoning and stir well.
5. Add black beans, tomatoes and corn. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat to get everything heated through and allow any extra liquid to cook off.
6. Stir in cooked brown rice then turn off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.
7. Serve hot with desired toppings and enjoy!

Notes

The rice for this recipe needs to be already cooked when you stir it in at the end, so please plan accordingly. (Trust me, this is the better way to do it so everything stays fresh and perfectly cooked instead of soupy or overcooked and tough.)

I use brown rice but white rice is fine here too.

Homemade taco seasoning is my favorite, but you can substitute store-bought as well.

Black beans are our favorite but you could substitute pinto beans if you prefer. Kidney beans would also work here.

I use a can of Mexican but any canned corn, or even frozen corn that’s been thawed will work for this recipe. You’ll need about 1 cup.

Another fun add-in I sometimes use is a small can of chopped green chilies. I say add it if you got it!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 495Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 639mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 36g