Ground turkey tacos with homemade taco seasoning are an easy, healthy go-to for taco night. Just add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Three hard shelled ground turkey tacos served on a white plate with cheese, spinach, salsa and sour cream as toppings.

Taco night is a regular fixture in our house. It’s easy, fast, yummy and it never fails to satisfy.

Plus, everyone can fix their tacos just as they please, so it works for families that have varying tastes or picky eaters.

I use ground turkey for my tacos, but you could also substitute ground chicken, which I've done before.

And of course, you can use ground beef or use a combination of ground beef and turkey if you prefer.

I also use homemade taco seasoning - I make a big batch every couple of months so it’s always there in the pantry. It's SO easy and so much more fresh and flavorful than store-bought. It's also lots healthier and doesn't have any strange ingredients.

I use taco seasoning on my cheesy fiesta grilled chicken, too - an easy way to bring some extra fun and flavor to grilled chicken.

But I won’t tell if you want to sub in the stuff from a packet in a pinch. Whatever you got!

Ground turkey cooked and crumbled in a saute pan and seasoned with taco seasoning

Taco night ingredients laid out in separate bowls and plates

Just regular, basic turkey tacos are our go-to version for taco night, but here a few variations to try if you want to change things up a bit.

Variations:

Add black beans to the rice to make a more hearty meal.
Shred some zucchini into your taco mix. An easy way to sneak in some veggies and it doesn't change the flavor at all.
Or add in some fresh, frozen or canned corn with the ground meat mixture.
Saute some onion and bell pepper before cooking up the ground turkey.
Add a small can of diced green chilies to the ground turkey.
Serve the taco turkey in lettuce wraps for a lighter version.
Use soft shell corn or flour tortillas instead of the hard shells.
Change up your cheese. Instead of cheddar, try Monterey Jack, Jalapeño Jack or a mix of cheeses.

A plate with crispy corn tacos loaded with toppings

Lots of options to keep taco night new and fun!

And if you're looking for a lighter option to mix into the rotation, check out these healthy taco salads.

And of course, don't forget the toppings!

Never forget the toppings when it comes to tacos. Here's a few ideas...

A row of ground turkey tacos plated on a white platter with toppings on each one

Topping Ideas:

Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Salsa or pico de gallo
Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
Chopped pickled jalapeños
Sliced avocado or guacamole
Pickled red onions

Mix and match. Or use any of your other favorite taco toppings.

I hope you give these turkey tacos a try soon.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Yield: 4 servings

Turkey Tacos

Name: Turkey Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup brown rice (see notes); 1 or 1.25 lbs. lean ground turkey (such as 93% lean); 2 tablespoons taco seasoning; 8-10 soft or crunchy taco shells; Shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), chopped pickled jalapeños, sliced avocado, chopped black olives

Ground turkey tacos with homemade taco seasoning are an easy, healthy go-to for taco night. Just add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Inactive Time 5 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice (see notes)
1 or 1.25 lbs. lean ground turkey (such as 93% lean)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning

For serving:

8-10 soft or crunchy taco shells

Optional toppings:

Shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), chopped pickled jalapeños, sliced avocado, chopped black olives

Instructions

Cook brown rice according to package instructions.
While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 325 for taco shells (or follow package instructions).
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add ground turkey. (I don’t use olive oil or cooking spray and have no problems with sticking.) Cook on one side until browned then turn over and cook on other side while breaking up with a spatula.
Once turkey is cooked through, sprinkle taco seasoning and add about ⅓ cup water. Less if your turkey rendered a lot of moisture/fat, a bit more if it didn't. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.
Assemble tacos: Layer brown rice and taco turkey mixture in your taco shells and top with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Rice: We prefer brown rice but white rice is fine too. Or you can skip the rice if you don't want to use it in your tacos.

Taco seasoning: You can use a packet or make your own homemade taco seasoning (so easy and so flavorful).

Add-ins and variations:

Add black beans to the rice to make a more hearty meal.

Shred some zucchini into your taco mix. An easy way to sneak in some veggies and it doesn't change the flavor at all.
Or add in some fresh, frozen or canned corn with the ground meat mixture.
Saute some onion and bell pepper before cooking up the ground turkey.
Add a small can of diced green chilies to the ground turkey.
Serve the taco turkey in lettuce wraps for a lighter version.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 734Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 765mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 8gSugar: 3gProtein: 46g