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Home | Recipes | Turkey Taco Skillet

Turkey Taco Skillet

Published on May 14, 2025 by Stephanie Kay

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Ready in 30 minutes, this easy turkey taco skillet is packed full of protein and flavor. Serve it with a side of tortilla chips or rice for a healthy and family-friendly weeknight dinner.

Ground turkey taco skillet with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and sliced green onion on top with a side of lime wedges, tortilla chips, a tea towel, and serving spoon on a white background.

Turn Taco Tuesday inside out with this easy turkey taco skillet recipe. It’s everything you love about turkey tacos made in a single pan and can be enjoyed on its own as a low-carb meal or wrapped in corn tortillas for a full taco experience.

And the best part is, leftovers keep incredibly well, so you can enjoy them for lunches and dinners for days to come. When you’re ready to eat, serve it up with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole for a Tex-Mex-inspired meal prep idea.

Close up of a turkey taco skillet in a cast-iron pan with a serving spoon with tortilla chips in the background.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Made in One Pan – This one-pan ground turkey taco skillet keeps prep and cleanup to a minimum.
  • Quick and Easy – This recipe is ready in 30 minutes, making it a great healthy weeknight dinner idea.
  • High in Protein – The combination of ground turkey, black beans, and cheese ensures each serving contains almost 40 grams of protein.
  • High in Fiber – The combination of black beans, corn, and veggies gives this ground turkey skillet 12 grams of fiber per serving.
White plate with ground turkey with a yellow onion, bell peppers, and small bowls of diced tomatoes, black beans, frozen corn, taco seasoning, and shredded Mexican cheese.

Ingredients + Substitutions

  • Ground Turkey – To add some protein. You can use regular, lean, or extra-lean ground turkey, or swap it for ground chicken or ground beef instead.
  • Onion + Bell Peppers – To add some veggies. The recipe calls for a red and green bell pepper, but you can use any colors you like.
  • Tomatoes – To add some more veggies. I used diced tomatoes, but crushed or diced fire-roasted will also work.
  • Black Beans – To add some plant-based protein and fiber. The recipe calls for black beans, but pinto beans would also work well.
  • Corn – To add some more fiber and carbohydrate. The recipe calls for frozen corn, but canned corn will also work.
  • Taco Seasoning – A mixture of chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and salt to season the taco skillet. If preferred, you can use a ready-made taco seasoning; see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
  • Cheese – To add some healthy fats and a cheesy-pull-apart topping.
Cast-iron skillet with cooked ground turkey, onion, and bell pepper.
Cast-iron skillet with cooked ground turkey, onion, bell pepper, and taco seasoning.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make it Dairy-Free: Omit the shredded cheese or use dairy-free cheese.

To Make it Gluten-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is gluten-free.

Cast-iron skillet with cooked taco ground turkey mixture, black beans, diced tomatoes, and frozen corn.
Cast-iron skillet with cooked turkey taco filling.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

This turkey taco skillet is a great recipe for a weight loss goal. The use of ground turkey as a high-protein, low-calorie food helps to ensure the dish is filling while being low in fat, making it easier to enjoy delicious food and maintain a calorie deficit.

Serving Suggestions

This turkey taco skillet is a great source of protein, fiber, and fats. While it can be eaten on its own, serving it with a source of carbohydrates will make it a more filling and balanced meal. Plus, it can easily be adapted to suit your personal calorie or macro needs, for example:

  • To add some complex carbohydrates, serve it with some white rice, brown rice, corn tortillas, or tortilla chips.
  • To add some healthy fat, top it with some sour cream, sliced avocado, or guacamole.
  • To add some flavor, top it with some salsa, hot sauce, pickled red onions, or chopped cilantro.
  • To keep it low carb, serve it on top of some cauliflower rice or green salad.
Close up of a cast-iron pan with turkey taco mixture with melted cheese on top and cilantro on top.

Storage + Reheating

To Refrigerate: Allow any leftover turkey taco skillet to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To Freeze: Once cooled completely, leftover ground turkey taco skillet can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Allow leftovers to thaw, then reheat them in the oven at 350°F for 10-20 minutes or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Serving of turkey taco skillet on a dark plate with tortilla chips and a fork.

More Ground Turkey Recipes:

  • Butternut Squash Turkey Chili
  • Turkey Pumpkin Chili
  • Ground Turkey Pasta Bake
  • Korean Ground Turkey Rice Bowls
  • Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers
Print
Ground turkey taco skillet with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and sliced green onion on top with a side of lime wedges, tortilla chips, a tea towel, and serving spoon on a white background.

Turkey Taco Skillet

Author: Stephanie Kay

Ready in one pan in 30 minutes, this ground turkey taco skillet is a quick, easy, and healthy dinner idea. Serve it with rice or tortilla chips for a tasty family-friendly meal.

  • Author: Stephanie Kay
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon chilli powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed chillies (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup shredded Havarti or Monterey Jack cheese

Optional toppings:

  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Green onions, chopped
  • Avocado, sliced
  • Limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a large pan or cast-iron skillet on medium heat, warm the olive oil, then add the diced onion and bell peppers, and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.
  3. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, for 5-6 minutes until mostly cooked through.
  4. Add the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, crushed chilies, and salt, stir to combine with the turkey mixture, and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Add the tomatoes, black beans, and frozen corn, stir to combine with the ground turkey mixture, and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
  6. Top the ground turkey mixture with shredded cheese and then transfer the skillet to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts and the top is golden brown.
  7. Once the cheese has melted, remove the skillet from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving with chopped cilantro and toppings of your choice.
  8. Any leftovers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

To Use Taco Seasoning: Omit the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and crushed chilies, and use 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning.

To use Pinto Beans: Swap the black beans for 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans.

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    Comments

    1. Jodi says

      June 18, 2020 at 1:08 pm

      So easy and delicious! My whole family loves this recipe. I serve it with rice, but it’s also great on its own.

      Reply
    2. Sara says

      June 19, 2020 at 10:59 am

      It’s a keeper, the family loved it!

      Reply
    3. Nancy says

      March 13, 2021 at 3:24 pm

      I prepared this dish exactly as stated in the recipe, but I did omit the optional crushed chilies due to stomach issues. It was extremely easy and quick to put together. I served it over rice and my husband and I thought it was delicious. Definitely a keeper!

      Reply
    4. Christy says

      September 28, 2021 at 9:34 pm

      This was delicious! Made it for Taco Tuesday with a yummy salad. Very easy, satisfying and healthy!

      Reply
    5. Tabish Surani says

      May 2, 2023 at 4:01 pm

      Delicious and love how easy it was to follow!

      Reply
      • Stephanie Kay says

        May 3, 2023 at 4:17 pm

        I’m so happy you enjoyed it Tabish, thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    6. Jo says

      August 9, 2023 at 3:37 pm

      It wound help to know how much a serving actually is. For example, 1C, 8 oz, 100g, etc…

      Reply
      • Stephanie Kay says

        August 9, 2023 at 4:40 pm

        The recipe makes 6 servings, so the nutrition information is based on 1/6th of the skillet. It is not possible to share the exact weight per serving, as ingredients such as bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions will vary by weight.

        Reply
    7. Elaine says

      May 16, 2025 at 7:01 am

      This dish is so delicious. I used ground beef instead of ground turkey. I also used fire roasted tomatoes. This recipe is a keeper

      Reply
      • Stephanie Kay says

        May 17, 2025 at 11:26 am

        Thanks for sharing, Elaine!

        Reply
    8. Kathryn Hubbard says

      May 16, 2025 at 8:47 pm

      This was a hit. Easy, filling, and we added a bit more heat with chips and avocado for taco night.

      Reply
      • Stephanie Kay says

        May 17, 2025 at 11:25 am

        Yay! So happy to hear it, thank you for sharing, Kathryn!

        Reply
    9. Robert says

      May 19, 2025 at 11:13 am

      This is fantastic!! Meal prep heaven. I used the Old El Paso Taco, Hot & Spicy seasoning mix. Highly recommend

      Reply
      • Stephanie Kay says

        May 19, 2025 at 11:43 am

        Thanks for sharing, Robert!

        Reply
    10. Erin says

      May 22, 2025 at 3:46 pm

      This was super yummy. We used ground beef as it is what we had on hand. We even added air fryer potatoes to go with it instead of rice to bulk it up more for the teens. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Stephanie Kay says

        May 23, 2025 at 2:38 am

        Love the swaps and addition! Thanks for sharing, Jane!

        Reply
    11. Julie says

      May 30, 2025 at 6:52 am

      Another great week night quick meal! Delicious and simple. I did make some rice as a bed . Would also make a great filling for burritos! Thank you for another wonderful meal idea. It can be a mundane task 😊

      Reply
      • Stephanie Kay says

        May 30, 2025 at 10:24 am

        Wow, so happy to hear it! Thank you so much for sharing, Julie. 🙂

        Reply
    Stephanie Kay Nutrition

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