Ground Turkey Taco Skillet

If you are looking for a healthy ground turkey recipe, this Turkey Taco Skillet is for you! Made with ground turkey, zucchini, peppers, taco seasoning, and cheese, this easy recipe is the perfect way to use ground turkey.

Why You will Love This Ground Turkey Recipe

If you have a pound of ground turkey and are looking for an easy recipe to make, this Turkey Taco Skillet is for you!

While lean and often fairly inexpensive, ground turkey has a reputation for being dry and bland.

This recipe is anything but bland or dried-out!

The turkey is sauteed with zucchini, peppers, and onions, which gives the lean ground meat moisture. Flavored with taco seasoning and salsa, the flavors pack a punch. Finished with cheese, this turkey taco skillet is downright irresistible.

Not only is this recipe for ground turkey delicious, but it also happens to be relatively healthy, as it is low-carb, packed with protein, and delivers a serving of veggies.

But most importantly, it comes together in just over 30 minutes to create an easy, wholesome, delicious, family meal that everyone will love!

Notes on Ingredients

• Ground Turkey: Use dark or white meat ground turkey. Of course, you can prepare this taco skillet using ground beef or ground chicken.
• Zucchini: Zucchini will help to bulk up this skillet recipe, not to mention adds a nice serving of veggies. Plus the zucchini absorbs the taco seasoning and salsa, taking on a lot of flavors.
• Peppers: I recommend using sweet bell peppers for this recipe. Red, yellow, or orange peppers are a better option for this recipe than green bell peppers in terms of flavor.
• Jalapeno: Adding a seeded, finely minced jalapeno is completely optional. If you like things with heat, add it. If you are preparing this taco skillet for more sensitive palates, omit it.
• Seasonings: I use my homemade taco seasoning to really pack in a ton of flavor while controlling the sodium and additives. If you don't have the taco seasoning on hand, simply use a combination of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
• Salsa: Using salsa instead of diced tomatoes, helps this skillet to develop deep flavor FAST! Use your favorite jarred or homemade salsa in this skillet--any level of spice you prefer.
• Cheese: Use shredded cheddar or a Mexican blend of cheese. If you are dairy-free, simply omit the cheese.
• Lime: Another secret to giving this fast skillet recipe a lot of dimension, is to add the juice of a fresh lime at the end of cooking. The acidity will really brighten up the flavors. 

How to Make Taco Skillet with Ground Turkey

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add in a bit of oil and the turkey and saute the turkey, breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink.
• Add in the diced onion, pepper, zucchini, garlic, and jalapeno, if using, and saute the mixture together until the pepper and onion begin to soften. This should take about 5 minutes.
• Once the onion is beginning to be come translucent and soft, add in the taco seasoning and salsa.
• Once the mixture begins to form small bubbles around the edges of the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the salsa has thickened and the vegetables are fully tender.

• Turn off the heat and add in the lime juice, stirring to incorporate.
• Generously sprinkle the taco skillet mixture with shredded cheese and let it sit for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
• Serve warm with cilantro, sour cream, and/or avocado as desired.

Serving Suggestions

This low-carb skillet makes a complete meal and does not need any adornment or side dishes.

However, my kids love to wrap this mixture up in flour tortillas for a spin on turkey tacos. And my husband and I love to pair this dish with a Pina Colada Smoothie to cool down the heat.

Storage Instructions

If you happen to have any leftover turkey and vegetables, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This is one dish that does not hold up well to freezing, as the zucchini will make the dish a bit watery after being frozen.

Recipe Modifications

• Dairy-Free Turkey Taco Skillet: Omit the cheese and serve with a scoop of homemade guacamole to add a creamy, rich finish.
• Lower-Sodium: Omit the salt from the taco seasoning or use low-sodium salsa.
• Add Corn: If you are not following a low-carb diet, feel free to add 1 cup of corn to the skillet with the salsa and taco seasoning. The corn will add a nice sweetness to the dish.

More Easy Skillet Recipes

• Skillet Chicken with Green Beans and Tomatoes
• Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
• Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet
• Skillet Pork Tenderloin with Cabbage

Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

If you enjoyed this low-carb ground turkey recipe, please be sure to leave a review and comment below.

Turkey Taco Skillet

Lean ground turkey and vegetables cook up fast with taco seasoning and salsa to create a delicious, low-carb taco skillet.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound lean ground turkey
• ▢ 1 small onion diced
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper diced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic optional
• ▢ 2 small zucchini cut into ½" chunks
• ▢ ½ jalapeno seeded and finely minced, optional
• ▢ 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• ▢ 1 cup salsa
• ▢ 1 lime juiced
• ▢ 1-½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
• ▢ Cilantro to garnish optional

Cook ModePrevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

Instructions

• Add the oil to a large saute pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the ground turkey and brown until no longer pink, crumbling well while cooking.
• Once the turkey is browned, drain off any excess grease if needed (this is rarely needed when cooking with lean ground turkey.) Add in the onion, pepper, zucchini, and jalapeno if using, and saute for 3 - 5 minutes or until the onion begins to become translucent. Add in the garlic, if using, and saute for 30-60 seconds, just until you begin to smell the garlic.
• Add in the salsa, and taco seasoning to the skillet and stir well.
• Bring to a gentle simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 min, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
• Turn off the heat and add in the lime juice, stirring to incorporate.
• Generously sprinkle the skillet mixture with the shredded cheese and let it sit for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Serve warm with cilantro, sour cream, and/or avocado as desired.

Notes

Taco Seasoning: In place of Homemade Taco Seasoning, use 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt. 

Jalapeno: Omit to decrease the level of heat; add to increase the heat.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This dish does not freeze well. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or in a dry skillet until warmed through.  

Salsa: Use your favorite brand of salsa--smooth or chunky; mild, medium, or hot. 

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1558IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 2mg

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