This healthy Turkey Taco Skillet is perfect for your next taco night! Ground turkey, classic taco seasoning, fresh bell peppers, your favorite salsa, black beans, sweet corn, a handful of spinach, and melty cheese are all cooked in a skillet and topped with cilantro and fresh lime juice! 😊 It's full of protein and fiber, has so much flavor, and best of all it's super easy to make.
Quick Look: Turkey Taco Skillet
- 🧁 Serves: 4
- ⭐ Features: Easy ✓ Healthy ✓ Quick ✓
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍪 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕑 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 👩🍳 Skill Level: Beginner
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? This is perfect if you're looking for a dinner that packs in protein and fiber with minimal work and easy clean up!
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As a dietitian, I love sharing dinner recipes that come together easily and provide tons of nutrition! And on weeknights when you are already tired from the long day, it's nice to have a recipe you know you can depend on.
What I love about this Turkey Taco Skillet is how quickly it comes together. You'll use a few pantry staples including salsa, canned black beans, and canned corn and some fresh ingredients like ground turkey and a bell pepper. It's a simple skillet meal with minimal prep or cleanup ready in around 30 minutes.
Serve this Turkey Taco Skillet on its own or over cilantro lime rice for a balanced meal! If you're looking for another easy dinner for taco night, try this easy one-pan chicken taco skillet with rice or my street corn ground beef bowls with sweet potatoes.
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitution Ideas
This ground turkey taco skillet is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the recipe card for measurements.
- Lean Ground Turkey - I use either 99% extra lean turkey or 93% lean turkey. You can easily substitute with a different ground meat. Lean ground beef or ground chicken would work great. If you are vegan, beans or crumbled tofu will work here. Ground turkey is also delicious in this ground turkey skillet with zucchini and white beans if you want to switch up taco night with a Mediterranean-inspired dinner.
- Taco Seasoning - making your own blend is an easy way to customize the flavor and keep it on hand for weeknight meals. Try my homemade taco seasoning with chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika for this skillet and other taco-inspired recipes. If you're in a time pinch and have a favorite packaged taco seasoning, feel free to use it instead! Siete brand has a good one.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Bell Pepper - this is optional, but I add a diced red pepper for some fresh flavor and added nutrients including vitamin C and antioxidants. You could use yellow, orange, or green bell peppers instead.
- Salsa - choose your favorite. I use Siete brand's mild salsa. If you prefer to use tomatoes instead, try fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes.
- Black Beans - black beans are an easy way to add fiber to help support gut health and more protein. If you don't like black beans, you can substitute with your favorite beans. Pinto beans or red kidney beans would work.
- Corn - corn adds a little sweetness and more fiber. Grab fresh corn when it's in season in the summer or use canned or frozen corn. Black beans and corn are a great combination for quick, flavorful meals. You can also use these ingredients in Southwest chicken burrito bowls with black bean and corn salsa, cilantro-lime rice, and a creamy dressing.
- Spinach - added at the end for more nutrients including iron, antioxidants, and potassium.
- Monterey Jack Cheese - feel free to use sharp cheddar cheese or your own favorite shredded cheese, or make it dairy-free by using a DF cheese or cutting out the cheese altogether.
- Squeeze of Lime Juice & Fresh cilantro - for added flavor at the end.
Recipe Variations
- Add a Carb - if you prefer a heartier skillet dinner, add roasted diced sweet potatoes or cooked brown rice at the end of cooking.
- Spicy - if you like it spicy, add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.
- Vegetarian - make it vegetarian by replacing the ground turkey with more beans or crumbled tofu and leave out the cheese or use a vegan cheese.
- Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes - Use the same taco-seasoned flavors to make turkey taco stuffed sweet potatoes with black beans for a hearty dinner with sweet potatoes, vegetables, and melty cheese.
If you're craving something cozier when the weather cools down, try this ground turkey and butternut squash skillet for a seasonal spin on an easy one-pan dinner.
How to Make a Turkey Taco Skillet
Below are the directions for how to make this recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the pan is heated, add ground turkey and taco seasoning. Break apart the ground turkey into small pieces with a wooden spoon or meat masher. Brown the ground turkey for about 4 minutes.
Step 2 - Add the diced red bell pepper and cook for another 7-8 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through.
Step 3 - Add the salsa, black beans, and corn. Let it all simmer for 2-3 minutes longer. Add the spinach in the last minute of cooking.
Step 4 - Remove from heat and mix in cheese, lime juice, and cilantro. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Hint: Make your own homemade taco seasoning! It's super easy and you can make a big batch to keep on hand for recipes like this one.
Mallory's Dietitian Tip!
Keep pantry staples like canned beans and vegetables, a variety of spices, and salsa on hand for busy evenings! These items can be a real life saver when you're short on time and still want to get a healthy meal on the table.
Ideas for Serving
- Add your favorite taco toppings - I love this skillet with plain Greek yogurt and sliced avocado. For even more flavor, try a dollop of creamy avocado lime crema made with Greek yogurt.
- On top of a salad - Turn this skillet into taco salads by serving the filling over crisp romaine with your favorite dressing and fresh black bean pico de gallo for extra freshness and texture.
- With tortilla chips - Have a side of tortilla chips or crunch some up and mix them in!
- In a tortilla - add some of the mix to corn tortillas or flour tortillas to make turkey tacos.
Expert Tips
- Dice your bell pepper into uniform-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- If using canned beans and/or corn, be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet.
- Use a large 12 inch pan so that everything doesn't overcrowd.
- If you're using extra lean ground turkey, add a splash of water or broth to add some extra moisture.
Turkey Taco Skillet FAQs
From a nutrition perspective, this easy turkey taco skillet contains lean protein, fiber, and nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, iron, and antioxidants.
Absolutely! You can use crushed canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes instead. If so, I suggest adding green chiles, too.
Of course! Feel free to use your favorite seasoning packet instead. Siete brand has one I love.
Absolutely! You can swap in ground chicken or ground beef if that's what you have on hand. For another option, try this easy homemade ground beef taco meat recipe for tacos, bowls, and other weeknight meals.
- Refrigerator - store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer - store leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
More Healthy Ground Turkey Dinners
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Turkey Taco Skillet, Easy High Protein Meal
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet (12 inch)
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean or extra lean ground turkey (I used 99% lean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jar salsa (about 8 oz of your favorite, I use Siete's Roja Salsa)
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (1¾ cups)
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 cups spinach (optional)
- ½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 lime, juice of
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (optional)
For Taco Seasoning (can use a taco seasoning packet if you prefer)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional but I highly recommend)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- If using homemade taco seasoning, mix the spices together in a small bowl. If using a store-bought seasoning, skip this step.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the pan is heated, add ground turkey and taco seasoning. Break apart the ground turkey into small pieces with a wooden spoon or meat masher. Brown the ground turkey for about 4 minutes.
- Add the diced red bell pepper and cook for another 7-8 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through.
- Add the salsa, black beans and corn and let simmer for 2-3 minutes longer. Add the spinach in the last minute of cooking.
- Remove from heat and mix in cheese, lime juice, and cilantro. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Dice your bell pepper into uniform-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- If using canned beans and/or corn, be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet.
- Use a large 12 inch pan so that everything doesn't overcrowd.
- If you're using extra lean ground turkey, add a splash of water or broth to add some extra moisture.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days or in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 2 months. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight then heat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
Justin Lamb
Great recipe. Very easy and healthy meal prep option with nice flavor. Nice to top with some nonfat greek yogurt.
Mallory Brown, RDN
Hi Justin, thank you so much for taking time to leave a rating and a comment!! It truly means so much to me and I'm so honored to be part of your kitchen and cooking. 😊 I love topping this one with Greek yogurt too! -Mallory
Michaela
I absolutely love this recipe for meal prep as I find it freezes well! I separate the amount into 4 serves and add some rice or mashed potatoes. I substitute the corn for some zucchini if I’m making it for the family as my husband isn’t a fan of corn
Mallory
Hi Michaela, thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment! I'm so happy to hear that you liked the recipe and love the idea of using zucchini in place of corn!! 😊 I have a niece who doesn't like corn so that's a great idea for me to try for her. Happy you're here and thanks again for taking time to leave a rating! -Mallory
Cristina
Found this recipe on TT while looking for easy meals for prep as I’m not the strongest cook. I made this tonight and it’s definitely going into rotation. It’s absolutely delicious! I cannot wait to see what other recipes you have.
Mallory
Hi Cristina, thank you so much for taking time to leave a rating and comment! I'm so happy you're here and especially that you liked the recipe!! I hope you try more and enjoy them too! 🥰 -Mallory
Mia
We love this recipe. I cook this every couple of weeks and always do a double batch for my college son. Instead of adding 2 cans of black beans, I substitute one for garbanzo beans. It is delicious!
Mallory
Hi Mia!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment!! I'm SO happy to hear that you and your family enjoy it. Using garbanzo beans sounds delicious...I'm going to have to try that next time I make this! thanks again. -Mallory
Amy
This was quick and delicious. My whole family loved it and asked for me to make it again. I did spoonful of sour cream before serving.
Mallory
Hi Amy, thank you so much for taking time to leave a review and rating!! It truly means so much to me and I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe and that your family did too! I love the idea of adding some sour cream, that sounds delicious! Thanks again -Mallory
Tara
I've made this 3 or 4 times this fall already - so easy and so good - (and very flexible! no spinach, throw in some kale, no monterey jack, add cheddar, want a little more protein, add some ground flaxseed). The spice mix is my new taco seasoning go to! Thanks, Mallory, your recipes have changed the way we eat!
Mallory
Hi Tara, thank you sooo much for your rating and comment!! I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying the taco skillet and love the idea to use ground flaxseed - such a creative idea!! Thank you so much again for your kind comment and it means so much to me to hear that you're enjoying my recipes....it's truly so encouraging for me to keep doing what I do. ❤️ -Mallory
LT
Made this tonight and I love it! I used a smaller can of corn vs the full size and I thought that was perfect. I’ve already shared the recipe and I will make it again.
Mallory
Hi LT, thank you SO much for taking time to leave a rating and review!! It means so much to me that you've shared the recipe. ❤️ Have a great day! -Mallory
kara
This is so good with some hot sauce on it. will be making again, i loved this recipe its so fast and easy and really tasty
Mallory
Hi Kara, thank you so much for taking time to leave a review!! I'm sooo happy to hear that you are loving it. 🙂 -Mallory
Nadia Sakkal
I figured it out. It was definitely the missing salsa. I'm going to buy salsa and reportion the sizes. You can delete my previous comment ☺️
Mallory
Hi Nadia!! I hope you enjoy it with the salsa!! 😊
Carol C
Made this tonight. Super delicious! Its definitely going on my meal rotation. Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe!😊
Mallory
Hi Carol, thank you SO much for taking time to leave a review. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe and even more so that you'll be making it again - it means so much to me!! ❤️ Thank you again! -Mallory
Jennifer
Made this last week and it's my new go-to dinner! I loved the salsa you recommended...I hadn't tried that one yet but it's really good in this recipe.
Mallory
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review, it truly means SO much to me! 🙂 I am so happy to hear that you made the recipe and loved it!That salsa is soooo good! Please don't hesitate to reach out if there are any recipes you want me to share, I love getting ideas from my readers!
Have a great day,
Mallory