This healthy Turkey Taco Skillet is one of my favorite one-pan weeknight dinners, perfect for your next taco night! It has so much flavor. Ground turkey with classic taco seasoning, fresh bell peppers, your favorite salsa, black beans, sweet corn all topped with cilantro and fresh lime juice.

As a dietitian, I appreciate a dinner that comes together easily and provides a good amount of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins. Serve it over Zesty Cilantro Lime Rice for a balanced meal!
This recipe was inspired by my Egg Roll in a Bowl, another one-pan healthy dinner. On weeknights when you are already tired from the long day, it's nice to have a recipe you know you can depend on. It pairs great with a Ginger Beer Mocktail. 😊
Jump to:
- Video of How to Make a Turkey Taco Skillet
- What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to Make Turkey Taco Skillet
- Variations
- Ideas for Serving
- How to Store Leftover Turkey Taco Skillet
- Expert Tips
- Dietitian tip
- FAQs
- Looking for More Dietitian Recipes?
- Pairing
- Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Video of How to Make a Turkey Taco Skillet
Here's a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe.
What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Easy - this is a simple skillet meal with minimal prep or cleanup ready in 20 minutes. Less dishes and a good meal for any night of the week? Count me in!
- Delicious - it has so much flavor that the whole family will enjoy! Sure to become a family favorite.
- Meal Prep and Enjoy Leftovers- it makes a big batch so you might just have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
*This Ground Turkey Taco Skillet is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
- Lean Ground Turkey - I use 99% lean turkey but you can use any variety you like! You could also substitute with a different ground meat. Lean ground beef or ground chicken would work great. If you are vegan, feel free to substitute with beans or tofu!
- Taco Seasoning - I suggest making your own taco seasoning because it is so easy, and you can customize it with your favorite Mexican food flavors. Use the recipe for taco seasoning in the recipe card below. 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.
- Olive Oil - to cook the turkey. You can substitute with avocado oil if you prefer.
- Red Bell Pepper - this is optional, but I add a diced red peppers for some fresh flavor and added nutrients. Red Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber. You could use yellow, orange, or green bell peppers instead.
- Salsa -choose your favorite. I use Siete brand or Mark's Lone Star salsa. If you prefer to use tomatoes instead, try fire-roasted tomatoes for a bit of added flare.
- Black Beans - these add fiber and and more protein. Beans are great for gut health! You can substitute with your favorite beans - pinto beans or red kidney beans would work.
- Corn - sweet corn complements the black beans and turkey perfectly. Grab fresh corn when it's in season in the summer or use canned or frozen corn if that's more accessible for you.
- 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 vegan and dairy-free by using a vegan cheese or cutting out the cheese altogether.
- Squeeze of Lime Juice & Fresh cilantro - for added flavor at the end.
How to Make Turkey Taco Skillet
*Below are the instructions for how to make Turkey Taco Skillet with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to 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 spatula. Brown 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 salsa, black beans and corn and let simmer for 2-3 minutes longer. If using spinach, add 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.
Variations
- Hearty - if you prefer a heartier skillet dinner, add diced sweet potatoes for added flavor and complex carbs!
- 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 tofu!
Ideas for Serving
- Add your favorite taco toppings - my favorite way to eat this is with plain Greek yogurt, a healthier substitute for sour cream, and sliced avocado or guacamole on top! It's my perfect dinner.
- On top of a salad - Turn it into taco salads by adding crisp romaine lettuce and your favorite dressing and pico de gallo or hot sauce.
- With tortilla chips - Have a side of tortilla chips or crunch some up and mix them in!
- Over rice - this is a relatively low carb meal. Add more carbs by serving it with white rice or brown rice for more fiber!
- Lettuce wraps - a great way to serve this is in crisp romaine lettuce wraps.
- In a tortilla - you could easily add some of the mix to corn tortillas or flour tortillas for a fun twist on turkey tacos!
How to Store Leftover Turkey Taco Skillet
- Refrigerator - store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer - place cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze 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.
Expert Tips
- Dice your bell pepper into uniform-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Use a salsa with good flavor and one that you like!
- If using canned beans and/or corn, be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet.
Dietitian tip
This recipe contains 38 grams of protein per serving to keep you full and satisfied! It also has 12 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber is not only great for gut health - it's also important for hormone health and can help you maintain a healthy weight and balance blood sugar levels.
FAQs
While healthy means something different to everyone, from a nutrition perspective this easy turkey taco skillet contains lean protein, fiber, and nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, iron, and antioxidants. It is a low-carb, high-protein, gluten-free meal.
Absolutely! You can used canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes instead. If so, I suggest adding green chilis, too.
Of course! Feel free to use your favorite seasoning packet instead. Siete brand has a good one.
Looking for More Dietitian Recipes?
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Pairing
Here are some of my favorite dishes to pair with this recipe:
Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:
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....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Turkey Taco Skillet, Easy 20-Minute High Protein Meal
Equipment
- 1 Wooden Spoon or spatula
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 can black beans, drained and rinsed, 15.5 oz (1¾ cups)
- 1 can corn, 15.25 oz (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 cups spinach optional
- ½ cup monterey jack shredded 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 salt
- 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 spatula. Brown 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 salsa, black beans and corn and let simmer for 2-3 minutes longer. If using spinach, add 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.
- Use a salsa with good flavor and one that you like! I enjoy Siete brand's Roja Salsa.
- If using canned beans and/or corn, be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet.
- Storage
- Refrigerator - store in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer - place cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze 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.
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
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