This Seasoned Ground Turkey is the perfect addition to turkey tacos, taco bowls or salads. Cook it in 15 minutes with a few basic ingredients. It’s perfect for meal prep or a quick easy weeknight meal.
Forget buying prepackaged taco seasoning and make your own seasoned turkey taco meat at home. Having seasoned ground turkey on hand is a great idea for taco night or any other day of the week. It’s packed with flavor and easy to prep in 15 minutes!.
To make your own homemade taco meat, season the ground turkey with a few simple seasonings instead of using a packet purchased from the store.
Serve as ground turkey tacos with corn tortillas or taco shells. Serve it on a bed of lettuce and your favorite taco toppings to make a taco salad. Or serve it with cooked rice and other taco toppings in a burrito or bowl.
Ever wondered how to transform bland ground turkey into a flavor explosion? Look no further! This guide unveils two simple, delicious seasoning blends that will elevate your ground turkey dishes to a whole new level Plus, you probably already have all the spices in your pantry!
Why Season Ground Turkey?
Ground turkey is a lean protein powerhouse, perfect for busy weeknights when you crave a quick and healthy meal. However, its naturally mild flavor can leave you wanting more That’s where these seasoning blends come in, adding a burst of taste and transforming your ground turkey into a culinary masterpiece
The Secret to Flavorful Ground Turkey
1. Seasoning is Key: Ground turkey, unlike its beefy counterpart, needs a generous helping of seasoning to truly shine. This is where our two blends come into play, offering distinct flavor profiles for different culinary adventures.
2. Embrace the Fat: Most ground turkey is “lean,” meaning it’s low in fat. While this makes it a healthier choice, it can also lead to dryness To combat this, add a healthy dose of cooking fat like olive oil or avocado oil.
3. Add Moisture: Lean ground turkey needs a little extra moisture to stay juicy and delicious. This is where sauces, condiments, and even broth come into play. Adding a few tablespoons of broth or water while cooking can make a world of difference.
Garlic Onion Ground Turkey Seasoning:
This versatile blend is your go-to for everyday ground turkey dishes. It’s perfect for salads, grain bowls, pasta with sauce, homemade turkey burgers, and even turkey meatballs.
Ingredients:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Italian seasoning
Ground Turkey Taco Seasoning:
Get ready for taco night with this easy homemade blend! It’s also perfect for nachos, burrito bowls, taco salads, and quesadillas. Feel free to use it to taco-season other meats as well.
Ingredients:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
Cooking and Seasoning Ground Turkey Like a Pro:
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add a 1 lb package of ground turkey and break it apart with a spatula. Cook until browned and no pink remains.
- Sprinkle your chosen seasoning blend over the turkey and mix well.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of water or chicken broth to the skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Continue cooking until the liquid reduces and is absorbed.
Ground Turkey Inspiration:
- Pasta Dishes: Toss seasoned ground turkey with your favorite tomato sauce, pesto, or Alfredo sauce. Serve with whole-grain pasta and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Taco Salad: Layer seasoned ground turkey over shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, rice, black beans, salsa, avocado, cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
- Ground Turkey Tacos: Fill soft tortillas or hard shells with seasoned ground turkey, salsa, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and sour cream.
- Mediterranean Turkey Bowl: Serve seasoned ground turkey over couscous or bulgur, topped with cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and a drizzle of tzatziki sauce.
- Quesadillas: Combine seasoned ground turkey, Mexican shredded cheese, and sautéed peppers and onions in a tortilla. Cook in a pan until the cheese melts.
- Salads: Add seasoned ground turkey as a protein source to mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced red onion, cheddar cheese, and your favorite salad dressing.
- Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps: Fill lettuce wraps with seasoned ground turkey, green onions, shredded carrots, and peanut sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can I add other seasonings to ground turkey? Absolutely! Ground turkey is a blank canvas for flavor. Feel free to experiment with different spices and blends. You can also use a pre-made blend if you’re short on time.
- Can I meal prep ground turkey? Yes! Ground turkey is a meal prep superstar. Cook a big batch ahead of time and use it for quick and easy meals throughout the week. Store it in an airtight container and use within 3-4 days.
- How can I make ground turkey taste more like beef? Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce to your ground turkey for a beefier flavor.
More Easy Recipes You’ll Love:
- The Best 10 Adult Lunchables
- Easy Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers (One Pot!)
- Inside Out Egg Roll (Easy 20-Minute Recipe)
Ready to Spice Up Your Ground Turkey Game?
With these two simple seasoning blends and a few helpful tips, you’re ready to transform your ground turkey dishes into flavorful masterpieces. So grab your spices, get creative, and enjoy the delicious results!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s made with simple seasonings.
- It’s ready in 20 minutes or less.
- The flavorful ground taco meat adds a lot of versatility to your favorite recipe.
- To make it your own, simply change the amount of seasonings.
You will need ground turkey and a few simple seasonings to make seasoned ground turkey – that’s it!
- Ground turkey: Any variety of ground turkey meat will do, but I personally like the lean variety (93% lean meat and 7% fat) because it has the best texture and flavor. You can also substitute with ground beef or ground chicken.
- Spices: For the turkey taco seasoning, you’ll need chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. You can substitute with taco seasoning, if desired.
- Chicken Stock: You can substitute with water, if desired.
Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. A nonstick skillet or cast iron pan works great. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns, until the turkey is fully browned. (The pan shouldn’t need any oil, but if you’d like, you can brown the turkey with a tiny bit of olive oil.) ).
Step 2: After the meat is no longer pink, lower the heat to a low level and stir in the spices and chicken stock. Stir everything together until the turkey crumble is coated in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 5 minutes until the liquid reduces and thickens a bit.
Serve the seasoned turkey meat in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, taco bowls, lettuce wraps, salads and more.
Delicious taco toppings include avocado, tomatoes, black beans, lime juice, cilantro, guacamole and cheese.
- Double or triple the recipe to yield a larger batch that can feed eight to twelve people.
- Meal Planning and Storage: After cooking, meat can be kept in the fridge for up to four days. Just before serving, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freezing: You can freeze ground turkey taco meat. Place in a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Close tightly and keep chilled for a maximum of two months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Enhance flavor: Although this spiced ground turkey is delicious on its own, you can make it even better by adding some fresh salsa. After cooking, just stir in the salsa and serve with your preferred dish.
You can add flavor to ground turkey by using simple spices or seasonings. Use store bought taco seasoning or make your own. Even just using salt and pepper brings out the flavor of the turkey.
Ground turkey pairs well with taco seasoning such as chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Other herbs like paprika, dried oregano, basil and rosemary are a good choice too.
Try some of our other top-rated ground turkey recipes if you’re a fan of ground turkey. Enjoy stuffed peppers or turkey enchiladas with seasoned ground turkey. Or use ground turkey instead of beef in a delicious taco casserole. The options are endless!.