Hello dinner tonight! This turkey taco skillet is about to become a weeknight staple.
It’s that season of cookies, peppermint, hot cocoa and all the festive treats — but we still need simple, satisfying dinners. Lately I’ve been craving familiar meals that aren’t heavy, ones that come together quickly on busy weeknights.
This turkey taco skillet strikes the right balance: familiar flavors, light enough for nightly meals, and supremely easy to make.
There are so many ways to enjoy this turkey taco mix.
Versatile and simple
Spoon it into tortillas, pile it onto baked sweet potatoes, or top a salad for an instant taco salad. My favorite is to serve it straight from the skillet with tortilla chips on the side — almost like a loaded taco dip. Layered with melted cheese, quick pico, lettuce, pickled onions and guacamole, it becomes an easy, crowd-pleasing nacho-style dinner.
When served this way it’s nacho perfection: cheesy, bright, and crunchy. It’s always a hit at our house. I often save it for weekends, but it has quickly joined our Taco Tuesday rotation. It also makes a relaxed, delicious option for holiday evenings like Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve when you want something easy and tasty.
Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list — most of the spices are pantry staples. If you’re short on a spice or prefer a shortcut, use a pre-mixed taco seasoning. Store-bought salsa or pico and premade guacamole work fine too, though I love the freshness of quick homemade pico and guac.
One small thing I always keep on hand is pickled onions — they add a bright bite that elevates the whole dish. But even without them this skillet is embarrassingly easy and reliably delicious.
Embarrassingly easy meals are my favorite!
Turkey Taco Skillet
Turkey Taco Skillet
Yield:
4
people
20 mins
15 mins
35 mins
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground turkey (94% lean works well)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup chicken stock
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- pickled onions for serving
- cotija cheese for sprinkling
- lime wedges for spritzing
- tortilla chips for serving
quick pico
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- ½ sweet onion diced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ lime juiced
- pinch salt and pepper
quick guac
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime juiced
- pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced pepper, onion and minced garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Add the ground turkey, breaking it apart with a spoon. Season with cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the turkey browns and is in small crumbles. Sprinkle in the flour and toss to combine. Stir in the chicken stock and cook a few minutes until the mixture thickens.
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Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the turkey. Let it melt a few minutes (cover the skillet for faster melting if desired). Top with shredded lettuce and pickled onions, then spoon on the quick pico and guacamole. Finish with a sprinkle of cotija cheese and a squeeze of lime. Serve with tortilla chips.
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To make the quick pico: toss cherry tomatoes, diced onion, chopped cilantro and lime juice together in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. It stores well in the fridge and develops more flavor as it sits.
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To make the quick guac: mash the avocado with cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust lime, salt and pepper as needed.
Did you make this recipe?
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We adore it.