Table of contents
Soft tacos are an easy and versatile meal perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. This recipe features ground turkey, a lean and tasty alternative to traditional beef, paired with cool, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, shredded cheese, and a drizzle of lime crema.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
We really love dishes that have contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures, and these ground turkey tacos are a perfect example. The secret to soft taco success is perfectly seasoned meat, fresh, flavorful toppings, and a finishing touch to pull everything together: a zesty lime crema.
Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.
- GROUND TURKEY: We recommend using regular ground turkey, not ground turkey breast because it is too lean and would have a tendency to be dry. You can also use ground chicken or lean ground beef.
- FLOUR TORTILLAS: Choose a brand of soft flour tortillas about six to eight inches in diameter. We like the “soft taco size” made by La Tortilla Factory. They also make low-carb varieties, but they’re a little bigger in diameter.
- LETTUCE: Crisp lettuce varieties like romaine and iceberg are the best choice for tacos because they add texture to every bite.
- TOMATOES: Because they’re not quite as juicy as other types of tomatoes and won’t be as likely to make the tortillas soggy, plum/Roma tomatoes are a top choice for making soft tacos.
- SHREDDED CHEESE: For convenience, we usually use a finely shredded Mexican cheese blend, but Monterey Jack and cheddar are both acceptable substitutes.
- MEXICAN-INSPIRED SPICES: Chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper are all common spices used in Mexican cuisine. Add them separately instead of using a packaged taco seasoning mix so you can control the degree of heat to your taste and cut back on excess sodium.
- SCALLIONS: Sliced scallions add a hint of sweet onion flavor that works as a nice contrast to the earthiness of the meat mixture.
- FRESH CILANTRO: A sprinkling of cilantro leaves on top of each taco delivers garden-fresh, herby flavor in every bite.
- CREMA WITH LIME: Like sour cream, Mexican crema can be drizzled on everything from fresh fruit to enchiladas. You can buy ready-made crema at the supermarket, but for this recipe, it’s just as easy to whisk some fresh-squeezed lime juice and grated lime zest into regular sour cream.
How to Make Ground Turkey Tacos
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
MAKE THE TACO FILLING: Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan, sauté the onion until softened, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until lightly browned, breaking up the meat with a spoon as it cooks. Stir in the tomato sauce, chili powder, ground coriander, and cumin. Combine well, continue cooking, and adjust the seasoning adding a cayenne to taste. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
MIX THE CREMA: Make the crema by combining the sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and ground cumin in a small bowl.
ASSEMBLE THE TACOS: To assemble the tacos, layer some lettuce in the center of each tortilla and top with tomatoes and some of the meat mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, chopped scallions, and cilantro. Using a spoon, drizzle each taco with some of the crema and serve immediately.
Discover More Easy Taco Recipes
If you’d like to add a few more taco recipes to your weeknight dinner rotation, you could mix things up with a taco salad, or consider making soft tacos with fish and seafood.
Broiled fish like mahi mahi, snapper, or halibut can be paired with a simple homemade slaw, chunks of avocado, and a cilantro-lime dressing for a quick and easy take on Mexican fish tacos. Or, consider giving taco night an Asian spin. Tender stir-fried shrimp combined with a quick-to-fix slaw and sriracha mayo make a spicy seafood taco that will surely become a family favorite.
Ground Turkey Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey, see notes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- Cayenne pepper to taste
For the lime crema:
- 1 cup sour cream
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
For the tacos:
- 8 flour tortillas (8-inch)
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce, loosely packed
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup finely shredded Mexican cheese blend, or more to taste
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the ground turkey along with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Sauté until lightly browned, breaking the meat up as much as possible while it cooks.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, chili powder, coriander and 1 teaspoon of the ground cumin. Combine well and continue cooking, for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Season to taste with cayenne and adjust the salt and pepper as desired. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
- Make the crema by combining the sour cream, lime juice, lime zest and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin in a small bowl.
- To assemble the tacos, place a portion of lettuce in the center of each tortilla. Top with tomatoes and a portion of the meat mixture.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese, chopped scallions and cilantro. Using a spoon, drizzle each taco with some of the crema and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
