Tacos are a great choice for dinner when you're looking for something that's light, fresh and easy to make, and these soft turkey tacos fit the bill on all three counts.

Soft Turkey Tacos Recipe

For this recipe, our ground turkey mixture is seasoned with garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, coriander and a bit of cayenne and combined with other taco fillings that include crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, scallions and shredded cheese.

This finishing touch to this delicious blend of contrasting textures and temperatures is a drizzle of lime crema that pulls all the flavors together.

Healthy Turkey Soft Tacos
Soft Turkey Tacos

Soft Turkey Tacos

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

These quick and easy soft turkey tacos are filled with perfectly-seasoned ground turkey, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro and a drizzle of lime crema.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 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 (8-inch) light flour tortillas (see notes)
  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Season to taste with cayenne and adjust the salt and pepper as desired. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, chopped scallions and cilantro. Using a spoon, drizzle each taco with some of the crema and serve immediately.

Notes

About the flour tortillas:

When we make soft tacos we always try to use light (reduced calorie/low carb) flour tortillas. We don't find the flavor and texture to be of lesser quality than regular tortillas, so why not save the calories and carbs.

Several popular store brands make reduced calorie/carb flour tortillas. The Light Flour Tortillas from La Tortilla Factory are our favorite.

 

© Lynne Webb