Cheesy Ground Turkey Taco Skillet
This ground turkey taco skillet checks alllllll the weeknight dinner boxes. It’s incredibly tasty, with classic taco flavors and a healthy dose of cheese. It’s a 20-minute meal, making it a great option for busy weeknights. It’s nutritious and a great source of protein, fiber, and veggies. AND! It’s all cooked in one skillet, requiring minimal cleanup. 🙌
I love adding nutrition INTO meals…
…but it has to be in a delicious way. This meal does just that with a hefty dose of protein, fiber, and vegetables – all in a delicious, cheesy way.
This meal came about after a need for super-fast, shortcut-using type meals – the ones that can be made on soccer night or in between piano lessons. The nights when dinner is *almost* impossible. It’s…
🌮 Taco night twist: Same flavors, new format! It’s a great way to switch up your taco night
🧀 Melty cheese magic: Cheddar is the last touch, pulling it all together in a delightfully cheesy way that’s perfect scooped up with chips and mini bell peppers.
🥄 Easy clean-up: Everything cooks together in one skillet = less dishes to wash = score.
⏱️ 20-minute dinner: This comes together super fast, making it doable for busy nights.
🦃 Packed with protein and fiber: Thanks to ground turkey, cheese, beans, and corn, this meal is hearty, filling, and satisfying.
🌽 Totally customizable: Serve over rice, stuffed into tortillas, in burritos, in baked crispy quesadillas (highly recommend!) and more. Let everyone add their own fresh toppings at the table.
🥗 Meal prep friendly: This reheats so nicely that it works well if the family is eating at different times. Or if your kids need a little bit of dinner before practice and a little more after. 🙄
You’ll also want to try my ground turkey stir-fry, ground turkey stroganoff, turkey burger sliders, and turkey meatloaf.
A fan favorite at our house, and it comes together so easily on nights when we’re in a rush for all the activities! So delicious, especially scooping it up with some chips! –Beth
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this skillet meal to the table: onion, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, ground turkey, taco seasoning, black beans, frozen corn, shredded cheddar, fresh garnishes, sour cream, tortilla chips, and mini bell peppers.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: For the best flavor, look for lean ground turkey, but not 99% fat-free ground turkey, unless you need it or prefer it. The little bit of fat helps keep the turkey juicy and delicious and I find it absolutely necessary!
- Shortcuts: Use mini bell peppers in both the skillet and for scooping up!
- Feeding kids without pressure: Serve up the meal with a few sides you know your kids will eat like milk, fruit, and bread if they don’t do chips. You could also reserve a little shredded cheese if they would prefer a deconstructed nacho situation. Mixed foods can be hard for young kids, so don’t fret if it takes a bit of time before this meal is appealing to everyone.
- Variations: You could swap the black beans for pinto beans, or make this meal with ground beef, ground chicken, or your favorite vegetarian ground crumbles.
- Additions: I love to put out a variety of fresh toppings for everyone to add – cilantro, avocado, tomato, sliced jalapeno, salsa, etc.
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Ground Turkey Taco Skillet Recipe
- Prep Time: 6 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
Description
This ground turkey taco skillet dinner has all of the cheesy taco flavors you love in a fun, scoop-able meal that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 1/2 white onion
- 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 oz. packet taco seasoning
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn (or fresh or canned)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
For Serving:
- cilantro
- green onions
- avocado
- tomato
- sliced jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
- salsa or hot sauce
- sour cream
- sturdy tortilla chips
- mini bell peppers
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients:
Dice onion.
Dice bell pepper.
Mince garlic. - Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, pepper, ground turkey, and taco seasoning to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic, beans, and corn to skillet. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile turkey skillet is cooking, prep any toppings and/or bell peppers for scooping.
- Stir cheese into turkey mixture until it melts and serve with tortilla chips, bell peppers, and desired toppings.
Notes
- Leftovers? Stuff them into taco shells, over nachos, or into a quesadilla for a delicious and hearty meal!
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat the turkey mixture in the microwave or a hot skillet until warmed through.
- Freezer storage: You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for 1-2 months.
- Ingredient notes: Ground turkey is delicious, but you could also use ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, or your favorite ground meat alternative. Make sure to buy the lean ground turkey with a bit of fat in it, NOT the 99% fat-free turkey, unless you really like it! I find it to be really dry. I use a taco seasoning packet to keep things simple, but feel free to use a homemade blend if you prefer.
- Prep ahead: Cut up onions and peppers.
- Special tools: A large skillet.
- Serve with: Mini bell peppers, sturdy tortilla chips, and lots of fresh toppings.
Serving Suggestions
I love scooping this turkey skillet meal up as a hearty dip with extra veggies, but you can also stuff it into quesadillas or taco shells (also delicious!):
- Tortilla chips
- Mini bell peppers
- Celery sticks
- Cucumber slices
- White rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice
- Warm tortillas
- Cheese quesadillas
FAQs
Yes, you can make this taco skillet recipe with virtually any ground meat. I’ve tried it with ground beef and can confirm it’s delicious. You could also try it with ground chicken, ground pork, and even your favorite ground meat alternative for a vegetarian option.
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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I guess I need to just ballpark the quantities of each ingredient since I didn’t see any listed here?
The exact amounts and directions are in the recipe card, at the bottom of the post! Scroll down and you should see it! 🙂
My family loved it. I added some jalapeños along with the peppers because we like spicy. Delicious, easy, quick recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And hope my kids can enjoy some more spice soon, too! Love the sound of added jalapenos!
My family loves this and we love scooping it up with chips!
Same! So fun to eat. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Are you suppose to drain the beans and corn?
Yes! Rinse beans and if you’re using canned corn, drain and rinse corn as well. If using frozen corn, you don’t need to drain.
Everyone loves this at our house! We typically serve with some rice and plenty of veggies and chips to dip.
My kind of meal. I LOVED it! Easy and Yummy 😋
Thank you !!!
Yay! Thanks Kathy!
Watched you make this on Twin Citites Live. This skillet dinner was delicious – It was quick and easy to make! Made it into a burrito for dinner – with chips for extra dipping 😋. Will definitely add to the dinner rotation, can use it so many ways!
Yay! Thanks Robin, appreciate you letting me know. I love leftovers in quesadillas. 🙂
I would caution against using the Trader Joe’s taco seasoning for this as the recipe was overly spicy. My son couldn’t eat it and my dad, who adds red pepper flakes to everything, said it was too much. I’ll try again with a milder taco seasoning or make my own. It was easy to throw together, and filling.
Hi Angela, great tip for others, thanks for sharing! I do recall that taco seasoning being surprisingly spicy!
You are only supposed to use half the package of the trader Joes Taco spice
Made this for the first time and it was a perfect comfort food! Not surprisingly, the two of us gobbled it up, all of it. (We forgot to put the sour cream on or use scoopers).
And it came together in 10 minutes ~ amazing. Thanks Em
HA! So glad you enjoyed it.
A fan favorite at our house, and it comes together so easily on nights when we’re in a rush for all the activities! So delicious, especially scooping it up with some chips!
YAY! It is the perfect, filling meal for activity nights! (And was actually created with those busy nights in mind!)
One of my favorite meal preps!!!! So good and EASY!
I’m so glad to hear this, thanks Casey!