Have you ever had dry, flavorless taco meat? Yeah, me too. This recipe makes the perfect turkey tacos, using one MUST HAVE tip. Who wants a fiesta night now?
I started eating ground turkey in the early 2000s. I decided to give up red meat when I was younger, yet I still wanted my favorites: burgers, nachos and TACOS. Most people think of dry, crumbled meat when they hear “ground turkey”. It’s true, it can be prepared that way…but it shouldn’t!
The key to perfect turkey taco meat is….the slow cooker. Or pressure cooker! You really need to give the meat a minute to break down, otherwise it’s not going to give you the restaurant style texture you’re looking for.
Trust me.
I started making my taco meat this way about a year ago, and most people don’t even know it’s not beef! I still use 93/7 lean turkey meat, Butterball is my new favorite, but it tastes so different than just pan fried.
Always wondered how to make restaurant style taco meat at home? These turkey tacos are SO easy and never dry. The key is to use a slow-cooker or pressure cooker!
- 2 pounds Lean Ground Turkey (93/7)
- 2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika regular is fine too!
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 can Chopped Green chiles 1 small green pepper can be used, too!
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
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Coat the slow cooker or pressure cooker with cooking spray.
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Combine smoked paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl. Stir to mix. (This is great mix to have on hand in a little jar, too!) Set aside.
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Add onion and green chilies to the slow or pressure cooker. Add raw ground turkey. Stir with a flat spatula to mix in onions. Add spice mixture.
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Set slow cooker for 4 hours on HIGH, stirring occasionally.
Pressure cooker: set on MEAT (or POULTRY) setting, 45 minutes.
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Once done cooking, stir and taste spices. I usually add a bit more salt and cumin, if needed.
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Serve!
This recipe freezes so well, so feel free to make a full batch, even for a smaller family.
I’m sure you know what to do with taco meat, but here are some awesome sides to go with:
What are your go-to sides for Taco Night?
Can I cook all day on low?
Sure! That should be fine!
I made this in my Instant Pot tonight for dinner. Our family really enjoyed it. My daughters are 4 and 6 years old, and gobbled it right up. The meat really does come out moist, flavorfully and perfectly cooked. I have a broken foot, and it’s been hard to get around lately. This recipe was easy for me to make. Thank you.
Oh no, I am so sorry about your foot! That has to be rough with the little ones. So happy you enjoyed it! I love to double the batch and freeze half for later in the month.
Sooo good! Split the recipe and only used 1 lb. of turkey. I used the very lean and it cooked on low for 3 hours then high the last hour. Used a whole yellow and red onion and about 10 small sweet peppers. Omitted the garlic cloves. Added a little water at the end to keep from burning/drying out. Husband approved lol. Amazing!!! Will definitely make again! Thanks!
Thank you so much for your review, Beth! I love the addition of the small sweet peppers. Trying that next time!
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Hi! This looks amazing! I’m throwing a birthday party for my son and am going to do a build your own taco bar (Construction theme). I have a large crock pot and a casserole size crock pot. We will have about 40 people (half children). Two questions – can I also do this same recipe with ground beef in the second crock pot? And do you think I can triple the recipe? 6 lbs of meat per crock pot (6 lbs ground beef in one and 6 lbs ground turkey in the other)? If so, do I need to increase cooking time?
This looks so yummy! Can I use ground beef in place of the ground turkey? And can I triple the recipe in a standard large crock pot (6lbs of meat)? If so, should I increase the cooking time?