Sometimes, a girl has to shake things up. When that girl has 2 kids and a full time job that shake up means a quick and easy ingredient switcharoo! Ground beef tacos are a brilliant and easy relief to the week day dinner bell. However, swapping out ground beef for a healthier ground turkey option for tacos is not only easy, but dare I say fun as well. If you have never tried ground turkey tacos I would highly recommend you try.
Ground Turkey vs Ground Beef
Compared to ground beef, ground turkey has less overall saturated fat and more protein. It’s also a leaner option for vegetarians and vegans (just kidding). Some people may also tell you that most poultry is also easier to digest than red meat, but I will save that for a separate post.
Ground turkey is often used in meatballs or meatloaf recipes because it adds moisture without adding too much extra fat. It’s very easy to season, but can dry out if left without any type of marinade or seasoning.
Are turkey tacos better than beef?
I think this question can easily be answered by thinking about how poultry and beef are different meats. The taste of poultry is absolutely lighter and more aromatic. The texture of turkey is less dense and therefore great in meatloafs, soups and stews. Just think about your most fond memories of Thanksgiving dinner and you will get a sense of the aromatics.
Turkey is also less expensive to purchase than beef and these days its a great way to save money and provide a healthier form of lean protein. Just remember that turkey also contains tryptophan (which is an amino acid) and can cause a serotonin overload. Have trouble sleeping? When you eat turkey, your body will convert some of the tryptophan into melatonin which is a sleep aid. Voila! Nature for the win!
What can I add to ground turkey for flavor?
It can be cooked like any other ground meat, but it tends to have a slightly different flavor than the other meats. Overall, ground turkey tends to take on whatever flavor you cook in with or within close proximity. For ground turkey tacos you may want to use taco seasoning and some type of boullion base to enhance and enrich the flavor.
You can also add in additional vegetables like onions or bell peppers to make the tacos even more healthy in this recipe.
How do you make ground turkey not dry?
In this recipe I use a combination of both taco seasoning and chicken or vegetable boullion base. It’s important to remember when cooking to first cook the ground turkey in a pan or skillet. Once the ground turkey is 80% way done, that’s the best time to add in the dry taco seasoning so that it can absorb into the meat. Once the dry seasoning is in the meat, then it’s best to add in the broth or stock to give the turkey additional time to absorb the liquid.
Taco Seasoning and salt elements
I really like using the Kinder’s Organic Taco Seasoning due to little or no added sugar content. This taco seasoning can typically be found at your local grocery store or Costo. It’s also my preference to use Better Than Boullion Base in many meals. They are so delicious and versatile in many of my recipes.
Ground Turkey Taco Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb of ground turkey
3-4 tablespoons Kinder’s Taco Seasoning (or other taco seasoning)
1 tablespoon of Chicken or Vegetable Better than Boullion Base
1 cup of hot water (for Boullion Base marinade)
1 teaspoon cooking oil (if desired)
Taco shells
Taco Toppings such as lettuce, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, onions
1 Skillet
Cooking steps
Add the ground turkey to a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Brown up the ground turkey in the skillet with or without oil.
While the turkey is browning in the pan, add the boullion base to the hot water in a coffee mug and mix together. Once the ground turkey is almost done browning, add the taco seasoning and mix well.
Pour the boullion base over the ground meat and seasoning and stir together.
Drop the heat on the stove down to a low heat and let the ground turkey simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until all liquid has absorbed within the ground turkey. Add the ground turkey to soft or hard taco shells, garnish with lettuce, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes and onions. Serves 4 regular adults or 2 starving, sleep deprived parents
Have more time and want to cook this meal from scratch? Maybe add in a few unsuspecting ingredients like tomato sauce? Check out these ground turkey taco recipes from:
