Use this Hidden Veggie Turkey Tacos recipe to sneak some extra veggies into homemade ground turkey taco meat. Your friends and family won’t even know that they’re eating zucchini and cauliflower with their meat.
Weeknight-easy
Minimal prep
You’ll Learn: How to boost flavor and nutrition for taco night
Worth It: Classic taco flavor with healthier, heartier filling
Bonus: Works great as a make-ahead freezer meal
Ground turkey tacos are the perfect way to use up and enjoy some extra veggies!
I first tested this recipe because I has some zucchini in the fridge that wasn’t looking to good. So I chopped it up and threw it in our taco meat along with some riced cauliflower.
Shockingly you couldn’t even taste the veggies alongside all the spices and flavors of the taco meat. I found that if I peeled the zucchini and chopped it small you could barely see it in the meat at all!
I know that some people are against the concept of hiding veggies from their kids, but if you have a picky eater this turkey taco meat might be the perfect option!
What kitchen tools will I need to make these Hidden Veggie Turkey Tacos?
I prepare this healthy turkey taco meat in a large skillet. You can use any kind of large skillet or even a wok.
You will also need a sharp knife and a vegetable peeler to prepare the vegetables that you will mix into the ground turkey. I use a wooden spatula to mix and break the ground turkey into crumbles
I also used a small mixing bowl to mix the spice mixture together.
How do you season ground turkey for tacos?
Ground turkey taco meat can sometimes have less flavor than a traditional ground beef taco because it is lower in fat. To flavor these healthy ground turkey tacos I used a mix of warming spices and tomato paste.
I always use the same seasoning mixture for tacos which includes salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne.
If you want to up the spice level of this turkey taco meat, just add some extra cayenne. I promise with these seasonings, you won’t miss the ground beef.
What ingredients will I need to make these ground turkey tacos with extra veggies?
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make ground turkey tacos with just a few healthy ingredients.
- Avocado oil
- Ground turkey
- Frozen cauliflower rice
- Zucchini
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Chili
Can I use ground beef or ground chicken for this recipe?
Yes! You can basically use any ground meat that you like for this taco recipe.
Can I use fresh cauliflower rice instead of frozen cauliflower rice?
Yes! I prefer frozen cauliflower rice because it is usually more affordable, but fresh cauliflower rice will work well too.
Let’s make some Hidden Veggie Turkey Tacos!
Step 1: Prep ingredients and sauté veggies
To begin, peel the zucchini and dice into tiny cubes. Then, mix salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne in a small bowl.
Next, combine tomato paste and water in a small bowl.
Then, heat avocado oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the diced zucchini and riced cauliflower to the skillet.
Next, sauté the veggies until soft and cooked through, about 7 minutes.
Step 2: Brown ground turkey and season
Then, push the veggies to the edge of the skillet and add the ground turkey to the pan. Heat the ground turkey and begin to break into crumbles.
After about 2 minutes, add the seasoning mixture into the pan and continue browning and the ground turkey and breaking into crumbles.
Once the turkey is almost completely cooked through, mix the veggies in with the ground turkey.
Step 3: Mix in tomato paste
Reduce the heat to medium low and pour the water and tomato paste mixture into the skillet and mix in thoroughly with the turkey and veggies. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
Step 4: Enjoy!
How to serve these ground turkey tacos
I like to serve these hidden veggie ground turkey tacos with small corn tortillas and other toppings. First, I toast the tortillas over an open flame on the stove.
Then, I serve everything buffet style. That way everyone can choose whichever toppings they want for their ground turkey tacos!
How should I store this ground turkey taco meat?
Once prepared, store this ground turkey taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or use one of the recipes below to repurpose your leftovers!
Other ways to enjoy this healthy turkey taco meat:
If you enjoyed this recipe, try this quick and easy chicken fajita salad or crockpot chicken tacos next!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Hidden Veggie Turkey Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 12oz bag riced cauliflower
- 2 small or 1 large zucchini
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Peel zucchini and dice into tiny cubes
- Mix salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne in a small bowl
- Combine tomato paste and water in a small bowl
- Heat avocado oil over medium heat in a large skillet
- Add the diced zucchini and riced cauliflower to the skillet
- Saute veggies until soft and cooked through, about 7 minutes
- Push the veggies to the edge of the skillet and add the ground turkey to the pan
- Heat the ground turkey and begin to break into crumbles
- After about 2 minutes add the seasoning mixture into the pan and continue browning and the ground turkey and breaking into crumbles
- Once the turkey is almost completely cooked through, mix the veggies in with the ground turkey
- Reduce the heat to medium low and pour the water and tomato paste mixture into the skillet and mix in thoroughly with the turkey and veggies
- Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from the heat
- Serve with tortillas and any toppings you like!
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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