Use this Hidden Veggie Turkey Tacos recipe to sneak some extra veggies into homemade ground turkey tacos. Your friends and family won’t even know that they’re eating zucchini and cauliflower with their tacos.
I love to make this into baked tacos for my toddlers! You can use this ground beef baked tacos method with this ground turkey recipe to make handheld baked tacos that are great for kids!
weeknight easy
great for kids
Quick Look: Hidden veggie turkey tacos
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🌮 Servings: 4 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 246 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Cook on the stove in one pan
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: ground turkey, zucchini, cauliflower rice
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Very easy, especially since it only uses one pan!
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Donna left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made this for dinner last night and it was so good! My husband is not a big fan of veggies and enjoyed this. The spices and toppings really cover the taste of the cauliflower. Always love ideas to incorporate veggies into our regular meals.”
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Prep ahead – Get set up for the week ahead by making this taco filling ahead of time and storing it in the fridge! Then, you can enjoy the best ground turkey tacos all week long.
- Sneak in extra veggies –The ground turkey and veggies make these tacos healthier and heartier, keeping you full for longer. It is a great way to get the whole family (even your pickiest eaters) to eat some more veggies!
- Customizable to your liking – I like using zucchini and cauliflower rice as the veggies for these tacos, but you can switch up to your liking or what you have on hand
If you are looking for another taco recipe for Taco Tuesday, try these spiced chickpea tacos.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you need to make these hidden veggie turkey tacos. For a full list of ingredients and amounts please head to the full recipe.
- Ground turkey – I use lean ground turkey that is 7% fat for this recipe. Feel free to sub ground chicken or ground beef if you prefer
- Frozen cauliflower rice and zucchini – these two veggies add extra nutrition to the recipe without compromising the classic taco flavor. You can also add some finely diced white onion in with these.
- Taco seasoning – you can use store-bought taco seasoning or make your own using salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper.
- Tomato paste – helps add flavor and depth to this taco recipe. If you don’t have tomato paste, swap the tomato paste and water for about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.
Add some extra spice to this taco meat by mixing in a spoonful hot sauce or diced green chiles.
Love the idea of this hidden veggie taco recipe? Try this veggie packed meat sauce dish.
How to make Hidden veggie turkey tacos
Step 1: Peel the zucchini and dice into tiny cubes. At the same time, mix together the seasoning mixture.
Step 2: Add the diced zucchini and riced cauliflower to the skillet and saute until cooked through, about 7 minutes.
Step 3: Brown the ground turkey and stir in with the veggies.
Step 4: Add the seasoning, water and tomato paste mixture into the skillet and mix in thoroughly. Simmer for a bit so everything is evenly combined and all of the liquid is dissolved.
Serve these ground turkey tacos with all of your favorite taco toppings. I usually add fresh salsa, guacamole, and queso fresco on either corn or flour tortillas.
I also love to make rice bowls with cilantro lime rice, shredded romaine lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado and easy pickled red onions. When we have a family taco night we sometimes make healthier nachos by spreading this veggie loaded taco meat onto chips and topping with cheddar cheese.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Hidden veggie turkey tacos🌮
- Adjust the heat to your liking – If you want to up the spice level of this turkey taco meat, just add some extra cayenne.
- Use a homemade taco seasoning – I always use the same seasoning mixture for tacos which includes salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne. Most of the time I use a store bough blend to save time.
- Don’t skip the tomato paste – The tomato past is key for making the best turkey taco recipe! Sometimes there is concern about using ground turkey instead of beef because it can be less flavorful. This is where the tomato paste plays a big role! This combined with the taco seasoning makes the meat extra flavorful.
If you are looking for another great taco recipe, try these black bean baked tacos.
Recipe FAQs
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?
Yes! I prefer frozen cauliflower rice because it usually is more affordable but fresh cauliflower rice works well, too.
What veggies are easy to hide in food?
I personally love to hide zucchinis and riced cauliflower because the textures and taste work really well with the taco meat! You can try other veggies such as carrots or onions as well though.
Storage, Reheating and freezing
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!
Occasionally, I will make a double batch of the turkey taco meat and make a batch of baked tacos on corn tortillas with a shredded Mexican cheese blend. These freeze really nicely. I wrap in parchment and foil and then place in a freezer-safe container. To reheat from frozen I wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 2 minutes.
Other Delicious Taco Recipes
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 olive oil
- 1 bag riced cauliflower (12 oz)
- 2 small or 1 large zucchini
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 3 tbsp taco seaosning ~ 1 packet
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Peel zucchini and dice into tiny cubes
- Combine tomato paste and water in a small bowl
- Heat 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 taco seasoning 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!
Recipe Notes
- Adjust the heat to your liking – If you want to up the spice level of this turkey taco meat, just add some extra cayenne.
- Make your own taco seasoning – I always use the same seasoning mixture for tacos which includes salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne. If you are low on time though, feel free to grab store bought!
- Don’t skip the tomato paste – Sometimes there is concern about using ground turkey instead of beef because it can be less flavorful. This is where the tomato paste plays a big role! This combined with the taco seasoning makes the meat extra flavorful.
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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