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This healthy an flavorful turkey taco quinoa skillet is made with ground turkey, quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes and Mexican spices. Everything cooks together in one pan and only takes 40 minutes to get on the table!
Looking for another easy quinoa dinner recipe? Try this pesto chicken and broccoli quinoa skillet!
This post and recipe have been updated since it was originally published on 1/20/2016
Why you’ll love it
One pan dinner – One pan dinners are my favorite because you don’t have to keep an eye on multiple pans cooking on the stovetop and there’s less dishes to wash. Skillet dinners are the best for busy weeknight!
Pantry ingredients – Many of the ingredients used in this taco skillet dinner are one you may already have in your pantry. The use of pantry ingredients also helps to keep the cost down.
Healthy dinner – Taco quinoa is packed with protein, carbs, and fiber. The balance of all these macro nutrients makes it a satisfying and filling meal.
Ingredients For Mexican Quinoa
- Yellow onion – Flavorful aromatic.
- Ground turkey – I like to use 93/7% lean ground turkey.
- Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika – The flavorful Mexican spice blend.
- Diced green chiles – Canned green chiles add great flavor. Want it spicy? Use hot instead of mild.
- Black beans – Add heartiness and fiber to the quinoa.
- Fire roasted tomatoes – They add a smoky tomato flavor you won’t get from regular diced tomatoes .
- Fire roasted frozen corn – Another great way to add a smoky flavor. Regular frozen corn can also be used.
- Cilantro – Omit if you don’t like cilantro.
- Salsa verde – Salsa verde has a zesty, mildly spicy flavor, and is a nice way to brighten up the flavor of turkey taco quinoa.
- Quinoa – I recommend using white quinoa. It’s the easiest to find at the store, has the mildest flavor, and gets the fluffiest when cooked.
- Cheese – I used Colby Jack cheese because I love how it melts. Cheddar or Monterey Jack or a combination are other options that work well.
How to Make Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet
This is an overview of the recipe with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Brown the onion and turkey in a 12 inch skillet that has a lid. Add in the spice blend, salt, and pepper and stir everything together.
Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the cheese, in with the turkey mixture. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil.
Once it boils, cover with the lid and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa is fluffy and tender. Top with the shredded cheese and cover with the lid again for another minute or until the cheese is melted.
Ways to Serve Taco Quinoa Skillet
Generally I just serve taco quinoa right out of the skillet. However, if you want to change things up or use the leftovers in a different way, here are a few ideas.
- Use it as a filling for tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.
- Turn it into a taco salad and serve it on top of romaine lettuce with diced avocado.
- Scoop it up with tortilla chips or use it as a topping for nachos.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use ground chicken or ground beef instead of ground turkey.
- Add toppings such as black olives, avocado, sour cream, and extra salsa.
- Salsa verde can be substituted with red tomato salsa or red or green enchilada sauce.
- Make it vegetarian by substituting ground turkey with crumbled tofu or a meat alternative. Omit the cheese for a vegan option.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Turkey quinoa skillet will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating – Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat until it’s hot.
Freezing – Turkey taco quinoa skillet is a great freezer meal. Cool completely before transferring it to an airtight freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
More Easy Skillet Dinners
Did you make this taco quinoa? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 cup fire roasted frozen corn
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a 12 inch skillet that has a lid. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and turkey. Crumble and brown the turkey until it’s no longer pink. Stir in the spice blend, salt, and pepper.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, except the cheese. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil.
- Once it boils, cover with the lid and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa is fluffy and tender. Top with the cheese then cover with the lid again for another minute or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with extra cilantro and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This turned out great! I’ve made it twice now. The first time I used quinoa and the 2nd time I used uncle Ben’s white rice and simmered for about 5ish extra minutes and it was awesome both times!
Love this delicious Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet, perfect one . Thanks for sharing this one with us.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
This looks so delicious! I was wondering if you can make it with brown rice instead of quinoa?
Hi Sheila. You can definitely replace the quinoa with brown rice, however you’ll want to use rice that’s already cooked as it takes much longer to cook than quinoa.