Description
These Crispy Baked Ground Turkey Tacos with Avocado Sauce offer a flavorful, healthy twist on traditional tacos. Ground turkey and black beans are seasoned with a homemade taco blend, cooked to perfection, then baked in crispy flour tortillas with melted Monterey Jack cheese. Served with a creamy avocado sauce made from fresh avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro, this recipe is perfect for a satisfying and delicious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Creamy Avocado Sauce
- 1/2 medium avocado
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp water plus more as needed
Ground Turkey + Black Bean Filling
- 2 tsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 8 oz lean ground turkey (85/15 or 90/10)
- 2 1/2 tsp homemade taco seasoning
- 1/3 cup chopped onion (yellow or white)
- 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained but not rinsed
- 4 oz green chiles (Hatch green chiles preferred)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)
Small Batch Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano or Italian oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Tacos
- Cooking or baking spray or avocado oil, for brushing tortillas
- 6 fajita-sized flour tortillas (6 inches)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Make the Creamy Avocado Sauce: Combine the half avocado, sour cream, fresh lime juice, cilantro leaves, kosher salt, and water in a mini food processor. Blend until smooth, adding more water for desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt or lime juice as needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cook the Turkey and Onions: Heat avocado oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add lean ground turkey, half of the taco seasoning, and chopped onion. Break the turkey into small pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Finish the Taco Filling: Stir in black beans, green chiles, remaining taco seasoning, water, and chopped cilantro into the turkey mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. If excess liquid remains, increase heat to medium and cook a few more minutes until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat.
- Build the Tacos: Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray or brush a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or avocado oil. Lay six flour tortillas on the sheet, slightly overlapping if necessary. Spread about 1/4 cup shredded cheese evenly over each tortilla. Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the turkey and black bean filling onto one half of each tortilla.
- Bake the Tacos: Bake the sheet in the oven for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts. Carefully fold each tortilla in half, then brush or spray the tops with oil. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve: Serve the crispy baked tacos warm with the creamy avocado sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
- Sour cream in the avocado sauce can be substituted with full-fat Greek yogurt.
- If using a different brand of kosher salt or sea salt, reduce salt quantity to 1/4 tsp and adjust to taste.
- Lean ground turkey should be around 85/15 or 90/10 for best results.
- Homemade taco seasoning can be replaced with 2 1/2 tsp of your favorite store-bought taco seasoning.
- Drain but do not rinse black beans to maintain flavor and texture.
- Hatch green chiles are ideal, but any 4-ounce can of green chiles works.
- Cilantro is optional and can be omitted from the sauce or filling if undesired.
- Flour tortillas are preferred for folding without breaking; corn tortillas can be used but may break more easily.
- Monterey Jack cheese can be substituted with Pepper Jack, Cheddar, or Chihuahua cheese.
- If filling spills out during baking, gently push it back into the taco with a fork before the cheese cools.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
