Crispy Baked Ground Turkey Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce Recipe
These Crispy Baked Ground Turkey Tacos with Avocado Sauce offer a delicious and healthier twist on traditional tacos. Featuring lean ground turkey seasoned with homemade taco spices, black beans, and green chiles, these tacos are baked to golden, crispy perfection and served with a creamy, tangy avocado sauce for added freshness and flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 tacos 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
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)
Taco Filling
- 2 tsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 8 oz lean ground turkey
- 2 1/2 tsp homemade taco seasoning (see below for blend)
- 1/3 cup chopped onion (yellow or white)
- 3/4 cup canned black beans (drained, not rinsed)
- 4 oz green chiles
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 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 / baking spray (or avocado oil for brushing)
- 6 fajita-sized flour tortillas (6 inch)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Make the Creamy Avocado Sauce: In a mini food processor, blend half of a ripe avocado, sour cream, fresh lime juice, cilantro leaves, kosher salt, and water until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional water if needed. Taste and season with more salt or lime juice if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Cook the Turkey and Onions: Heat avocado oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add ground turkey, half of the taco seasoning, and chopped onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up the turkey and mixing well until browned and cooked through.
- Finish the Taco Filling: Stir in black beans, green chiles, remaining taco seasoning, water, and chopped cilantro. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Reduce Excess Liquid: Stir the mixture and if necessary, raise heat to medium, cooking a few more minutes while stirring frequently until most of the excess liquid evaporates. Remove from heat.
- Prepare Tortillas for Baking: Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or brush with avocado oil. Lay the tortillas on the sheet, slightly overlapping if needed. Spread about 1/4 cup shredded cheese evenly over each tortilla.
- Assemble Tacos: Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the turkey and black bean mixture onto one half of each tortilla.
- Melt the Cheese: Place the baking sheet in the oven for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Fold and Crisp the Tacos: Carefully fold each tortilla in half. Brush the tops with avocado oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve: Scoop the creamy avocado sauce into small bowls and serve alongside the crispy baked tacos. Enjoy your flavorful, crispy turkey tacos!
Notes
- Feel free to customize the spice level by adjusting or omitting the cayenne pepper.
- Using flour tortillas instead of corn helps achieve a crispier texture when baked.
- If you prefer, substitute the sour cream in the avocado sauce with Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
- Leftover taco filling can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated on the stovetop or microwave.
- For gluten-free options, use gluten-free tortillas.
Keywords: ground turkey tacos, baked tacos, crispy tacos, avocado sauce, homemade taco seasoning, healthy tacos, Mexican recipe
