This ground Turkey Taco Skillet, an easy one-pan weeknight dinner recipe using ground turkey, peppers, onions, taco seasoning, beans, rice and salsa! This weeknight dinner recipe only takes about 15-20 minutes to make! Plus its all made in one pan. I love a one pan meal because it really minimizes the clean up afterwards. This super fast taco skillet is a great make-ahead meal to stock-your-freezer with!
If you love recipes with easy weeknight dinners made with rice, you’ll love my gluten free pizza stuffed peppers and my gluten free chicken recipe made with an asian marinade.
I think the hardest part of making dinner is finding time to be able to cook a delicious meal! Heck, some days I literally have only 30 minutes or less to make something which is why I feature so man 30-minute meals. We’re all busy, so I totally get it! This turkey taco skillet recipe saves the day.
Why You’ll Love this Gluten free Recipe
- This gluten free turkey taco skillet recipe is budget friendly and uses simple ingredients that don’t break the bank.
- The best part about this turkey skillet recipe is that it is a one pan meal…which means only one pan to make it and only one pan to clean up! My ideal situation since I absolutely hate doing dishes.
- This taco skillet recipe is allergy friendly. All the ingredients are naturally gluten free making ths a naturally gluten free recipe. You can use dairy free cheese or skip the cheese topping for an easy dairy free recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Ground Turkey: I like to use lean ground turkey as the main protein. You can also substitute ground beef, chicken, or plant-based ground meat.
Taco Seasoning: I like to buy a premade mix but you can make your own mix too to provides the signature taco flavor to ths turkey taco skillet recipe. To make your own, blend chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Onion: If I don’t have onions, I often use shallots, leeks, or onion powder.
Bell Peppers: I love red bell peppers the best. Any bell peppers work to add sweetness, color, and texture. You can also use jalapeños for heat and spice.
Black Beans: I’ve also used pinto beans, kidney beans, or other canned beans. You can also omit them if you don’t like beans.
Cooked Rice: I like to use cooked rice, microwavable rice or frozen rice to save time. Quinoa, brown rice, or cauliflower rice works for a lower-carb option. You can also omit it if you prefer.
Salsa: I have also used fresh diced tomatoes with a squeeze of lime juice, or a can of diced tomatoes and green chilies instead.
Directions
Brown the Turkey: Grab a big pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Add a little olive oil and then your ground turkey. Use a spoon to break it up as it cooks.
Once it’s no longer pink, drain off any extra liquid. Sprinkle in your taco seasoning and stir it all together. Take the turkey out of the pan and set it aside for now. You’re doing great!
Sauté the Veggies: Now, put your chopped onions and bell peppers into that same pan. Cook them until they get a little softer – about 5-7 minutes. They should smell amazing!
Combine Everything: Time to bring the whole taco skillet recipe together! Put the cooked turkey back into the pan with the veggies. Add your black beans, cooked rice, and salsa into the gluten free turkey taco skillet.
Give it a good stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, just until everything is nice and hot.
Serve and Enjoy! That’s it! Your delicious taco skillet is ready. Serve it up with your favorite toppings like cheese, sour cream, or avocado. You nailed it!
Storage and Meal Prepping
To store, I let the turkey taco skillet recipe cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to four days. To meal prep into individual portions, divide the taco skillet into separate containers. These individual portions are my favorite for great grab-and-go lunches or quick dinners during the week.
Reheating Leftovers
To reheat leftovers or meal prep portions of the taco skillet recipe, add to a skillet and warm on medium heat for 7-10 minutes or bake on 350 covered until warm.
What can I use instead of turkey?
If you don’t love ground turkey, or just don’t have it on hand you can use any other protein in this turkey taco skillet. You can choose a lean option like ground chicken or shredded chicken. For a richer protein, use ground beef, shredded beef or pulled pork for a similar taco skillet recipe!
Can I freeze this turkey taco skillet?
For longer storage, I love to add the taco skillet into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat frozen portions, let the turkey taco skillet thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then add to a skillet and warm on medium heat or bake covered until warm.
How can I make this taco skillet spicy?
To make the gluten free turkey taco skillet recipe a spicy taco skillet, I add a pinch of red pepper flakes, I used a spicy salsa or I even add a bit of hot sauce to the skillet.
How can I make this taco skillet vegan?
To make this a vegan taco skillet, skip the meat or use a vegan meat substitute. Make sure to use dairy free cheese on top or skip the cheese altogether. Want more veggies? I got you! To ‘beef’ up this vegan taco skillet (pun intended), add more beans, more veggies or even extra veggies like zucchini, squash, tomatoes, spinach or mushrooms.
What do I serve the turkey taco skillet with?
From using this skillet to serve over rice, or using it as a taco filling, my favorite thing about this recipe is that you can do so many different things with it. I love to toast some corn tortillas, add a scoop of this turkey taco filling then top with sour cream, lettuce, salsa, red onions, cilantro or even pickled jalapeños!
I love to use leftovers on a taco salad! I fill a bowl with my favorite greens or lettuce. Then I top the greens with the ground turkey taco skillet mixture, and add any extra taco toppings.
This is perfect to serve over bed of rice (I like white rice the best!). You can even stuff this mixture into a burrito, or even add it to a gluten free tortilla with some cheese to make it a quesadilla.
Looking for more gluten free recipes?
If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along!
Turkey Taco Skillet Recipe (gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cooked rice I use frozen or instant to save time, leftover rice works great too!
- 1 cup salsa
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese sour cream, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess fat. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and stir to combine. Remove the turkey from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the chopped onion and bell peppers to the same skillet and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Return the cooked turkey to the skillet.
- Stir in the black beans, cooked rice, and salsa.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, or until heated through.
- Serve and Enjoy! Serve your One-Pan Ground Turkey Taco Skillet hot, topped with your favorite taco toppings. I love mine with a sprinkle of cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some fresh cilantro.
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