It seems that winter is a time when a lot of comfort food is made that is heavy, slow cooked, or stewed, and I start craving something lighter and more refreshing around this time every year.
I’m glad to share this recipe with you. It is super quick and easy to prepare, and it gives me all of the flavor I need, but it is still extremely filling.
Oh, and did I mention how flexible it is? Here are lots of substitutions and add-in ideas so you don’t have to worry about what to put in!
Chicken taco is not difficult to cook, so Apronese introduced this delicious recipe to the sisters for reference to treat the whole family to change their taste.
Dressing Options
This taco salad was made with my easy Creamy Avocado Dressing which I make in my kitchen every day. You can also substitute with any other creamy salad dressing that you like.
One of the best options would be taco or chipotle ranch dressing, green goddess dressing, or even a tangy Catalina dressing.
What Can I Substitute for the Ground Turkey?
Certainly, you can make this recipe with ground beef, pork, or even tempeh if you wish, as it is a great recipe that will make it delicious with either one.
It is possible to use tempeh in a recipe by crumbling it into a skillet, adding a cup of water, and simmering it until most of the water is evaporated. Once the water is almost evaporated, add the taco seasoning, and continue sautéing for a couple more minutes.
Other Add-ins and Substitutions
As you can probably tell by the name, taco salads are so versatile! Here are a few ideas that you might want to try in addition to or in place of what is listed in the recipe:
- Avocado
- Tortilla chips
- Red or yellow bell pepper
- Sour cream
- Cotija cheese
- Pico de gallo
- Pickled red onion
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Green onion
Turkey Taco Salad
In spite of the fact that turkey taco salad is considered to be a light, fresh, and easy dinner, it is flexible enough to feed all the family members, no matter how picky they may be!
Author: Beth
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing
- 1 avocado ($0.89)
- 1/2 cup sour cream ($0.24)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice ($0.50)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.20)
- 1/4 cup water ($0.00)
Taco Seasoned Turkey
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.08)
- 1 lb. ground turkey ($3.49)
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning* ($0.67)
Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce ($0.86)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.35)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.89)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes ($1.99)
- 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.18)
- 2 oz. shredded cheddar ($0.85)
Instructions
- The salad dressing should be made first so that it will blend the flavors. Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Place the avocado, sour cream, garlic, salt, lime juice, cilantro, and water in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Keep the dressing in the refrigerator until it is ready to be used.
- You’ll need to cook the taco seasoned turkey next. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the turkey. Once it’s hot, mix it in and cook, breaking it into pieces as it cooks. Stir and cook until the turkey is cooked through when you add the taco seasoning about half way through.
- In other words, you will need to thaw the frozen corn (I use my microwave for this). Then, you will need to wash and chop the romaine lettuce, rinse and drain the black beans, slice the grape tomatoes, slice the jalapeo, and shred the cheddar cheese.
- Build the salad by laying lettuce on the bottom of each bowl, adding beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, seasoned turkey, and jalapeo slices. Drizzle the creamy avocado dressing over the salad and serve.
Nutritional
Serving: 0.25 recipe ・ Calories: 476.45 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 37.55 g ・ Protein: 32.93 g ・ Fat: 23.2 g ・ Sodium: 1044.28 mg ・ Fiber: 11.95 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer .
Turkey Taco Salad Recipe – Step by Step Photos
It is important to make the avocado dressing first so that the flavors can blend a little more. Mix 1 avocado (peeled and pit removed), 1 cup of sour cream, 1 clove of garlic (minced), 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/4 bunches of cilantro, and 1 tablespoon water into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Store the dressing in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Using a large skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, then add one pound of ground turkey and break it up into pieces as the turkey cooks.
When it is about half-cooked, add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (or purchase one taco seasoning packet from the store) and continue cooking and stirring until the turkey has reached its fullest tenderness.
Make sure the taco meat has been cooked, seasoned, and set aside.
There is no need to prepare the details of the turkey at this point, you just need to prepare the rest of the toppings, such as rinsing and draining a 15-oz can of black beans, thawing 1 cup frozen corn (I used the microwave), slicing 1 pint of grape tomatoes in half, grating two ounces of cheddar, and slicing one jalapeo.
I would also recommend washing one head of Romaine lettuce and chopping it up into pieces. To begin building your salad, the chopped lettuce should be placed in the bottom of a large serving bowl (or you can create four smaller single-serving salads).
You can now add the toppings: corn, tomatoes, crumbled cheddar, and black beans to the tortilla bowl.
Top the tacos with turkey taco meat and jalapeo slices and garnish with fresh cilantro…
I would like to conclude by recommending that you drizzle your creamy avocado dressing over the top and enjoy!
As Apronese said, it only takes 10 minutes to cook a Turkey Taco Salad, whether you are a good housewife or not. Each region will have different recipes because of different seasoning and taste, do you have a different way of cooking, just let us know.
