This ground turkey enchiladas recipe is a delicious and wholesome meal that’s easy to make and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or as a make ahead meal. It’s a time saving dinner idea that uses just a handful of ingredients and is sure to be a new family favorite!

An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking pan with cooked enchiladas topped with enchilada sauce, melted cheese, avocado slices, jalapeño slices, and cilantro on a white background with a white and blue stripped napkin, wooden spoon, and a bunch of a cilantro.

5 star review

“These enchiladas were fabulous! Easy to make and so flavorful. Wish I would have made a double batch to store some in the freezer for another Mexican night!”

– June
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These Ground Turkey Enchiladas are a Weeknight Win!

I love a really hearty meal that comes together quickly, and the whole family will love, and this ground turkey enchilada casserole is just that! Enchiladas are a great make-ahead and time saver if you want to do batch cooking, which is why I love creating recipes like these (hello easy chicken enchiladas!). To mix things up, this version of enchiladas features ground turkey, which is a super quick and easy protein to cook up (as evidenced by my 30-minute turkey taco skillet)! I also love that these wholesome enchiladas are super filling, protein-packed, and not heavy.

Using flavorful homemade enchilada sauce (or store bought), canned black beans, turkey, a few spices, and cheese, this recipe is truly simple but doesn’t sacrifice on flavor. And the best thing is you can totally switch things up with different ground meat, your favorite cheeses, or the beans or tortillas you have on hand. However you make this recipe, don’t forget about all the toppings (I share some of my favorite easy topping ideas later in this post!)!

Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Ground Turkey Enchiladas

Jump to Recipe Instructions
An overhead shot of various containers with the following ingredients: cheese, raw ground turkey, enchilada sauce, black beans, onions, and spices. There is also a stack of flour tortillas.
Gather ingredients.
An overhead shot of a white skillet with cooked down diced onions.
Cook down the onions until translucent.
An overhead shot of a white skillet with cooked ground beef.
Cook the ground turkey with seasonings.
An overhead shot of a white skillet with cooked ground beef, black beans, and red enchilada sauce.
Add the beans and enchilada sauce
An overhead shot of a white skillet with cooked ground beef, black beans, red enchilada sauce, and shredded cheese.
Add the cheese and mix to combine.
An overhead shot of a enchilada rolling station. There is a white skilled with turkey-bean mixture, a small container with shredded cheese, a small container with enchilada sauce, a stack of tortillas, and a white baking pan half filled with rolled enchiladas.
Add turkey-bean mixture to the tortillas & roll. Place in baking dish with enchilada sauce.
An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking pan filled with rolled enchiladas topped with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
Top with enchilada sauce and cheese and bake.
An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking pan with cooked enchiladas topped with enchilada sauce, melted cheese, avocado slices, jalapeño slices, and cilantro on a white background with a white and blue stripped napkin.
Serve with toppings of your choice.

Testing Notes

In testing I found that flour tortillas worked best since the ground turkey is drier and flour tortillas offer the best texture. However, I also tested this recipe with 50/50 flour and corn tortillas, as well as corn tortillas with success. If using warmed flour tortillas, no need to dip tortillas in enchilada sauce first, however, if using corn tortillas you may need to dip them to keep them from tearing.

You can also customize this recipe by using different types of meat or vegetables. You can replace the ground turkey with ground beef, and if you have shredded chicken, I recommend this easy chicken enchilada recipe that uses shredded chicken. If you want to bulk up this recipe even more, and up the veggies, feel free to add peppers, corn, or zucchini for extra flavor and texture.

Time Saving Tips & Tricks

While the ingredient list may seem longer than usual, this recipe actually comes together quickly, and there are some tricks that can make it even easier! I love leaning on my homemade enchilada sauce, which I keep, however, you can use a good store-bought red enchilada sauce in a pinch. Just make sure the enchilada sauce is not too spicy if your family isn’t a fan of spice. For the cheese, I do prefer shredding my own cheese, but pre-shredded cheese is just fine and will save you time and effort. And one of my favorite time-saving hacks is to make one full recipe and divide it into two smaller pans. Bake one and freeze the other for a quick homemade meal for busy nights.

An overhead shot of a white plate with a fork and a rectangular slice of enchiladas topped with avocado. The plate is on a white background and is surrounded by a bunch of cilantro, a white and blue striped napkin, and the pan of enchiladas.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Ground turkey: I used 93% lean ground turkey, you can use an even leaner ground turkey if you like but it will be drier, less tender and less flavorful. Ground chicken or ground beef would also work great in this recipe.
  • Cumin: Together with the garlic powder and chili powder, the earthy flavor of the cumin creates the delicious flavor for these enchiladas.
  • Garlic powder: I like the ease of using granulated garlic powder in this recipe, but if you prefer fresh minced garlic you can substitute 2 minced garlic cloves in its place.
  • Chili powder: If you don’t like spicy food, use mild chili powder. And if you like spice use a hot chili powder and top with your favorite hot sauce.
  • Black beans: Pinto beans or kidney beans can be used instead of black beans.
  • Enchilada sauce: I used 1 batch of my easy homemade red enchilada sauce but you could also use a 15-ounce can of store bought enchilada sauce. Choose one that’s gluten-free if that’s important to you.
  • Shredded Mexican cheese blend: This is typically a blend of four cheeses – including Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero cheeses. So it’s a great shortcut ingredient. You could also use just all of one type of cheese that you like, for instance all Monterey Jack cheese.
  • Flour tortillas: I prefer the flavor and texture of flour tortillas in this recipe, but corn tortillas will also work. Make sure to dip corn tortillas in the enchilada sauce before rolling to prevent cracking.

Make It Gluten & Dairy Free

For a gluten free version, use corn tortillas or gluten free tortillas, and if using a store-bought enchilada sauce, make sure it’s gluten free. For a dairy free version, use your favorite dairy free cheddar cheese.

This Recipe Is…

An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking pan with cooked enchiladas topped with enchilada sauce, melted cheese, avocado slices, jalapeño slices, and cilantro on a white background with a white and blue stripped napkin, wooden spoon, and a bunch of a cilantro.
4.95 stars (17 ratings)

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

by Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 5 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
This ground turkey enchiladas recipe is a delicious and healthy meal that’s easy to make and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or as a make ahead meal. It’s a time saving main course that uses just a handful of ingredients and is sure to be a new family favorite!
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Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
  • ½  teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • ½  teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
  • 2 cups mild red enchilada sauce
  • 10 (8-inch) small flour tortillas, warmed

Optional Serving Suggestions

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat the oven to 350F.
  • Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook on medium low until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the ground turkey, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt as well as the cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Break the turkey apart into small pieces and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the beans and 1 cup enchilada sauce, stirring to combine. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then add ¾ cup cheese, stirring to combine.
  • Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, then spread ¼ cup enchilada sauce over the bottom. 
  • Add a heaping ⅓ cup of the turkey-bean mixture to a warmed tortilla. Roll and place in the prepared casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and turkey-bean mixture.
  • Pour over the remaining ¾ cup enchilada sauce, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining ¾ cup cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce begins to bubble along the sides. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
  • Serve with toppings of your choice.

Notes

See blog post, above, for substitution suggestions including dairy free and gluten free, storage, and more. 
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 5), Calories: 317kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 99mg, Sodium: 750mg, Potassium: 258mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 960IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 250mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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