These ground turkey tacos come together in 20 minutes with a handful of pantry spices and a fresh corn salsa made from corn, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro. The turkey cooks in tomatillo salsa for extra flavor, and the corn salsa comes together while the meat is on the stove. A fast, complete weeknight dinner that works year-round with fresh or frozen corn.

Overhead shot of tacos on parchement paper squares.

5 star review

“Tried these tonight and they were delicious!! The corn salsa was the perfect touch. And LOVED how quickly the whole meal came together.”

– JACKIE S.
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20-Minute Ground Turkey Tacos with Corn Salsa

So you know I’m known for developing flavor-packed, time-saving dinner recipes that are easy to prep and use minimal ingredients and my turkey tacos with sweet corn salsa fit the bill. I came up with these delicious turkey tacos on a night when I didn’t feel like cooking (ditto my weeknight walking taco casserole, which you should def try next).

I knew I couldn’t handle anything complicated in the kitchen, but I didn’t want to cave to take-out either. Nights like this are the reason I try to keep the fridge and pantry well-stocked, because you truly can throw together a delicious meal with just a few pantry and fridge/freezer staples! On this particular night, I was relieved to find ground turkey and tortillas in the freezer, along with sweet summer corn in the produce drawer.

From these simple ingredients, I was able to throw these wholesome, flavorful ground turkey tacos together. I love the way that jarred green salsa adds so much flavor with so little effort, and the way the sweet corn salsa makes this meal feel special even though it only takes a few minutes to throw together. I do also love my ground turkey enchiladas for another super flavorful dinner with ground turkey, so be sure to check that one out next!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Easy Ground Turkey Tacos

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of a variety of containers with the following ingredients: raw ground turkey, garlic powder, salt, oil, corn kernels, green salsa, diced onions, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, corn tortillas.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of raw ground turkey in a skillet with salt, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.
Cook turkey with oil and spices.
Overhead shot of a skillet with browned ground turkey with green salsa added and a wooden spoon sticking out.
Add salsa and warm through.
Overhead shot of a ceramic bowl with corn, salt, cilantro, diced red onion and a white spoon sticking out.
Make corn salsa.
Close up shot of tacos on parchment paper squares.
Serve on tortillas with toppings of choice.

Testing Notes for Flavorful Ground Turkey Tacos

  • Use tomatillo salsa, not red salsa. I recommend jarred salsa verde here because the tangy, green flavor works better with the corn salsa topping than a tomato-based sauce. Look for it in the salsa aisle or refrigerated section.
  • Don’t skip browning the turkey! Cook it over medium heat without stirring for the first few minutes to get some color on the meat. This adds flavor that you won’t get if you stir constantly from the start.
  • Frozen corn works just as well as fresh. When I tested this with frozen defrosted corn, the corn salsa was just as good as with fresh. No need to cook it, just defrost, drain, and stir together with the other salsa ingredients.
  • Make the corn salsa while the turkey cooks. The salsa only takes about 5 minutes to stir together, so you can make it in a bowl at the same time the turkey is on the stove, which means everything finishes at the same time.
  • Char the tortillas for better flavor. If you have a gas stove, place corn tortillas directly over a low flame for 20 to 30 seconds per side until lightly charred. It makes a noticeable difference in the final taco!
Overhead shot of tacos on parchement paper squares surrounded by a bottle of sparkling water, hot sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Overhead shot of tacos on parchement paper squares.
5 stars (6 ratings)

Ground Turkey Tacos (with Corn Salsa)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
These ground turkey tacos come together in 20 minutes and are topped with a fresh corn salsa for a healthy, family-friendly weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients

For the Tacos:

  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lb ground dark meat turkey
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon mild chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
  • 8 corn tortillas, warmed

For the Corn Salsa

  • 1 ½ cups corn kernels, frozen, defrosted or cut off 2 ears fresh corn
  • ¼ red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Make the Taco Meat: In a large skillet 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the turkey and sprinkle with the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until no longer pink and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Make the Corn Salsa: While the turkey is cooking, combine the corn kernels, red onion, lime juice, salt, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
  • To serve, add a few spoonfuls of the turkey onto each tortilla. Top with corn salsa and and other toppings you like.

Notes

  • Guac is so good as a topper, but sour cream and cheese are lovely additions as well.
  • Any tortilla works here! If using corn just make sure they are warmed first to avoid tearing.
Course: dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Mexican

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (2 tacos per serving), Calories: 376kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 573mg, Potassium: 512mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 457IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

 

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