These super tasty ground turkey tacos take just 20-minutes to make, and are full of simple, yet super-flavorful, fresh ingredients. Paired with a ultra-fast homemade sweet corn salsa, this is a last minute dinner idea that will fill you up without weighing you down!

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.

Ground Turkey Tacos, But with a Summertime Twist

I’m known for developing flavor-packed, time-saving dinner recipes that are easy to prep and use minimal ingredients and these 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.

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 bell peppers and corn in the produce drawer. From these simple ingredients, I was able to throw these wholesome, flavorful tacos together.

Visual Guide: Let’s Make Ground Turkey Tacos

Jump to Recipe Instructions

Easy Dinner Tip

Need another easy dinner idea? You’ve gotta try this 6-ingredient slow cooker chicken taco chili recipe. It’s always a hit in our house.

Timesaving Tips & Tricks

In the interest of time and cleanup, I only used one pan to prepare the filling for these tacos. Ground turkey (you could use ground chicken or turkey) is sautéed with some simple seasonings and then enhanced with some fresh salsa, and then stuffed into warm corn tortillas. The tacos are topped with a fast seasonal salsa of fresh corn, a little red onion, lime juice, and cilantro and dinner is done! While making the corn salsa may seem like too much effort, I promise that it is worth the little bit of effort required to make it. However, if you’re really pressed for time feel free to skip it in favor of store-bought salsa.

Overhead shot of a ceramic bowl with corn salsa and a white spoon sticking out.

Ingredients & Substitutions 

Ground dark turkey meat: I prefer dark meat ground turkey, but 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 also work.

Cumin: Ground cumin is so delicious in this recipe. Together with the mild chili powder, garlic powder and lime juice it also helps to create the Mexican-inspired flavors we know & love in a good fish taco.

Mild chili powder: This dish is not spicy, the mild chili powder adds a lot of flavor for not much extra effort in this dish. For more heat, use a spicy chili powder.

Garlic powder: I love the ease and convenience of using granulated garlic powder in this recipe, and highly recommend it as a shortcut ingredient if you’re looking to keep this dish under 30 minutes. But if you prefer, you can also use fresh minced garlic in its place. 

Tomatillo salsa: Sometimes called salsa verde, look for jarred green salsa in the salsa section or refrigerated section of your grocery store.

Corn tortillas: Charred corn tortillas are our family’s go-to taco wrap of choice, but you could also use wheat tortillas, grain-free tortillas, gluten free tortillas, or even lettuce wraps in their place.

Corn: While fresh sweet corn is a delicious option in the summer months (when it’s in season and easy to find), frozen and defrosted corn works just as great in its place.

Overhead shot of tacos on parchement paper squares surrounded by a bottle of sparkling water, hot sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Want to Make it Ahead?

Turkey tacos with sweet corn salsa keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. This cooked turkey meat also freezes well. Store in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.

This Recipe Is…

Overhead shot of tacos on parchement paper squares.
5 stars (6 ratings)

Summer Ground Turkey Tacos (with Sweet Corn Salsa!)

These super tasty ground turkey tacos take just 20-minutes to make, and are full of simple, yet super-flavorful, fresh ingredients. Paired with a ultra-fast homemade sweet corn salsa, this is a easy dinner idea that will fill you up without weighing you down!

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
  • cup chopped cilantro

Optional Serving Suggestions:

Instructions 

  • 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.
  • 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

See blog post, above, for substitution suggestions, storage, and more. 

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 2 tacos per serving), Calories: 376kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, 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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