Turkey taco bake is a hardy, filling, delicious dinner. Everything you love about tacos and enchiladas is baked together in a casserole dish. Using packaged ingredients like canned beans, chilies, tomatoes, and packed flour tortillas makes it easy to have dinner ready in about an hour.
This dish could be described as Mexican lasagna. Both are saucy and cheesy. Flour tortillas replace the lasagna noodles. The meat sauce, beans, and tortillas are layered, much like the meat, cheese, and pasta of classic lasagna.
Taco bake is warm and comforting, especially now as it is still chilly outside. I am so ready for spring!
Elements
Lean Ground Turkey: Ground turkey substitutes for the more traditional ground beef. I love ground turkey in these enchiladas.
Vegetables: I try to incorporate veggies into all our meals. For this dish, I used a combination of onions, ripe bell peppers, and zucchini.
Refried Beans: Canned refried beans add flavor and a creamy element to the taco bake. The canned variety is so convenient to use in recipes. I freeze the remaining refried beans for another use.
Diced Green Chilies: Canned chilies are available in mild and hot varieties. I always buy the mild ones as I typically use them with other spicy ingredients. You will also find canned jalapeños, which will be quite spicy.
Canned Diced Tomatoes: I like to buy salt-free varieties to control the amount of sodium.
Chili Powder & Cumin: These classic Mexican-inspired spices will make the taco back flavorful and delicious.
Salt: Salt enhances the flavors. With all the canned ingredients along with the salsa, you shouldn’t need much.
Cayenne Pepper: Adds spicy flavor.
Flour Tortillas: We always use burrito-sized tortillas for tacos, fajitas, and enchiladas. They work well in the 8×8 pan. The tortillas are cut into strips and layered within the taco bake.
Salsa: Use any salsa you have on hand. Mild, medium, or hot salsa will work depending on your preference. We enjoy a medium to hot salsa.
Mexican Cheese: I think cheese makes just about everything better! Shredded Mexican cheese is layered within and over the top of the taco bake.
Cilantro: Cilantro provides color and fresh flavor.
Avocado: Creamy avocado is a nice contrast to the spicy flavors of the taco bake.
Preparation
Preheat the oven.
Add the turkey and veggies to a large skillet. Stir, breaking up the meat as the turkey and vegetables cook.
Add the spices along with the chilies and the diced tomatoes. This mixture serves as the sauce for the taco bake.
Spread a layer of the turkey-tomato mixture along the bottom of the pan. Next, spread about one-third of a cup of refried beans on top of the turkey mixture. Then add a sprinkle of cheese and four of the tortilla strips.
Similar to making a pan of lasagna, you will repeat this process three more times. Finally, the salsa and one more layer of cheese will be sprinkled along the top.
Bake for 30 minutes until hot, bubbling, and the cheese is melted and browned. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve turkey taco bake with cilantro and avocado.
Enjoy!
Turkey Taco Bake
Ingredients
- ½ pound lean ground turkey
- 1½ cups vegetables chopped onions, peppers, zucchini
- ½ lb lean ground turkey
- 1 can diced green chilies
- 1 cup diced tomatoes drained
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup refried beans (½ of a 16 oz can)
- 2 flour tortillas cut into 1″ strips
- ½ cup salsa
- 2 cups Mexican cheese shredded
- cilantro chopped, for serving
- avocado sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Spray an 8″ square casserole pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Add a drizzle of oil to a large skillet and place over medium high heat. Once hot, add the ground turkey and the chopped vegetables. Stir occasionally, breaking up the turkey into small pieces. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
- Add the diced green chilies to the turkey, along with the diced tomatoes. Stir well and continue to cook until turkey is completely done and remove from heat.
- Spread a thin layer of the ground turkey mixture at the bottom of your casserole pan. Top with a layer of refried beans, a sprinkle of cheese and four of the tortilla strips. Repeat this process three times until all of the ground turkey has been used. After laying on your last four tortilla strips, spread the salsa over top along with remaining cheese.
- Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Cheese will be melted and bubbling. When casserole comes out of the oven, let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with cilantro and sliced avocado.