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Ground turkey, quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes and Mexican spices all cooked together in just one skillet! This healthy and delicious Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet dinner will become your family’s favorite weeknight dinner.

mexican quinoa with melted cheese and chopped cilantro in a dark skillet
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Mexican Quinoa

This recipe is one of the most popular meals on this site. Danae from Recipe Runner shares this recipe for an easy one pot meal made with ground turkey. It tastes delicious served on it’s own or in tacos to create an easy turkey taco recipe. We know that you’re going to love this easy healthy meal!

This skillet dinner comes together in 30 to 40 minutes, making it a great weeknight dinner option. Combine a few spices and ingredients to create an easy Mexican quinoa skillet in one pan.

ingredients for turkey taco quinoa skillet on white tabletop

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Ground Turkey: You can substitute with ground chicken or beef, if desired.
  • Seasonings: Onion, garlic, diced green chilis, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper add the perfect amount of Mexican flavors.
  • Black Beans: You can omit or substitute with another type of bean.
  • Tomatoes: Use fire roasted tomatoes for best flavor. Standard diced tomatoes work too.
  • Corn: Use frozen or fresh corn kernels.
  • Salsa: Fresh or jarred salsa adds flavor. Use hot salsa for additional heat.
  • Quinoa: Use uncooked rinsed quinoa. Any variety works.
  • Cheese: Use a mixture of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. You can omit the cheese to make this dairy free.
  • Optional: Serve in taco shells and garnish with cilantro and sour cream.
cooking turkey taco quinoa in a skillet

How to Make Ground Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet

This easy skillet dinner cooks in one pan in 30 minutes!

  1. Cook the diced onion over medium heat in a skillet for about two minutes.
  2. Add the ground turkey and minced garlic.
  3. Once cooked, stir in the spices and green chiles and cook for one minute.
  4. Add the black beans, corn, quinoa and other ingredients.
  5. Simmer for about 25 minutes then sprinkle with cheese and serve.
  6. Serve this quinoa dinner it in tortillas as tacos or on top of your favorite greens. The entire meal can be prepped in advance too!

Make Ahead: This meal can be prepped in advance and works great as meal prep. Reheat leftovers just prior to serving.

Cooked turkey taco quinoa in a skillet with a wooden spoon

Variations

  • To make it dairy free, omit the cheese or use dairy free cheese.
  • Serve it in tortillas for tacos or on top of your favorite greens like a taco salad.
  • Add sautéed onions or mushrooms for additional texture and flavor.
  • Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice for additional flavor.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings like chopped avocado, diced cilantro, sour cream and fresh salsa.

Storing and Freezing

  • Storing: Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freezing: Store in a sealed air tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
  • Reheating: Warm leftovers in a skillet on a stove or microwave until warm. You can add a splash of water or vegetable broth when reheating.
Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet | This healthy and easy to make Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet dinner is a one pan wonder the whole family will love!

Healthy Meals with Ground Turkey

We love adding ground turkey to any meal. You can often substitute ground beef for turkey. Below are a few of our favorite healthy recipes that use ground turkey.

We know you’re going to love this Mexican Quinoa skillet with ground turkey and simple seasonings. It’s been tried and reviewed thousands of times and we hope you love it too.

cooked turkey taco quinoa in a skillet with a wooden spoon
4.98 from 89 votes

Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet

This Mexican Taco Quinoa skillet dinner is sure to become your family’s favorite weeknight dinner!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 1/2 pound lean ground turkey, (I use 99% lean)
  • 1/2 yellow onion,, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic,, minced
  • 4 ounce can diced green chilis
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper, , to taste
  • 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans,, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup jarred salsa
  • 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • cilantro, , for garnish

Instructions 

  • Spray a large skillet generously with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot add in the diced onion and cook for about 2 minutes until it starts to soften. Add in the ground turkey and minced garlic and cook until the meat is almost cooked through, breaking it up into crumbles with a spoon as it cooks. Stir in all the spices and the diced green chiles, cooking for another minute. Add in the black beans, corn, fire roasted tomatoes, salsa and quinoa, stirring until everything is combined.
  • When the mixture starts to bubble add in the water, cover the skillet with a lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked, it should still have a slight bite to it, but not be hard and crunchy.
  • Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and cover with the lid cooking until the cheese is melted. Serve as is, in tortillas for tacos, or on top of your favorite greens.

Video

Notes

STORAGE
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 245kcal, Carbohydrates: 28.5g, Protein: 19.3g, Fat: 6.6g, Saturated Fat: 3.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 33.5mg, Sodium: 475.9mg, Potassium: 323.8mg, Fiber: 6.5g, Sugar: 2.5g, Vitamin A: 390IU, Vitamin C: 6.1mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 3.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @spoonfulflavor or tag #spoonfulflavor!

This recipe was originally published by Danae of Recipe Runner in January 2016. It was updated with new process photos and tips in April 2021.

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102 Comments

  1. This is phenomenal! I used a whole pound of turkey and I didn’t have the can of roasted tomatoes, so I diced up some tomatoes and it worked out! Also had to sub red beans for the black beans. Such great flavor! Thank you!

  2. I make this at least twice a month. Last night I substituted ground chicken (I use a whole pound in the recipe, not half) for the turkey, and I used quick farro because I ran out of quinoa. I liked it even better! It’s a very versatile recipe. I often serve it with Smitten Kitchen’s sweet potato taco filling. It’s a great complement to these flavors. Thank you for the great recipe!

  3. Making it for a second time tonight! We adapt just a little, eliminating the corn and the cheese, to meet the dietary restrictions of my family and use Siete grain free almond four tortillas. Taco Tuesday (or Wednesday or Thursday…) has returned as another favorite night! It is simply DELICIOUS!!

  4. Very tasty! The whole family loved it. We ate on warmed corn tortillas with a little sour cream. It wasn’t too spicy either. Will definitely make again.

  5. This is one of our go-to recipes! Easy, a crowd pleaser, and fairly healthy too. We top it with Tabasco and plain Greek yogurt.

  6. This recipe was easy and delicious!  I made it for my meal prep and my husband could smell it and came to the kitchen to try it. He really liked it and I don’t usually feed him any of my prep meals.  It has a lot of great flavors and could be eaten on its own as well. However, very delicious in a tortilla!