Turkey Tacos Picadillo

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 1 hr
  • Prep: 25 min
  • Cook: 35 min
Picadillo, a Latin American classic, is typically made with beef, but juicy turkey stands in well here. Scented with cumin and chili powder, the filling for these crunchy tacos is sweet and savory.
Advertisement

Ingredients

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes

3/4 pound ground turkey

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Oil, for frying

12 (5-inch) corn tortillas, preferably white, or prepared taco shells

Toppings:

1/4 head romaine or iceberg, thinly sliced

3 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and diced

1 to 2 Hass avocados, diced

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

  1. Put the oil, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and spices in a medium skillet, season with salt and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes and boil to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the turkey and chicken broth, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the turkey is cooked through and the mixture thickens but is not dry, about 12 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover.
  2. To make the taco shells: Pour enough frying oil into a small skillet so it's about 3/4 of an inch deep; heat over medium to medium-high. Holding 1 edge of a tortilla with tongs, lay the other half in the oil, keeping it flat with a spatula. Cook until crisp, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the tortilla over and repeat with the other half, holding the first side of the tortilla at an angle to make an open shell, cook for about 1 minute more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  3. Put the fixings and meat in individual bowls and the taco shells on a platter. Serve, encouraging your diners to build their own tacos, with meat in the shell and the fixings on top.

Let's Get Cooking!

Sign up for the Recipe of the Day newsletter to receive editor-picked recipes,tips and videos delivered to your inbox daily. Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing to the Recipe of the Day newsletter. Check out all our other great newsletters from Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas and Chef Recipe Videos.

We're sorry, there was an error signing you up. Please try again later.

Advertisement

Su L.

I make this all the time. It’s delicious. I change a couple of things: 1 teaspoon of chili powder- not the 1-1/2 tablespoons called for. I use a can of rotel tomatoes with green chiles in place of the can of diced tomatoes and jalapeño. It works beautifully and is tasty but not too spicy.

See All Reviews