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Ground Turkey Enchilada Skillet with black beans, rice (or grated vegetables), enchilada sauce and cheese makes a hearty and delicious goof-proof meal that’s ready in 40 minutes or less. Mix it up with your favorite additions for winning busy weeknight dinners the whole family will love!
My fellow Mexican food lovers, this easy approach to enchiladas is so tasty and simple to prepare, albeit completely inauthentic.
We simply sauté up some veggies, add in some rice to take the place of tortillas, mix in our own enchilada sauce concoction and sprinkle the whole thing with shredded cheese for an epic gooey flavor fest that is high in protein and low in fuss.
All we need is one large skillet and some fresh ingredients and we’re ready to party!
The way I see it, this easy dinner recipe is perfect for busy weeknights because it can be prepared at a moment’s notice. It is also versatile in the sense that you can swap various ingredients in or out.
For instance, the first time I made this recipe, I prepared it using riced sweet potatoes (sweet potatoes that I had grated through a food processor) instead of rice. You can also use cauliflower rice, grated zucchini, and more depending on your tastes and dietary needs. I love that it’s a complete meal that requires hardly any effort and just a few minutes of prep time.
The simple ingredients for this one-pan meal can be found at any grocery store!
Ingredient Notes:
Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the vegetables, avocado oil is a great high smoke point cooking oil for cooking at high temperatures.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Here for a big infusion of flavor, onion and garlic creates a lovely backdrop.
Bell Peppers: Choose one large red bell pepper or green bell pepper, or use two small bell peppers. Bell peppers add a naturally sweet and smoky flavor.
Lean Ground Turkey: The protein source here, ground turkey makes this a filling meal for a hearty dinner. You can also use ground beef or ground chicken if you prefer.
Cooked Rice: Here for a balance of carbohydrates and to soak up the saucy goodness of the enchilada sauce. Either brown rice or white rice works. You’ll need about 3 cups of cooked rice, which is the equivalent of cooking 1 cup of dry rice.
Black Beans: Adds fiber, texture, and tasty bean goodness to the meal. Swap out the black beans for garbanzo beans or pinto beans if you prefer.
Grated Cheese: Pick your favorite brand of melting cheese to act as the cheesy topping to your enchilada skillet. I use a combination of Monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese. Colbyjack cheese or pepper jack cheese are also great options.
Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:
Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste: The base of the homemade enchilada sauce is tomato sauce and tomato paste. This provides a sour, tangy flavor and a little thickness for a hearty sauce.
Chicken Broth: Used to thin out the sauce a little.
Chili Powder: A blend of garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and cumin, chili powder gives classic taco flavor to everything it touches.
These spices are customary in enchilada sauce, so using chili powder decreases the amount of individual spices we must use. Use taco seasoning instead if it’s what you have on hand.
Ground Cumin: A little extra cumin gives warmth to the dish.
Sea Salt: Add salt to your personal taste so that the enchilada skillet turns out nice and flavorful.
Recipe Customizations:
- Swap out the homemade enchilada sauce for 1.5 cans (15 ounces each) of store-bought red enchilada sauce, green enchilada sauce, or 3 cups of salsa verde.
- Add in up to 5 ounces of baby spinach (or your favorite veggies) for an infusion of fresh vegetables.
- Skip the cheese if you’re dairy-free. You’ll still end up with a magically flavorful meal!
- Rather than using rice, cut 5-6 corn tortillas or 2-3 flour tortillas into strips or chunks and mix them into the dish. Bake in the oven until the corn tortilla strips have absorbed much of the liquid.
- Add in one 7-ounce can of green chiles if you enjoy the flavor of green enchilada sauce.
- Save some time by swapping 3 cups of rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey from Thanksgiving for the ground turkey.
How to Make Ground Turkey Enchilada Skillet:
Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, minced garlic, and chopped bell peppers and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Transfer the ground turkey meat to the skillet and use a spatula to break it into smaller chunks. Brown the meat for 4-5 minutes, or until it is mostly cooked through.
Add the cooked rice (or vegetable rice/grated veggies) and black beans and stir well.
Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, chili powder, ground cumin and sea salt. Stir well until everything is combined. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Uncover the skillet and sprinkle the grated cheese over the skillet and place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and is slightly golden brown. You can also broil for 3-4 minutes to make the cheese a deeper golden brown.
Serve with or without warm corn tortillas or tortilla chips and your favorite toppings such as fresh cilantro, sour cream, chopped green onions, black olives, and avocado.
Storage Options:
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
If you’re looking for more one-skillet meals, also try out these reader favorites.
More One-Skillet Meals:
- Easy One-Skillet Zucchini Lasagna
- One-Skillet Ground Turkey Thai Curry with Rice
- Mexican Ground Beef and Cauliflower
- Thai Zucchini and Chicken Skillet
- Mediterranean Ground Turkey Rice Skillet
Ground Turkey Enchilada Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 large red or green bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 2 to 3 cups cooked rice, *
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can can tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
For Serving:
- 1 bunch green onion, chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, minced garlic, and chopped bell peppers and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer the ground turkey meat to the skillet and use a spatula to break it into smaller chunks. Brown the meat for 4-5 minutes, or until it is mostly cooked through.
- Add the cooked rice (or vegetable rice/grated veggies) and black beans and stir well. I recommend starting with 2 cups of cooked rice, then adding more after adding the sauce if it appears as though you would like more rice. Tailor the amount to your personal taste.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, chili powder, ground cumin and sea salt. Stir well until everything is combined. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Uncover the skillet and sprinkle the grated cheese over the skillet and place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted and turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165º.
- Serve with or without warm corn tortillas with fresh cilantro, green onion, and avocado.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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