Turkey Taco Salad for the Table

Turkey Taco Salad has seasoned ground turkey, veggies, and salsa over lettuce, finished with toppings and a creamy cilantro dressing.

Nutritious Turkey Taco Salad

Mix ground turkey with tons of healthy ingredients — plenty of vegetables, seasonings, beans, and salsa– and you’ve created an unforgettable salad. Add in your other taco salad favorites (mine are Cheddar cheese, tortilla strips, lots of avocado, fresh lime, and plenty of cilantro), drizzle with an straightforward 5-minute blender dressing that is amazing, and you are on your way to one of the best ever taco salads!

Turkey Taco Salad toppers

• Taco turkey meat: Cook the ground turkey with diced onion, pepper, and garlic to infuse lots of flavor. We also add in a packet of taco seasoning or a from-scratch taco seasoning blend (see below).
• Beans: Black beans, dark red kidney beans, or chili beans all taste great in this salad.
• Salsa: mix in either salsa or picante sauce with the ground turkey and bean mixture. The salsa ensures plenty of flavor and seasoning, as well as moisture for the ground turkey.
• Cherry tomatoes: Quarter or halve cherry tomatoes for a juicy, sweet topping. I like using heirloom cherry tomatoes for even more flavor and variety.
• Red onion: If you like raw red onion in a taco salad, use that instead of the yellow onion called for in the recipe. Use half of the red onion in the ground turkey mixture (instead of the yellow onion) and use the rest to top the salad.
• Avocado: A ripe, thinly sliced or chopped avocado adds a nice creaminess to the salad. A big scoop of guacamole is a great alternative.
• Cheddar cheese: home cooks enjoy a handful of freshly grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese to the salad. A light sprinkle of cotija cheese or queso cotija would also be satisfying.
• Tortilla strips: Either from-scratch or store-bought tortilla strips add a nice crunch and if they’re seasoned, a nice additional flavor to the salad.
• Fresh lime: home cooks enjoy a few squeezes of fresh lime over everything; it adds freshness and brightness to the salad.
• More cilantro: Use full leaves or chop up some leftover cilantro (from the dressing) to add to this salad. Alternatively, thinly sliced scallions or green onions would work well.
• Corn: Frozen (and thawed) corn or corn cut off the cob makes another fun addition to Turkey Taco Salad.

from-scratch taco seasoning

To keep the prep on this chicken taco salad easier, I use a packet of taco seasoning for the ground turkey. If I’ve got extra time I’ll whip up a quick taco seasoning (and honestly, there is no comparison between from-scratch vs. packet!).

Here’s the recipe for that:

• 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
• 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, ground paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon each: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon beef bouillon powder (skippable)

Stir the seasonings together and use in place of the taco seasoning packet when cooking the ground turkey.

Quick Tip

When you’re mixing the seasonings together to make from-scratch taco seasoning, create an assembly line and fill several small plastic bags. Now you’ll have from-scratch taco seasoning whenever you need it. That’s really saving time!

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

We’re obsessed with this dressing and use it often! It’s the reliable complement to Turkey Taco Salad. A few notes on the dressing:

• It is worth making it in advance so it has a chance to chill. The flavors intensify and meld together as this dressing chills.
• Don’t forget to season: The ranch seasoning adds a good amount of salt, but make sure to test the dressing and see if it needs any more.
• check the seasoning and adjust: While we’re talking about seasoning this dressing, don’t forget to check the seasoning and adjust the dressing to personal preference. I’ll often add in more cilantro since home cooks enjoy it.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, use sour cream instead. Low-fat or fat-free sour cream works great.

Turkey Taco Salad Tips

• Roll the romaine lettuce into thin cigars and thinly slice. Chop the thin slices to get thin, short ribbons of lettuce. This gives the lettuce more surface area for the dressing to coat and makes the salad easier to eat.
• Wash lettuce and make sure to dry thoroughly. There’s nothing that ruins a salad quicker than wet lettuce! Use a salad spinner, if you have one, to ensure the lettuce is 100% dry before adding anything else.
• Use a ripe avocado — it makes all the difference in adding a creamy element to this turkey taco salad. How to test if an avocado is ripe: If an avocado yields to firm gentle pressure (shouldn’t give in too easily) you know it’s ripe and ready to eat.

Storage

Turkey Taco Salad leftovers

• Once dressed, this salad doesn’t keep well. Only dress what you’ll eat the same day. Store the dressing, salad, and avocado separately since avocado browns quickly.
• Turn leftovers into a wrap: warm a tortilla, add reheated turkey filling, cheese, lettuce, and sauce, then roll up and enjoy.
• Make Ahead: Prep all components in advance and assemble before serving. Keep dressing in the fridge and shake before using. Slice avocado just before serving.

More satisfying Salad Recipes:

Salads

BBQ Chicken Salad

Salads

Strawberry Salad

Salads

Panzanella Recipe

Fruit Salads

Peach Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion (diced, 1/2 large onion, see note 1)
• 1 cup diced bell peppers (2 small or 1 large)
• 2 teaspooons minced garlic
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 packet taco seasoning (see note 2)
• 1 cup salsa (or picante sauce)
• 1 (15-ounce) can chili beans in mild sauce (or black beans or kidney beans; leave chili beans undrained; kidney/black beans need to be rinsed and drained)
• Salt (to taste)
• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce (washed and dried completely)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• Toppings as desired (see note 3)
• 1 large lime
• 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix (not prepared)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 garlic clove)
• 1 tomatillo (1/2 cup, husk removed and coarsely chopped)
• 1/2 of 1 bunch fresh cilantro (1/2 cup, tightly packed)
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeño
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Salt

Method

1. Zest and juice lime to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 2 and 1/2 tablespoons juice. Add to a blender along with dry ranch seasoning mix, minced garlic, chopped tomatillo, and cilantro (I take a large bunch, separate it in half, and twist to rip out half (stems are fine!), jalapeno, mayo, and buttermilk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend until completely smooth. check the seasoning and adjust to personal preference (more lime, cilantro, garlic, salt/pepper). Chill in the fridge to allow flavors to meld and intensify while making the salad.
2. In a large pan over medium-a hot burner, add olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add diced onion, diced pepper, and garlic. Stir occasionally for 5–7 minutes or until tender; reduce heat if anything is burning. Add ground turkey and taco seasoning and cook another 5–7 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink, breaking up turkey as you cook. mix in salsa and beans and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and remove from heat.
3. Divide lettuce evenly among plates or bowls or one large salad plate. Add fresh cilantro. Top with the taco turkey mixture and add your favorite toppings! I suggest freshly grated Cheddar cheese, avocado, lime, chopped tomatoes, and tortilla strips. Drizzle the dressing over the salads and enjoy immediately. Do not assemble any salads that won’t be enjoyed immediately; if you want leftovers, store lettuce, taco meat, and toppings separately.