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Turkey Taco Rice Skillet is a one pot dinner recipe with ground turkey, beans, corn, tomatoes, rice, and cheese that simmers in a seasoned beef broth base. Serve it topped with your favorite taco toppings for a family friendly dinner.
One Pan Ground Turkey Taco Rice Skillet Recipe
One pan skillet dinner recipes are some of my favorite meals to make. Easy prep, pantry type ingredients, and easy clean-up is the name of the game with skillet pan dinner recipe.
My family loves tacos so this turkey taco rice skillet is a fun change to traditional tacos. And I love that it’s made with ground turkey which is a healthier, leaner, and high protein option to ground beef.
This meal has all the typical taco ingredients like meat, corn, beans, rice, and tomatoes except it’s made in one pan all together. Even the rice cooks with everything.
For more taco inspired one pan recipes be sure and also make my One Pot Cheesy Taco Rice and Cheesy Chicken Taco Rice.
Ingredients Needed and Ingredient Notes & Tips
- Olive Oil : I use extra-virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil. You can use any neutral flavored oil such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil as well.
- Ground Turkey : I like using the 85/15 ground turkey but you could use leaner and go for the 93/7 or 96/4 for a really lean option. I prefer the flavor in the higher fat ground turkey.
- Sweet Onion : Other options are a yellow onion for mild flavor or a white onion if you want more of a zesty onion flavor.
- Beef Broth : I use full salted beef broth but you could use the lower-sodium versions if that’s what you prefer. Beef stock, beef broth, beef bone broth, or water + beef bouillon can all be used.
- Corn : Use your favorite canned corn; yellow, white, gold n’ white, southwestern, or fire roasted.
- Pinto Beans : Other options include black beans, navy beans, or light red kidney beans.
- Petite Diced Tomatoes : If you want some spice, use a can of Rotel or diced tomatoes with green chilies.
- Long Grain White Rice : No substitutes for this! Definitely do not use instant white rice or a short-grain rice. Use white long-grain rice.
- Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Kosher Salt, Coriander, Black Pepper : The dried seasonings needed for the skillet pan recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar : This can be optional but I recommend adding it. It rounds out the flavors and just makes the dish so much better.
- Shredded Cheese : Any cheese can be used! Any variety of cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp), Pepper Jack for spice, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, etc.
How To Make Turkey Taco Rice In One Pot (Printable Recipe Card)
In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, ground turkey, and finely diced onion. Cook and crumble until the meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
Add the beef broth, corn, pinto beans, petite diced tomatoes, dry long grain rice, and dried seasonings and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, cover the skillet pan with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 25 minutes (without removing the lid at all) until all the liquid is absorbed and no liquid remains in the pan.
Give it a nice stir and top it with the shredded cheese. Cover the pan with the lid and let the cheese melt for a few minutes.
Serve topped with your favorite taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado chunks or guacamole, sour cream, chopped cilantro, red onion, etc. You can top each serving with toppings or top the entire skillet pan with the toppings.
How To Store Leftovers
Store any leftovers, separate from the toppings, inside an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through, or you can reheat in a pan on the stove top until heated through. If needed, add a splash of water or broth when reheating to keep the leftovers (especially the rice) moist.
Serving Suggestions For Ground Turkey Taco Rice
- Top each serving of the taco rice with your favorite taco toppings. I love to set out bowls of different options, and the way everyone can create their own. We love shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo, chopped black olives, sour cream, guacamole or avocado chunks, warmed queso, and chopped cilantro. My kids also love drizzling this Cafe Rio Ranch over top of it.
- My kids love to scoop it up with tortilla chips or Fritos scoops corn chips.
- Serve the turkey taco rice inside of larger flour tortillas for burritos, or use smaller flour tortillas and make soft tacos out of the meal.
- Use the taco rice to make quesadillas out of it. Add some more shredded cheese between two flour tortillas, and toast it in a skillet pan until golden brown.
- Make oven baked taquitos from this recipe. Use smaller flour tortillas and add some taco rice in the center. Roll it up burrito style and place them on a cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake at 425 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes.
- Have a ‘make your own nacho bar’ night for dinner. Lay out the taco rice, tortilla chips, and whatever toppings you want – let everyone create their own nachos. You could even add some nacho cheese sauce or queso as a topping idea.
More Ground Turkey Dinner Recipes
- Ground Turkey Tacos (Ground Turkey Taco Meat)
- Ground Turkey Stroganoff
- BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joes
- Turkey Chili Taco Soup
- Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
- Turkey Taco Burrito Bowls
- Cheesy Taco Soup
- One Pot Turkey Chili Mac and Cheese
Turkey Taco Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey (I use 85/15)
- 1 sweet onion finely diced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
- 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup white long grain rice (dry, uncooked)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups shredded cheese (I use Colby Jack)
Instructions
- In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, ground turkey, and finely diced onion. Cook and crumble until the meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease from the pan.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 lb ground turkey, 1 sweet onion
- Add the beef broth, corn, pinto beans, petite diced tomatoes, dry long grain rice, and dried seasonings and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil.2 cups beef broth, 1 can (15 oz) corn, 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, 3/4 cup white long grain rice, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Once boiling, cover the skillet pan with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 25 minutes (without removing the lid at all) until all the liquid is absorbed and no liquid remains in the pan.
- Give it a nice stir and top it with the shredded cheese. Cover the pan with the lid and let the cheese melt for a few minutes.1½ cups shredded cheese
- Serve topped with your favorite taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado chunks or guacamole, sour cream, chopped cilantro, red onion, etc. You can top each serving with toppings or top the entire skillet pan with the toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
How would the cook time change for brown rice??
It would definitely have to cook much longer. Brown rice probably takes twice as long. I actually don’t cook with brown rice because my family won’t eat it, so I can’t say for sure what they changes would be. For sure it would cook longer and it may need a but more liquid so it does not dry out during the longer cook time. Sorry I can’t help more!
What is the serving size? As in, how many does it serve?
It serves 5 adults. Possibly more if you load each serving up with toppings. I will add that to the recipe. Thanks for catching that.
When do you add the cheese?
Sprinkle it on at the every end and cover with the lid to let the cheese melt. It should only take about 2-3 minutes.
Easy and fast. Great for reheating. Love stove top meals, no turning on the oven when it’s hot. Served with homemade salsa or taco sauce. Used corn on the cob that I had on hand. Took corn off the cobs for the leftovers.
Yummy! I love the one pot meals that don’t require tons of time and heat from the oven. Using fresh corn sounds amazing in this! I’ll have to try that.
Looks good. Could you freeze leftovers.
I think that would be fine. I’ve never done it so I can’t say for sure.
I’ve made this at leadt 10 times, sometimes subbing the turkey out for a sweet sausage, like chicken apple. It’s so good and easy!
This was delicious and so easy. I used a taco seasoning packet added a chopped up zucchini and a can of chipotle Rotel and it was tasty! My daughter loved it and it will be added to our weekly menu.
Great recipe! Easy enough that I could swap out the ingredients with what I had on hand, but still keep to the fundamental structure. Thank you!