Healthy Turkey Taco Quinoa and Black Bean Skillet (25 Minutes)
- March 3, 2022
- Updated: June 10, 2026
- 6 Comments
This turkey taco quinoa skillet is an easy, gluten-free, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly. Made with cheese, quinoa, ground turkey, black beans, veggies, these ground turkey quinoa bowls will be a new favorite!
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Reviews are in, and this quinoa ground turkey skillet meal is a family favorite. At least in our house and throughout the neighborhood. And if you’re looking for a healthy dinner with ground turkey, this is it.
The best part is that it’s made in 20 minutes and is a one pan dinner, like my favorite cheesy beef taco pasta. Busy families need more dinners made in one pan – you can’t underestimate the ease of less prep and cleaning.
This cheesy taco skillet with ground turkey and quinoa is just that. Much of the ease comes from our canned products of corn, beans and tomatoes, which we always have stocked as our pantry staples. And the ground turkey cooks quickly!
When I was testing this ground turkey and quinoa recipe, I wanted to use pantry staples and I wanted something quick. I love the “throw everything into a bowl” recipe and this one was such a success!
This ground turkey quinoa bowl is a little different spin on our Cottage Cheese Taco Bowls and Turkey burger bowls, but another great gluten-free option!
Reader Review
“Delicious and was so easy to make. We also added some extra spices and beans to ours.”
Christin
The idea for quinoa taco meat never came to me until testing this recipe. I figured I’d add cooked quinoa because it’s so fluffy and it meshed SO WELL with the ground turkey and flavors here.
This turkey quinoa recipe quickly became a house favorite and healthy one pot meal for families. My sister in law makes it for kids all the time, and has told me it’s a GO-TO meal that they’ll actually eat!
My three kids enjoy it too, especially when served with tortilla chips or in a taco, soft or hard! In my opinion, it’s one of the better quinoa recipes for toddlers.
Why You’ll Love Ground Turkey Quinoa Bowl
- Easy ingredients – The ingredients are versatile and can easily be modified or swapped. No ground turkey on hand? Leave it out or substitute with ground chicken or ground beef. You can even serve it wrapped in a wrap or tortilla, or stuffed into peppers. This is one of our favorite Thursday night dinners, before we’re out of food for the week and we either plan to eat out or make a grocery trip.
- Healthy and filling – This ground turkey quinoa bowl is full of fiber and protein from the quinoa, beans and veggies, which will keep you nice and full.
- Uses canned veggies – Canned black beans, canned tomatoes and canned corn star in this turkey quinoa bowl, which is why it’s so important to stock your pantry!
- Ready in 20 minutes – Don’t underestimate how great this taco quinoa skillet can be on a busy weeknight. Ground turkey cooks quickly and can cook while the quinoa is boiling, in about 8 minutes. Canned black beans, tomatoes and corn are ready to add instantaneously.
Ingredients for Turkey Taco Quinoa Skillet
Just a few basic ingredients that turn into a delicious family meal!
Serve with any toppings and sauces of your choice (guacamole, avocado, tortilla chips, salsa, extra cheese), it is fully personalizable!
This ground turkey taco skillet can be as simplistic as you want or need it to be – just like our popular sweet potato and turkey skillet.
How to Make a Cheesy Turkey Taco Skillet with Quinoa
Don’t let the quinoa throw you off. You’re just adding it cooked. So, if you have leftover quinoa from another recipe, this is a great way to use it, too!
Up until this point, I’d use leftover quinoa for this lemon herb cheesy quinoa, but now I think I’m more inclined to save it for this turkey quinoa bowl.
To start, if you don’t have pre-cooked quinoa, cook your quinoa. While that’s working, start with cooking your onions in some olive oil and garlic, if you’d like.
Then, add your ground turkey to a medium pan over high heat.
Cook the ground turkey until it’s no longer pink. Food safety recommendations advise cooking to 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer to be safe!
Then, you’ll add in the taco seasoning, canned tomatoes, black beans and corn (optional). Heat and cook for a few minutes before letting it simmer.
Then, mix everything together to form this tasty ground turkey quinoa casserole.
I also love to add avocado to the quinoa ground turkey mixture, and crushed tortilla chips for some crunch.
Tips and Modifications
- Can I make quinoa taco meat and leave out the turkey? Yes, to make quinoa taco meat, just sub out the turkey and mix the quinoa with beans and other ingredients. If you did want to add another plant-based protein in there, you could add tofu or tempeh. If you do add tempeh and have an air fryer, this air fryer tempeh is fantastic.
- What do I serve this turkey quinoa skillet with? We typically serve as is, like a ground turkey quinoa bowl or casserole. I either crumble tortilla chips on top, or we’ll roll it up in a tortilla or burrito. It’s great on its own in a bowl, too, or stuffed in peppers. You can even serve ground turkey quinoa mixed into a salad, too.
- How to store your turkey taco skillet – Let your leftovers cool completely and store in a glass container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for 3-5 months.
TRY some of these other easy recipes
Healthy Turkey Taco Quinoa and Black Bean Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (canned)
- 4 oz corn kernels I used canned corn
- 3/4 cup shredded cheese
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- ½ cup salsa, for topping optional
- Avocado, optional
- cilantro, for topping optional
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine quinoa with liquid and cook according to directions.
- While quinoa is cooking, dice your onion. Add diced onion, ground turkey, taco seasoning and garlic to non stick skillet, cooking over medium heat.
- Add in black beans, canned tomatoes and canned corn. You can also add in optional spices such as garlic powder, paprika or red chili flakes.
- Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, and then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Before serving, add shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and any other toppings of choice.
Notes
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Nutrition
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Support Bucket List TummyWe like this turkey taco quinoa skillet, especially my husband. It’s not a typical type meal but great taste and texture and good protein content. We did add the quinoa to the turkey mixture at the end even though the recipe did not call for that. Thank you!
Love this turkey skillet, our favorite way to use ground turkey
If we freeze this, what is your recommendation to reheat it?
Hi Paige – you can reheat in the skillet (I usually add a little bit of water) or the microwave for best results.
So easy and tasty to pull together in the week, thanks Sarah!
Delicious and was so easy to make. We also added some extra spices and beans to ours.