crunch time. [ground turkey tacos picadillo w. homemade taco shells]

June 6th, 2011 by | comments

I’m always looking for new ground turkey recipes. The meat is much lighter than beef, but doesn’t lack in flavor. I made turkey burgers (here and here) and turkey chili (here), and wanted to cook something else with the meat.

I decided on ground turkey tacos picadillo; light with a kick of spice from the chili powder and cumin. The salty and crunchy homemade corn tortilla shells worked wonderfully with the succulent meat. Taking the extra time to fry the tortillas was well worth it. I’ll definitely be making these again for a quick, delicious meal.

 

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ground turkey tacos picadillo w. homemade taco shells
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. corn oil
  • 1 medium red onion, finely diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano diced tomatoes
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • ⅓ cup chicken broth (homemade is preferred)
  • 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Oil, for frying
  • Corn tortillas
  • Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
  • Roma tomatoes, diced
  • Shredded Havarti or cheddar cheese
  • Sour cream, if desired
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped, if desired
Instructions
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add oil. Once oil is hot, add onions and cook until fragrant and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook an additional 1 minute. Season mixture with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high, then add tomatoes and boil to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then stir in the turkey and chicken broth. Break the turkey up as it cooks and simmer until cooked through and the mixture thickens, but is not dry, about 12-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chopped cilantro to mixture and stir together.
  3. For taco shells, pour enough frying oil into a small skillet so it's about ¾ of an inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Holding 1 edge of a corn tortilla with tongs, lay the other half in the oil, keeping it flat with a spatula. Cook until crisp, about 30 seconds. 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 30 seconds more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  4. Place meat in tacos, then top with desired fixings: lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

 

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