Turkey Enchiladas
A super simple enchiladas recipe, these Turkey Enchiladas are a heart-healthy, flavorful alternative to beef enchiladas with plenty of veggies and protein to really fill you up.
Turkey Enchiladas Recipe
Enchiladas are a staple in our house – whether we’re talking dessert enchiladas, chicken or beef.
They are my go-to recipe for casual entertaining and everyone always loves them.
I recently had some friends over that don’t eat red meat, but rather than make chicken enchiladas, I thought it would be fun to test my beef recipe using minced turkey. It turned out super flavorful – and I’m usually not a fan of dishes made with minced chicken or turkey!
My friends also had a few allergies so I couldn’t stick to my usual canned enchilada sauce (many unexpectedly contain gluten) and instead had to whip up my own flavorful sauce – and I’m so glad that I did, because now I know how to make homemade enchilada sauce when I run out.
You can make enchilada sauce from scratch on it’s own and then add it into this recipe, but instead I just made the enchilada sauce in the pan as I went, which makes it easier to adjust the seasoning as you cook.
The basic ingredients for an enchilada sauce are:
- Oil
- Chili powder
- Tomato sauce
- Broth or water
- Cumin
- Garlic
- Onion
- Salt
So, incorporating these ingredients into my recipe has the same effect as using the sauce – only I can control every single ingredient.
This recipe also includes a few sneaky vegetables and uses half of the amount of cheese that my normal recipe does, but I still found them delicious and the kids all ate them up without complaint! I think you could even push it a bit further and add some chopped up peppers, mushrooms or zucchini into the mince.
You could use this base recipe to make beef, chicken or turkey enchiladas that are healthy and unbelievably flavorful. If you are looking to freeze this meal ahead of time, I personally would just freeze the prepared meat and not the rolled enchiladas. I find that if I freeze enchiladas, they are just a bit too soggy after reheating for my personal tastes. The best hack is to double the recipe, and have one tray of enchiladas on the day you make them (or soon after) and freeze the other half of the meat for a future busy week.
Ingredients for Turkey Enchiladas
- Ground Turkey
- Garlic, minced
- Onion, sliced
- Jalapeño, sliced and deseeded
- Diced tomatoes
- Taco Seasoning <– grab our recipe for homemade taco seasoning
- Broth or water <– grab our recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Broth
- 6″ tortillas <– you can use flour or corn
- Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- Cilantro, optional garnish
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: if using corn tortillas, brush or spray a bit of oil ono the tortillas and heat in the oven for 1-2 minutes to make pliable and reduce splitting/tearing.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9″ x 13″ Casserole Dish <– I love these Pyrex dishes with fitted lids for easy transportation to parties or leftover storage
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Cast Iron Skillet <– I love the versatility of a good cast-iron pan – you can make everything from eggs to dessert in them and they transition easily from the stove to the oven. This one is pre-seasoned and great for even heating
- Cheese grater
- Garlic press
How to Make Turkey Enchiladas
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
When the pan is hot, add 2 Tablespoons oil, then the onions, garlic and jalapeño pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the jalapeño softens, approximately 4-5 minutes.
Add the turkey and taco seasoning. Cook until no pink remains, approximately 4-5 minutes
Add the diced tomatoes (reserving 1/2 cup) and broth to the turkey mixture. Stir together. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, 5-6 min.
Spray or wipe a 9×13-inch baking dish with oil.
When sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, divide turkey mixture between the 8 tortillas.
Roll each tortilla up to close and place, seam-side down, in the prepared baking dish. Spoon over reserved diced tomatoes and any remaining sauce from the pan.
Sprinkle on the cheese.
Place casserole dish under broil in the middle of the oven until cheese melts, approximately 2-4 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve.
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Turkey Enchiladas
These turkey enchiladas are a quick enchilada recipe made with homemade enchilada sauce for a heart-healthy, low-sodium family meal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 10oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- 8 6" tortillas, flour or corn
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Cilantro, optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, add 2 Tablespoons oil, then the onions, garlic and jalapeño pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the jalapeño softens, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Add the turkey and taco seasoning. Cook until no pink remains, approximately 4-5 minutes
- Add the diced tomatoes (reserving 1/2 cup) and broth to the turkey mixture. Stir together. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, 5-6 min.
- Spray or wipe a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil.
- When sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, divide turkey mixture between the 8 tortillas.
- Roll each tortilla up to close and place, seam-side down, in the prepared baking dish. Spoon over reserved diced tomatoes and any remaining sauce from the pan.
- Sprinkle on the cheese.
- Place casserole dish under broil in the middle of the oven until cheese melts, approximately 2-4 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
If using corn tortillas, brush or spray a bit of oil ono the tortillas and heat in the oven for 1-2 minutes to make pliable and reduce splitting/tearing.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 430mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 22g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
These super simple turkey enchiladas are a delicious alternative to beef enchiladas and have plenty of sneaky vegetables for a healthy yet indulgent-tasting meal.
For more delicious family meal ideas, check out our Honey-Glzed Peach and Chicken Kebabs or our Chimichurri Steak Salad.
Hi! Your recipe card doesn’t list broth quantity, or enchilada sauce. Could you update the recipe card to have all the parts of the dish (your homemade enchilada sauce). Thank you!! Would make this easier to follow
I actually don’t make a homemade enchilada sauce for this recipe – I just use the flavor profiles of it to create the recipe. But thank you for pointing out that I’m missing the broth measurement – will fix now!
Just finished a plateful of these enchiladas. Delicious! Thank you for sharing