These amazing Ground Turkey Tacos with Pineapple Salsa are an easy dinner idea, read in about 30 minutes, and the entire family will enjoy it. The ground turkey taco meat seasoning is made without packaged taco mix and takes just a few simple ingredients.
Table of contents
Why we love this recipe!
Kid-friendly ground turkey tacos are topped off with delicious pineapple salsa. Hello Taco Tuesday! The ground turkey seasoning starts with onion and fresh green Anaheim chili pepper. The pineapple salsa uses canned pineapple along with cilantro and green onion.
Other great recipes that we love using ground meat are Taco Lasagna, Ground Beef Enchiladas, and this comforting Ground Turkey Chipotle Chili.
Recipe ingredients
Shown and listed below are all the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
- Ground Turkey - We prefer ground turkey, but ground pork can also be used to make these tacos.
- Anaheim Chili Pepper - If you need to substitute the Anaheim Chili Pepper, try a poblano pepper or green bell pepper.
- Chipotles with Adobo Sauce - The amount of Chipotles with Adobo Sauce can be adjusted depending on your taste. Add more or less to adjust the heat and smokiness of these tacos.
- Pineapple - I find the pineapple chunks work best in this recipe.
The recipe card below has the amount needed and complete directions to make these Ground Turkey Tacos.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few suggestions of items you can replace or change so this recipe fits in with the ingredients you and your family enjoy.
- Ground Meat - instead of ground turkey, try ground pork! I am sure ground chicken would also work. I have not tried ground beef with this recipe.
- Tortillas - we have used both flour and corn tortillas. Use the type you prefer.
- Heat and Spice - you can easily add more chipotle and adobo sauce to this recipe. Or, eliminate it if you prefer.
- Sour Cream - sour cream is an excellent addition to these tacos but is unnecessary.
Step by Step Directions
For the pineapple salsa
- Open a can of pineapple chunks and drain, reserving the liquid for later. Slice the green onions and chop the cilantro. Cut the lime in half.
Add the drained pineapple, cilantro, green onions, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and juice from half a lime to a bowl. Stir well. Set aside while you prepare the taco meat.
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For the ground turkey taco meat
Chop the onion into small pieces. Cut the Anaheim chili in half, then remove the core and seeds. Thinly slice the chili. Chop 1 or 2 chipotle chilis (depending on taste) and set aside with about one tablespoon of the adobo sauce.
Warm a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- When the skillet is warmed up, add the olive oil and the ground turkey. Start to break up the meat while it cooks.
- Add the green chili pepper and chopped onion when the taco meat has partially cooked. Cook and stir until the meat has browned.
- Add the cumin, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for about a minute to release the aroma of the seasonings.
- Add the chipotles along with the adobo sauce. Then add about ¼ to ½ cup of reserved pineapple juice. Cook to deglaze the pan and marry all the flavors together, about 1 to 2 minutes.
When the taco meat has finished cooking, warm up the tortillas. My husband prefers flour tortilla shells and usually warms them up in the microwave. I prefer corn tortillas. I like to spray them with a little cooking spray and lightly brown them in a warm skillet.
Place some of the taco meat in a warmed shell, then top with a bit of pineapple salsa. Add sour cream if you like.
Recipe FAQs
In covered containers, you can store any leftover salsa or taco meat in the refrigerator. It would be best to use up the leftovers within two days.
Make sure to use chunk pineapple and not crushed pineapple. The crushed version carries much more juice and would not work nearly as well as the pineapple pieces. You could also take pineapple rings and cut them into the size you prefer. I have not tried fresh pineapple with this recipe.
Add additional chipotle peppers and adobe sauce for more smokey spice and taste.
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Printable Recipe
Ground Turkey Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Salsa
- 1 cup Pineapple chunks, reserve the juice
- 2 Green Onions thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup Cilantro chopped
- 1 Lime juice from ½ of the lime
For the Ground Turkey Taco Meat
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound Ground Turkey
- 1 large Anaheim Green Chili Pepper thinly sliced
- ½ cup Onion diced
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Chipotle Pepper canned, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Adobo Sauce from the chipotle peppers
- ½ cup Pineapple Juice reserved from the salsa
- Tortilla Shells for the tacos
Instructions
To make Salsa
- Drain the pineapple and reserve the juice. Set the juice aside for later.
- Thinly slice the green onion and chop the cilantro. Slice the lime in half.
- In a bowl, combine the pineapple chunks, green onion, and cilantro. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the juice of ½ of the lime. Stir well and set aside until ready to use.
To make the Ground Turkey Taco meat
- Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Dice the onion. Remove the core and seeds from the chili pepper and thinly slice the pepper.
- Add the olive oil to the heated skillet. Add the ground turkey and start to break the meat into pieces. Add the onion and green chili pepper as the meat starts to brown. Cook until the ground turkey has browned.
- Next, add the spiced to the meat and continue to cook for 30 seconds to a minute for the flavors to release. Then add the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and pineapple juice.
- Cook the ground turkey meat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Warm taco shells, add ground turkey meat, and top with pineapple salsa. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ground Meat - instead of ground turkey, try ground pork! I am sure ground chicken would also work. I have not tried ground beef with this recipe.
- Tortillas - we have used both flour and corn tortillas. Use the type you prefer.
- Heat and Spice - you can easily add more chipotle and adobo sauce to this recipe. Or, eliminate it altogether if you prefer.
- Sour Cream - sour cream is a nice addition to these tacos but not necessary.
