Mexican Taco Meat

Ok, maybe you cannot see the meat in this amazingness – but it is there!

I don’t know about you, but lately I have been hyper checking my ingredient labels. Not only am I on the lookout for HIDDEN SUGAR, but I also need to watch out for garlic powder (weird tummy issues).

Did you know that your regular taco seasoning has whey, garlic, sugar and potato starch!? Why the heck does it need all that? Guess what? It doesn’t.

I made this taco meat the other day inspired in part from the 21 Day Fix Taco Meat, but with my own spin on it (I made it way easier)! I put mine in lettuce cups and the kiddos and the hubs made theirs into nachos. You can control the SPICE factor by deciding how much (if any) jalapeño to use. I used organic ground turkey but chicken or beef would work as well. If you are using high fat beef, you may want to cook your meat first and drain it well so you don’t have a greasy end product.

Pick your option! Just looking at these, I want to eat it again NOW! There was just something so yummy about it!

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Mexican Taco Meat

  • Author: Lawfully Lean

Description

Out of the taco seasoning from the jar?  Ditch it and make this. The flavor is a million times better!  I did mine in lettuce cups and the hubs and kids did theirs on nachos.  


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tsp EVOO 
  • 1 jalapeño diced (up to you how much to use)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  •  1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I like Hunt’s Fire Roasted)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika (more to taste)
  • 1 tsp chili powder (not the spicy kind)
  • 1 TBS oregano
  • Himalayan pink sea salt to taste
  • Lettuce Wraps (Optional)
    • Lettuce Leaves
    • Avocado Slices
    • Chopped Fresh Cilantro 
    • Jalapeno Slices
    • Cholula Hot Sauce

Instructions

  1. Taste your jalapeño and see how spicy it is.  (Be careful).  Decide how much you want to put in your taco meat.  My jalapeño was hot so I diced it finely and did less than a quarter.  I saved the extra semi-rings to put on my lettuce cups, but not torture my family with too much heat.  
  2. Heat pan over medium heat. Add a swirl of EVOO and add in onion and jalapeño you decided to use.  Sautee until onions start to become translucent and fragrant. 
  3. Add in ground turkey. Break up meat. (I love to use my Pampered Chef ground meat chopper).  
  4. I do a little sprinkle of chili powder and salt while it is cooking.  
  5. Once meat is cooked, if you have extra fat/liquid, remove it.  (With turkey, it should be low/non-existent).  I remove it by blotting with a paper towel.  
  6. Add in can of diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, oregano. Stir.  Let simmer 5 minutes so the tomatoes get warm and the liquid evaporates.  
  7. Taste. If you want it smokier, add in more smoked paprika. You may also want to salt to taste.  
  8. I served mine in lettuce wraps, topped with avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, and Cholula Hot Sauce!  Kiddos and hubs used theirs on nachos.  Everyone was happy.   

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup

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