Southwest Ground Turkey Enchiladas

Ingredient Notes

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make ground turkey enchiladas:

• Avocado oil or olive oil: I prefer avocado oil to cook with, but both work. This is for browning the turkey.
• Yellow onion: the base of most dishes, especially Mexican dishes, start with fresh onion.
• Garlic: opt for fresh garlic cloves if possible.
• Southwest spices:chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper.
• Black beans: be sure to drain and rinse them well before adding them to the recipe.
• Fire roasted tomatoes: I love the smoky heat this ingredient brings, however, roasted tomatoes work well.
• Red enchilada sauce: we like to use a clean store bought sauce like Siete to keep it easy, but you can always make your own enchilada sauce or buy whatever is available at the store. We also love adding diced green chiles.
• Corn tortillas: authentic enchiladas are made with corn, but you can use a grain free tortilla, like Siete, to keep them clean. We also tested these with flour tortillas and they worked well. Use less shells because they're bigger. 
• Mexican cheese: enchiladas aren't complete without melted cheese. A Mexican blend or cheddar cheese is best. To keep them dairy free, top them with our vegan cashew queso instead.

How to Make Turkey Enchiladas 

Check out the step-by-step photos to learn how to make these healthy turkey enchiladas, or jump to the recipe card to watch how to make them with me in a simple video.

Make the filling

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
2. Add the ground turkey, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper and cook to break up the turkey until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and black beans and stir to combine then remove the mixture from the heat.

Stuff and roll

3. Place the tortillas on a microwave safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave them on high for 30 minutes then flip the stack over and microwave for another 30 seconds to make them softer and more pliable to work with.
4. Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
5. Fill each tortilla evenly with the ground turkey mixture and and lots of cheese, then roll them up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Omit the cheese if you plan on topping them with our dairy-free cashew queso at the end.

Bake and garnish

6. Pour the remaining cup of enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cup of shredded cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Check the enchiladas halfway through and cover with aluminum foil if they're getting too brown.
7. Sprinkle your favorite garnishes on top of the enchiladas like fresh cilantro, red onion, tomatoes or vegan cashew queso and a squeeze of lime juice.

Expert Tips

• Microwave the tortillas to make them more pliable and easy to roll.
• Don't forget the toppings because they really make a difference in the final flavor. Some of our favorites include sliced radishes, pickled onion, avocado, sour cream (vegan), cilantro, red onion, jalapenos 
• Don't overdo it on the enchilada sauce. They're not supposed to be soggy and swimming in sauce.

Substitutions 

• Ground turkey: try using ground beef or ground chicken if that's what you have on hand. You will likely need to drain some of the fat from the ground beef.
• Turkey leftovers: if you have a lot of leftover turkey (like from Thanksgiving!) you can shred it and use that instead.
• Taco seasoning: swap the spices for a pre-made taco seasoning. We prefer a clean one like Siete to keep it gluten free and sugar free.
• Fire roasted tomatoes: a can of diced tomatoes will work just as well.
• Green sauce: swap the red enchilada sauce for a store bought or homemade green enchilada sauce.

Dietary Modifications

• Vegetarian/vegan: dice and roast two sweet potatoes in the oven and use our vegan cashew queso on top.
• Paleo/whole30: swap the black beans for roasted sweet potatoes, use grain free tortillas and cashew queso.
• Dairy-free: omit the shredded cheese and use cashew queso.
• Gluten-free: opt for grain free tortillas, corn tortillas or gluten free flour tortillas.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make ahead: prepare the filling in advance and store in an airtight container then fill and bake the enchiladas when you're ready to eat.
• To store. Leftover turkey enchiladas can be stored in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• To reheat. Reheat enchiladas from the fridge on a baking sheet at 350°F until warmed through. You can also rewarm this recipe in the microwave.
• To freeze. Let the pan cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator then follow steps to reheat.