If you love tacos, you’ll love this easy recipe for Skillet Taco Bake! This recipe comes from Gaby Dalkin and it’s a fantastic main dish or appetizer. This one’s a keeper!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
I’m sharing this recipe for Skillet Taco Bake today because it’s fabulous, versatile, easy and one you’ll want to hang onto! Here’s why I love it:
- This taco skillet recipe uses everyday ingredients and has lots of great flavor
- It’s an easy 30 minute meal..great for busy nights
- Super versatile! This cheesy taco skillet casserole cooks in one pan and is very tasty with tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas (and cold beverages) 🙂
- This recipe comes together quickly, so don’t be alarmed at the number of ingredients – it’s mostly the variety of every day spices for that Tex Mex flavor.
- Double this recipe for leftovers the next day! So many delicious ways to use the leftover meat ….try it instead of the rotisserie chicken in this Shredded Chicken Burrito Bowl, for example. So good!
- If you want a simple and fresh side dish to go along with it, try this Modern Carrot Salad, Celery Salad with Hazelnuts, or even this Pan Roasted Pear Salad to round out your menu.
You might also like to try this Baked Ravioli, or Chicken Sausage and Vegetable Skillet and these Breakfast Doritos Nachos...a delicious, fun breakfast!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the full recipe and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Ground Turkey: One and a half pounds, buy it already ground or ask the meat counter to help you.
- Vegetables: Lots of veg in this skillet recipe, things like onion, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, fire-roasted tomatoes, and corn. Also fresh avocado, sliced green onions and cilantro or Italian flat leaf parsley for the garnish.
- Seasonings: Lots of common spices like chili powder, granulated garlic, salt & pepper really amp up the flavors
- Beans: Black beans are great here for their meaty quality, but try pinto or kidney beans to change it up instead
- Corn: Frozen is fine, and a great short cut
- Cheese: Mexican-blend shredded cheese is delicious here, see my tips section below for other options to try!
Step-By-Step Instructions
For the full instructions, please scroll to the recipe card below.
- Cook the meat: You’ll cook the onion in a skillet until soft, then the ground turkey and fire roasted tomatoes, breaking the big pieces of turkey apart as it cooks. Add the peppers in too.
- Add the seasonings: All the seasonings go in the skillet with the turkey, tomatoes, onion and peppers
- Simmer: Once everything’s in the skillet, let the mixture simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Garnish: Add the cheese to the top, let it sit for a couple minutes to melt, then garnish with big chunks of avocado, thinly sliced green onions, fresh herbs. Tuck some corn chips on the side or warm up some flour tortillas, and dinner is ready!
Expert Tips and Possible Variations
Lots of options to change things up and use any leftovers with this Skillet Taco Bake recipe! Here’s some good suggestions:
- Meat: Use ground chicken or lean beef instead of turkey if you’d like. To make this recipe meatless, try a ground plant-based product, there are plenty of non-meat options in well-stocked grocery stores
- Beans: Skip the black beans and use pinto or kidney beans instead…. it’ll be just as delicious!
- Cheese: Try the recipe with shredded jack cheese or sharp cheddar. Crumbled Queso Fresco would be nice too.
- Fresh Herbs: Not a cilantro fan? My favorite go-to is Italian Flat Leaf Parsley….it’s got a burst of freshness without an overwhelming flavor.
Serving Ideas
Some options for serving this Skillet Taco Bake:
- Put the whole skillet on the table with a bowl of chips and let everyone dig in.
- Double the recipe and make two skillets to feed more people, or to make sure you have leftovers for the next day.
- Serve this recipe as an appetizer, and fill in the menu with other tasty stuff like a big green salad or something fancy like Strawberry Asparagus Salad or a hearty Superfood Salad, followed by either Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies or Lemon Shortbread Cookies.
- Leftovers make a great burrito, just wrap the meat in a flour tortilla and heat in the microwave, then add fresh avocado & salsa.
- Make a lunch bowl with the leftovers—add a scoop of reheated taco meat with some buttered brown rice, shredded iceberg lettuce, chunks of avocado, chopped tomato, sour cream and a few tortilla chips. Amazing flavor, filling and healthy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes to Try:
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes: Simple, savory and delicious!
- One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta: Another easy, quick recipe.
- Taco Pie with Crescent Rolls: Such an easy and delicious recipe!
- Authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe: A comfort food classic!
- Italian Greens and Beans Soup with Escarole: Easy and delicious comfort food.
- Peanut Noodles with Vegetables: A very tasty salad with a fantastic peanut sauce.
- Cheese Puff Pastry Bites: An excellent, easy appetizer.
- Naan BLT’s with Sundried Tomato Mayo: A riff on the classic with amazing flavors!
- Turkey Burger with Pepperjack and Cranberry: An easy & delicious year-round favorite!
- Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage: Everyone loves this one, warm and satisfying too
- Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies: So cute, so fun, bet you can’t eat just one!
If you’ve tried Skillet Taco Bake, or any other recipe on Studio Delicious, please rate the recipe 5 stars and tell me about it in the comments below!
Looking for more tips and fresh, homemade recipes? Join my email list, tag and follow me on Instagram using #studiodeliciouseats, follow my boards on Pinterest, and see what I’m up to on Facebook and Twitter!
Skillet Taco Bake
Skillet Taco Bake is full of flavor, easy and takes 30 minutes to make!
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 6
Calories: 393kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, yellow, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 Poblano Pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 ½ pounds Ground Turkey
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Oregano, dried
- ½ teaspoon Cumin, ground
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper, ground
- 1 can Fire-roasted tomatoes, canned approx. 14 oz can
- 1 cup Corn kernels, frozen
- ½ cup Black beans, canned approx. 14 oz can
- 1 ½ cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
- For Garnish: Optional
- 1 Avocado, pitted, peeled, cut in chunks
- 5 Green Onions, white part only, sliced thin
- 4 tablespoons Cilantro, fresh, chopped
- Tortilla Chips
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a cast iron or oven proof skillet. Add the chopped onion, red pepper and poblano pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened.Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart with the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.Add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, paprika and cayenne and stir together with the turkey/onion/pepper mixture to combine.Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, and black beans. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and continue on a low simmer for 10-12 minutes until the liquid has slightly reduced. If the mixture is thick, add ¼-⅓ cup of water and continue to simmer until most of it has evaporated, but is still saucy. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the skillet, cover, then turn the heat off. Let it sit for a few minutes to melt the cheese from the residual heat of the skillet. Serve right from the skillet with a garnish of avocado, scallions and cilantro and tortilla chips alongside.
Notes
- This recipe was barely adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking Everyday California Food
- Meat: Use ground chicken or lean beef instead of turkey if you’d like. To make it this recipe meatless, try a ground plant-based product, or extra beans instead. There are many non-meat alternatives in well-stocked grocery stores these days.
- Beans: Skip the black beans and use pinto or kidney beans instead…. it’ll be just as delicious!
- Cheese: Try this with shredded jack cheese or sharp cheddar. Crumbled Queso Fresco would be nice too.
- Fresh Herbs: Not a cilantro fan? Go for my favorite – Italian Flat Leaf Parsley! It’s got a burst of freshness without an overwhelming flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2372IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 3mg
Tips for Success with Every Recipe
- Super important to read the whole recipe before you begin
- Pay attention to the ingredient list and photos for the recipe
- If possible, prep your ingredients a little before you start
- Always use a sharp knife for safety
- Use the size of pan called for in the recipe
- For savory recipes, taste and season as you go
- Buy fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible
Did you make this recipe?Show me! Tag @studiodelicious or use the hashtag #studiodeliciouseats!
Don’t Miss a Recipe!
SOURCE: What’s Gaby Cooking Everyday California Food. This post was first published in May, 2018 has been updated with new instructions, tips and photos.
Cannot wait to make this Paige. Yummy 😋
You will love it I hope!
Taco in a bowl.. how wonderful. I love the simplicity, especially how easy this is to make. I would happy with this bowl and my favorite movie on telly. Saving for later.
Sounds like a good plan! Thank you…
Oh my gosh, yes please! What a delicious looking pile of food! I am totally bookmarking this to try it later. Bonus that it is so easy to adapt to a veg version! 🙂
Yes! I think it would be great as a veg only version!
I had a friend over for lunch yesterday and whipped this up for us… She asked if she could take the leftovers home…. now thats a sign of a successful recipe! Thanks
Well that is just great! 🙂
I follow Gaby on Instagram and absolutely adore her! I was looking for an easy Tex-Mex recipe last week for dinner … and I can’t wait to add this one to my upcoming list of recipes! Your fried egg sandwich with parmesan sounds AMAZING by the way – you should post that recipe so we can try it! Love your photos and story. Can’t wait to come back!
Deal! I had a couple of other people ask about the fried egg sandwich too…:) Thank you..
Such a fun idea with making it in the skillet! and I love how full of life your photos are! Just looking at them makes me hungry!
Thanks so much 🙂
Yes please! I love everything tacos and certainly love a dish that can go straight from stove to table!
Thank you!
This taco skillet bake looks like such a delicious alternative to our weekly taco night! I love the addition of green onions and fresh cilantro… can’t wait to try this meal!
It’s a good one…and I hope you like it!
wow what an amazing recipe,specially making in skillet.I am going to give this a try soon.
Thank you!
We’ve been making a ton of tacos lately and have been looking for other ways to make it. This is perfect for our keto diet minus a few small ingredients. Can’t wait to add this to our menu next!
Sure thing! It’d be easy to adapt this for sure…thanks!
Oh yes, you are singing my love language with this! I could eat Mexican food every night for dinner, and my 3 year old agrees. And skillet dinners are always so quick and easy. Perfection!
Thank you so much 🙂
I’m somewhat of a beginner in the world of tacos, so I’m doing a lot of catching up on different variations. Yours looks amazing and I am really eager to try it!
Thank you and I hope you like it if you do end up trying it…it’s a keeper!
I love your presentation! This would be great for dinner tomorrow, it is afterall taco Tuesday!
Thank you, and yes…this is an easy to assemble weeknight dinner!
This sounds like the perfect date night dinner! Can’t wait to check out that cookbook
It’s a good cookbook, that’s for sure! And yes, a perfect date night dinner too! Have fun!
Healthy, delicious and simple!!! The whole fam loved this, great flavors and simple how to! Thanks!
Great to hear, thanks!