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Ground Turkey Enchiladas are simple, satisfying, and just the right mix of hearty and healthy. Think of them as the comfort food classic you love, but with a lean twist. Lean ground turkey, seasoned to perfection and wrapped up in soft flour tortillas, is smothered in rich red enchilada sauce and topped with melty Monterey Jack cheese. It’s a weeknight easy dish that’s likely to become a family favorite.
What I love about this recipe is how easy it is to make it your own. The combination of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and a pinch of crushed red pepper creates a warm, comforting flavor, but feel free to adjust the amounts or even add your own favorite spices. Want to sneak in some extra vegetables or heft? Try sautéing bell peppers, zucchini, or even adding a can of black beans, pinto beans or corn to the filling. The possibilities are endless, and that’s part of the fun of cooking at home – creating a dish that’s uniquely yours.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Ground Turkey Enchiladas
- Ground Turkey: I recommend using lean ground turkey (not ground turkey breast) for the best flavor and texture in this dish. It has just the right amount of fat to keep the filling moist and flavorful.
- Flour Tortillas: Look for 10-inch flour tortillas that are soft and pliable. If your tortillas are on the smaller side, you may need a few extra to use up all the filling.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: You can use your favorite store-bought brand or make your own using my easy homemade red enchilada sauce recipe. The key is to choose a sauce with a rich, complex flavor that complements the spices in the filling.
- Monterey Jack Cheese: I love the mild, creamy taste of Monterey Jack in these enchiladas, but you can use cheddar, pepper jack, or a Mexican cheese blend if you prefer.
- Spices: A combination of chili powder, cumin, oregano (preferably Mexican oregano), salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes gives the turkey filling a warm, savory flavor with just the right amount of heat.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatic ingredients form the flavor base for the filling, adding depth and complexity.
4 Recipe Tips
- Warm your tortillas in a skillet before filling and rolling them. This makes them more pliable and less likely to crack or tear as you work with them.
- Don’t overstuff your enchiladas. About 1/2 cup of filling and 3 tablespoons of cheese per tortilla is plenty – any more and they’ll be difficult to roll and may burst open in the oven.
- It’s important to spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish before adding the rolled enchiladas, seam-side down. This prevents them from sticking and infuses extra flavor into every bite.
- The components of this dish can all be prepped ahead of time. You can make the filling, pan-fry the tortillas, and even assemble the enchiladas a day in advance. Just cover and refrigerate them unbaked, then add an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time when you’re ready to cook.
How to Store and Reheat
If you have leftover enchiladas, let them cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. They reheat beautifully! Just place them in a baking dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through, 15-20 minutes.
Serve With
More Must-Try Enchilada Recipes
How to Make Ground Turkey Enchiladas
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Warm the tortillas in a skillet with a bit of oil until lightly browned, then set them aside. In the same skillet, sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant. Add the turkey and spices, cooking until browned. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then remove from heat.
Brush a 9×13-inch baking dish with oil and spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce evenly across the bottom. Then fill each tortilla with the turkey mixture and a sprinkle of cheese, then roll them up and place seam-side down in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and finish with a generous layer of cheese. Bake the enchiladas uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until they’re hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve them with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Ground Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided, plus more for brushing baking dish
- 8 10-inch flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (see recipe note)
- 1 small white onion thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano ideally Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce store bought or homemade
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided
Optional Toppings
- avocado slices
- sliced green onions
- chopped fresh cilantro
- sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (191 °C).
- Warm a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil, swirling to coat the pan. Place a tortilla in the skillet and fry for 10-15 seconds on each side until it turns lightly brown; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, adding more oil as necessary; set aside.
- Add remaining tablespoon of oil to same skillet over medium heat; add onion and cook and stir until beginning to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add ground turkey; breaking up with a wooden spoon and add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until turkey is browned on all sides and cooked through; let simmer until liquid evaporates. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed; remove from heat.
- Brush bottom and edges of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into dish and spread into an even layer.
- Spoon a ~1/2 cup of turkey mixture down the center of one tortilla and sprinkle evenly with about 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese; roll up, and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat process with the remaining tortillas.
- Spread remaining 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake enchiladas uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are hot all the way through and the cheese has melted. Serve hot with optional toppings as desired.
Notes
- I recommend using lean ground turkey, not ground turkey breast which is so too dry for this dish.
- Recipe makes about 4 cups of ground turkey filling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Those enchiladas look so good! It’s not even 8am here right now, but I’m craving this one. Enchiladas for breakfast?? 🙂
Why not, right? Thanks so much, David.
What a hearty and delicious dish packed with great flavours and textures. And with all these toppings, they look so beautiful and elegant, too!
aww…thanks so much, Ben!