Cheesy Turkey Rice Taco Skillet

Cheesy taco and rice skillet dinner in pan.

5 from 1 vote

Cheesy Turkey Rice Taco Skillet

This easy, one-pan cheesy ground turkey taco skillet dinner is going to quickly become a family favorite meal. Super simple prep, uses lots of pantry staples and is so cheesy and loaded with flavor. It is a complete meal made in one dish and pairs perfectly with all your favorite toppings from taco night--think outside of the tortilla!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1½ tsp garlic powder, divided
2 bell peppers (we use 1 red and 1 green) diced
½ medium red onion diced
1 packet taco seasoning (1 - 1.3 oz.) we use Siete
½ tsp each: salt and pepper less salt if desired
1½ cup rice pre-cooked
1 can of diced green chilies (4 oz.)
1 can corn kernels, drained (15.25 oz.) approx. 1½ cups corn
1 can black beans (15 oz.)
can diced tomatoes (with juices) (14.5 oz.)
juice of 1 lime
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup cilantro chopped
2 - 2½ c shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan, skillet or shallow dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and allow to heat up until glistening.
Add the diced onion and bell peppers. Sauté, stirring regularly until the onions begin to become translucent. Scoot the veggies to the side of the pan and add the ground turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder over top of the turkey and let it sit unbothered for about 2-3 minutes before breaking apart the meat into smaller pieces.
Cook the ground turkey and vegetables together until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink.
Shift the heat to medium and add in the diced tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, corn, rice, taco seasoning, remaining garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for about 4-6 minutes to allow the ingredients to heat up.
Test that the rice is heated and once it's cooked, stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese, tomato sauce, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Stir until cheese is melted.
Once cheese is melted, remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over top. Transfer to the oven and broil on high for about 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving topped with more cilantro and any other desired taco toppings.

Notes

Use an oven proof pan or skillet so that you can easily pop it in the oven to broil. If you don't have one, you can transfer to an oven-safe dish or just allow the cheese to sit and melt over top of the hot taco skillet.

If the mixture seems a bit dry, or too much of the liquid from the tomatoes evaporates, add a bit of chicken broth or extra tomato sauce to help balance it a bit.

You can serve this in a variety of ways beyond just spooning it on a plate. We stuff baked sweet potatoes, lettuce wraps, burritos, or use chips and spoon it onto them.

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze this dish quite easily as well as long as you allow it to cool completely first. Then add to a freezer-safe sealed container for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can bake in a baking dish at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, adding fresh cheese over top or microwave single servings for about 90 seconds to two minutes.

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