These ground turkey nachos are the ultimate game day or party food for a crowd. The best part is that they're simple and quick to assemble and easily customizable based on your preferences. Don't skimp on your favorite nacho toppings like guacamole and salsa!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easily customize these nachos to add any of your favorite toppings.
- If you don't have ground turkey meat on hand, you can easily swap it for ground beef, ground chicken, or beans.
- It's a versatile meal for the whole family on busy weeknights.
- They're also a great option for a game-day appetizer like the Super Bowl.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil - or avocado oil if you prefer.
- Lean ground turkey - we recommend 93% lean ground turkey for this recipe. You can also easily swap it for lean ground beef, or ground chicken. Black beans or pinto beans are a great option for a vegetarian dish. If you want to use refried beans, you will have to use a spoon to add a dollop on top of the nachos.
- Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt - you can also use 2-3 tablespoons of premade taco seasoning instead.
- Tortilla chips - choose sturdy chips so they don’t get soggy! Be sure to use corn tortilla chips for a gluten-free option.
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese - we highly recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding your own. It melts a lot easier and more evenly. Another shredded cheese like cheddar cheese or pepper-jack cheese will also do the trick.
- Bell pepper or tomatoes - red, yellow, or orange bell pepper will work. If you prefer tomatoes, you can use them instead of peppers.
- Red onion or green onion - the red onions will provide more of a bite while the green onions will be more subtle in flavor.
- Cilantro
- Other optional toppings - green onions, sliced regular or pickled jalapeño, salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, green chiles, red pepper flakes, lime wedges, guacamole or diced avocado.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large skillet
- Rubber spatula*
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large baking sheet
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Preheat the oven to degrees 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Once the skillet gets hot, add the olive oil. Next, add the ground turkey, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Use a spatula to break it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once it is fully cooked and no longer pink, remove the pan from the heat and drain any excess liquid if needed.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Evenly spread the tortilla chips across the baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese, ground meat and/or beans. If you prefer the bell peppers and red onion or green onion slightly cooked, evenly spread them over the top in this step. Otherwise, wait until the next step.
Bake until the cheese is melted, about 4-6 minutes.
Prepare any additional toppings while the nachos are baking: chop cilantro or avocado, or make guacamole.
Once the nachos are out of the oven, top with the remaining toppings. Eat the nachos while they are hot. If using salsa, we recommend dipping individual chips rather than spooning over the top of the nachos to prevent the nachos from becoming soggy.
Tips & Variations
- If you have leftover turkey mixture, save it for more nachos or use it in tacos or a taco salad the next day.
- Feel free to add any additional toppings you prefer. Here are a few ideas: sliced green onions, jalapeño slices, salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream.
- For a lighter option you can use baked Tostitos tortillas chips or put the toppings on top of sliced roasted sweet potatoes for sweet potato nachos.
FAQ
Leftover nachos are not great reheated because the tortilla chips often get soggy. We recommend baking only the amount you plan to eat in one sitting. That way, you can store the leftover meat and toppings in a separate container and easily assemble another pan of nachos the next day.
For a gluten-free option, use corn tortilla chips. If you need a dairy-free option, use dairy-free cheese or queso. For a vegetarian option, opt for black beans or pinto beans instead of meat. For a vegan option, use dairy-free cheese and beans instead of meat.
If you like these sheet pan nachos, check out a few of our other Mexican inspired recipes:
If you make this ground turkey nachos recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
The Best Loaded Ground Turkey Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (or ground beef, ground chicken, or 1 can of beans)
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 8 oz tortilla chips (choose sturdy chips so they don't get soggy!)
- 1-2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 diced bell pepper or 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
- 1/2 red onion, diced (or chopped green onions if preferred)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- Optional: sliced regular or pickled jalapeño, salsa, guacamole or diced avocado.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to degrees 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Once the skillet gets hot, add the olive oil. Next, add the ground turkey, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Use a spatula to break it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once it is fully cooked and no longer pink, remove the pan from the heat and drain any excess liquid if needed.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Evenly spread the tortilla chips across the baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese, ground meat and/or beans. If you prefer the bell peppers and red onion slightly cooked, evenly spread them over the top of the nachos before placing them in the oven. Otherwise, wait until the next step.
- Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes.
- Prepare any additional toppings while the nachos are baking: chop cilantro or avocado, or make guacamole.
- Once the nachos are out of the oven, top with the remaining toppings. Eat the nachos while they are hot. If using salsa, we recommend dipping individual chips rather than spooning over the top of the nachos to prevent the nachos from becoming soggy.
Notes
- For a gluten-free option, use corn tortilla chips. For a dairy-free option, use dairy-free cheese or queso. For a vegetarian option, opt for black beans instead of meat. For a vegan option, use dairy-free cheese and black beans instead of meat.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Ground Turkey Nachos." Nutrition information is calculated using 1 cup of cheese and normal tortilla chips.
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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