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This 30-Minute Loaded Taco Skillet is loaded with veggies, lean protein, and so much flavor! It’s a low-carb healthy meal that everybody will devour!
Easy Taco Skillet
A quick and simple dinner to throw together, this Easy Taco Skillet will be loved by everyone! It’s been a family favorite of mine for years, and I know your family is going to love it too. Ground turkey is cooked together with spices, loads of veggies and beans, and then the whole thing is topped with cheese for the ultimate taco-inspired meal.
It can be made dairy-free and it’s customizable based on what toppings (if any) you add to it after it’s cooked. Trust us, you’re going to want to make this one.
How to Make it a Meal
I love the versatility that comes with this taco skillet! I make this skillet on nights I’m pretty busy, and we often eat it as is, with a few tortilla chips for dipping. But you can serve this in a variety of ways:
- with cauliflower rice
- with regular rice
- over quinoa
- over a bed of crunchy lettuce, like a taco salad
- over spaghetti squash
- or in tacos!
Topping Ideas
Sometimes the best part for an easy skillet like this is what you add to it! While there is plenty going on within the skillet itself, it;s still fun to add your favorite taco toppings right on top. Here are a few of my favorite:
- Scallions
- Avocado Slices
- Diced or Marinated Onions
- Guacamole
- Tortilla Chips
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced Tomatoes
Meal Prep Tips
This is such a great meal prep to make at the start of the week for easy grab-and-heat lunches, especially since it takes under 30 minutes to make. Divide the portions into individual containers and let cool completely before closing up the lid. Then simply reheat as needed either in a toaster oven, in a skillet, or in the microwave.
Watch the video:
If you like this taco-inspired meal, check out these others:
30-Minute Loaded Taco Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 large carrot finely diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch black pepper
- 1- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1- 5 ounce can green chiles
- 1- 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese optional
Optional Garnish:
- Scallions diced
- Avocados diced
- Pickled jalapeños
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large 12" skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in zucchini, carrots, peppers, and onion and let cook for 5-7 minutes, until veggies begin to soften.
- Add in turkey, chili powder, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until no pink remains.
- Add in tomatoes, green chiles, and black beans and mix to combine. Reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add in spinach and mix until wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- If adding cheddar cheese, sprinkle over the top and cover the skillet until cheese melts.
- Serve hot with optional garnishes and serve with tortillas for dipping, or with rice, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash.
Delicious!!! We honestly have not had a recipe from Lexi that was less than that though!! 😉 I have a kid who does not/will not eat bell peppers or zucchini and he ate everything in here ( I confessed later and he wasn’t thrilled but still said he would eat it again…hallelujah!) Texture, taste, seasonings and everything were on point. My husband and youngest had it with tortilla chips and my oldest and I had a few plantain chips with ours for a bit of crunch. Everyone thought it would be great in burrito as well. Another recipe in the rotation at our house.
This was amazing! My whole family loved it- even my picky eater!
YUM! I love one skillet meals especially when they are loaded with veggies. Perfect weeknight meal!
How big of a skillet do you use? I have a 12″ cast iron, would that be good for 1 lb of meat? I kind of want to make it with 2 lbs of meat (since that’s what I have defrosted). I have a bigger oven safe skillet, but it’s not cast iron.
You *may* need to use bigger. It doesn’t have to be cast iron!
So wish calorie count was included on this recipe!
Working on adding them 🙂 It’s fairly low cal, though.
Can I use 1 teaspoon garlic powder instead of the granules?
Yes, same thing!
What is the serving size and calorie count? Definitely making it! Looks so yummy. Can I use 1 teaspoon garlic powder instead of the granules?
Serving size will depend on how hungry, but for us it usually serves 4!
Do you drain the black beans before adding
Yes, always. Drained and rinsed well.
Hi Lexi,
Do you have a nutritional break down on Carbs/Fat/Pro and Calories? On your recipes? Just asking since I’m following a ketogenic lifestyle. If not no problem, I can figure it out. Very nice website..Great job!
This is amazing!! I found your blog through PaleOMG and Juli’s podcast with you.
I cannot wait to try more and can’t believe I’ve never thought to make something so simple as this.
Beautiful blog–looking forward to going through your 30 min or less recipes and your weekly meal plan posts.
Thank you so much!!
This was amazing! I added a few diced sweet potatoes to the recipe as well. Thank you for this super easy recipe!
This recipe is SO good! My husband and I have made it twice already. Fast, so healthy, and delicious- what more could you want! Thank you!
So happy it’s a hit!
Yumy recipe. I will try this recipe. thanks for
sharing
I love the one pan meal, especially when it’s taco themed. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Thanks, Kevin! Hope you love it!
LOVE this recipe! I can’t believe how simple it is to make. I made this for my family and they absolutely loved it!
So, I made this loaded taco skillet for my family over the weekend. It’s so good!!! I have a hard time getting my kids to eat veggies but when the veggies are cut up small and added into a dish with meat and all the taco flavor–they went right for it! The only thing I did that was different from the recipe is use a pound of grass fed ground beef rather than turkey. I didn’t have turkey on hand is the only reason. I did add all the cheese and avocado. Yummy dish. I’ll be making it again.
I am SO glad!!!
Seriously obsessed with this. Taco all the things!
This looks amazing, Lex!! So ready for Taco Tuesday!
I can’t wait to try all these recipes. I bought Lexi’s book and love it! I’m having trouble pulling up the recipe for Lex’i’s and was hoping it was in her book, but no luck, any suggestions
It’s up now — sorry!!
where’s my fork? I need to dig in. Taco HEAVEN!
That CHEESE though! Taco anything is always a winner, and I can’t wait to try this!