Pulled Turkey Tacos

Name: Pulled Turkey Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil; 4 cups pulled turkey; 1 tbsp taco seasoning; 1/4 cup water; 16 flour or corn street taco tortillas; 1 cup shredded lettuce; 1/2 cup diced tomatoes; 1/2 cup shredded cheese; 1 jalapeno (sliced); 2 green onions (sliced); 1/2 cup salsa verde; 1/2 cup sour cream or crema

These smoked pulled turkey tacos are a great meal to make with leftover turkey, and they're ready in 30 minutes.

5 from 1 vote

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By Christie Vanover | Published May 4, 2022 | Last Updated June 13, 2022

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I’ve been on a turkey kick lately, and not just during Thanksgiving. I now smoke whole turkeys during the summer, for dishes just like these smoked pulled turkey tacos.

Read my full post on thawing, brining and smoking turkey so you can end up with pounds of leftovers for a twist on your weeknight meal rotation.

Seasoning turkey taco meat

This recipe is simple, because it’s made with leftover turkey. I store my leftovers in quart-size bags in the freezer, which equals about 4 cups.

When I’m planning to make tacos, I let the bag thaw in the fridge, and then I heat it in a skillet with a little bit of oil.

Once it’s warmed through, that’s where the taco seasoning comes in. Add 1 tablespoon seasoning and 1/4 cup water to the skillet. Stir it so it coats the turkey and helps add more moisture.

Then, just heat the tortillas in a microwave, oven or on a griddle top.

Toppings for turkey tacos

The best thing about tacos is that there is no wrong way to top them. This recipe uses traditional toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, jalapeños, onions, salsa verde and chipotle crema. But if you feel like adding avocados and pineapples, I won’t judge.

As for the tortillas, go with the street taco size. They’re the smaller ones. That way you can eat a few and mix and match your toppings for each one.

Make it a taco party

Because everyone likes their tacos topped a little differently, it’s fun to make a taco bar, so everyone can have an interactive experience and be part of the meal prep.

If you only want to wash one dish, just pile all the toppings together on a board like you would for charcuterie. Or put them all in little bowls.

These pulled turkey tacos are great for parties, too. Just double or triple the batch. Each batch makes 16 tacos, and most people will eat 3-4.

Do I have to make the taco seasoning

I buy the large bottle of Spiceology Taco Seasoning. It’s one of my top 10 most-used blends. You just sprinkle a tablespoon into a pound of cooked meat with 1/4 cup of water and dinner is ready.

If you want to make your own, have at it. Just mix up some salt, pepper, paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, chile powder and cumin. You can add a touch of sugar, too, if you’d like.