Turkey Baked Tacos

4.83 from 17 votes

Switch up your typical taco night and make baked tacos! Tortillas are stuffed with seasoned ground meat, beans, and cheese and then baked in the oven until perfectly crispy on the outside. They make a delicious and easy taco recipe everyone will love! High in protein and gluten-free.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword baked tacos, baked tacos recipe, crispy tacos

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings tacos

Calories 229kcal

Author Kelly Nardo

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 pound lean ground turkey (I used 99% lean)
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup water or broth
1 16-ounce can refried beans (I used fat-free)
1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
8 corn tortillas
salt and pepper, to taste
for serving - shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, greek yogurt, cilantro...

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brown your meat. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and let it get hot. Add turkey and break it up with the back of a spatula or meat chopper. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato paste, water or broth, and salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Make sure to break up the tomato paste. Saute for another 2-3 minutes until meat is browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Warm up your beans. Add your beans to the skillet and break them up with a spatula. Cook for 3-4 minutes until warmed through, making sure to stir frequently so they don't stick.
Heat up your tortillas. Take a dishcloth or a few paper towels and dampen them with water. Wrap around the tortillas to fully cover them. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds, flip, and then another 15-20 seconds until warm. It's important for your tortillas to be warmed through and pliable as you don't want them to break. Make sure to keep them covered as you are making your tacos.
Assemble your tacos. Spread the remaining oil on your lined baking sheet. Take one tortilla and rub it in a little of the oil on the pan, making sure to get both sides. Take a large heaping spoonful of refried beans and spread it out on the tortilla. Then take a spoonful of taco meat and pile it on top of the beans on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle some cheese on top of the turkey. Fold the other side over and gently press it down so it sticks. Repeat with remaining tortillas, evenly dividing the beans, meat, and cheese. Spread them out on the baking sheet so there is even room between them and they are not touching.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. If desired you can put the broiler on for 2 minutes to get them a little more crispy. Just watch them very carefully.
Let cool. The tacos will be VERY HOT right out of the oven so let them cool for a few minutes.
Enjoy! Serve with sides and your favorite taco toppings!

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