Description
Easy Southwest Ground Turkey Enchiladas are a flavorful and comforting dish combining spiced ground turkey, black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and melted Mexican cheese wrapped in tortillas and baked to perfection. This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner and can be customized to be dairy-free or paleo-friendly.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 15 ounces (1 can) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounces (1 can) fire roasted tomatoes
Assembly
- 1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce (homemade or store-bought, gluten-free preferred)
- 8-10 corn, grain-free or flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese or vegan cashew queso
Toppings (optional)
- Sliced radishes
- Pickled onion
- Avocado
- Sour cream or vegan sour cream
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Jalapenos
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
- Cook aromatics: Heat avocado or olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Cook turkey and spices: Add ground turkey to the pan along with chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a spoon, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and beans: Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes and drained black beans until well combined. Remove the filling from heat.
- Prepare tortillas: Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Flip the stack over and microwave for another 30 seconds to soften and make them pliable.
- Assemble enchiladas: Spread 1/4 cup of red enchilada sauce evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Divide the turkey filling and 1 cup of shredded cheese evenly among all the tortillas. Roll each tortilla tightly and place seam-side down in the baking dish in a single layer, fitting as many as you can (usually 8-10).
- Top with sauce and cheese: Pour the remaining 1 1/4 cups of enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese on top.
- Bake: Bake the enchiladas in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Add vegan queso if using: If using vegan cashew queso instead of cheese, omit the cheese layers and pour warm queso over the baked enchiladas just before serving.
- Serve with toppings: Garnish with your favorite toppings such as sliced radishes, pickled onions, avocado, sour cream or vegan sour cream, cilantro, red onion, and jalapenos.
Notes
- For Paleo/Whole30, swap black beans for roasted sweet potatoes and use grain-free tortillas and cashew queso.
- For dairy-free option, omit shredded cheese and use cashew queso.
- For gluten-free, use corn tortillas, grain-free tortillas, or gluten-free flour tortillas.
- Make ahead: Prepare the filling ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. Fill and bake the enchiladas when ready.
- Storage: Store baked enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat enchiladas in the oven at 350°F until warmed through or microwave as needed.
- Freezing: Cool completely before freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
