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Ground Turkey Nachos are an easy dinner ready in under 30 minutes, made with taco-seasoned ground turkey, black beans, melted cheese, and fresh toppings. They’re perfect for a weeknight meal, game day snack, or a fun taco night twist.
Nacho night is one of those dinners that everyone gets excited about. It’s a win all around because it’s easy to prep, completely satisfying, and comes together without much effort.
If you’re looking for more 30 minute meals, try my Firecracker Ground Chicken, Sweet Potato Taco Bowls, or Vegetable Orzo Soup.
Ground Turkey Nachos Never Disappoint
A big pan of loaded nachos is always a hit with the family. With minimal cooking and plenty of ways to customize them, they’re a simple meal that’s perfect for busy nights.
- Ready in under 30 minutes. From start to finish, these nachos come together quickly, making them a great option when you need dinner on the table fast.
- Protein and fiber. With protein from the turkey, fiber-rich beans, and fresh toppings, these nachos are a balanced meal the whole family loves.
- Loaded with flavor. Seasoned ground turkey, melty cheese, and fresh toppings create the perfect balance of textures and flavors.
- Easy to customize. You can change up the protein, use different beans, use more or less cheese, and add any of your other favorite toppings.
- Fun for the whole family. Serve them straight from the pan and let everyone add their favorite toppings.
Ingredient Notes
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Lean ground turkey: I love ground turkey because it adapts well to whatever seasoning blend you’re using, and it’s a great lean source of protein. You could also use ground chicken, lean ground beef or shredded chicken breast!
- Taco seasoning: Use your favorite store-bought taco seasoning, or easily make it from scratch with this ground turkey taco seasoning recipe.
- Tortilla chips: Again, use your fave tortilla chips! I’ve been loving these white corn tortilla chips from Whole Foods/Amazon.
- Black beans: Black beans are a classic nacho bean, but don’t be afraid to change it up! You can use any kind of beans that you have on hand. Refried beans are another great choice.
- Mexican shredded cheese: You can grab the pre-shredded kind, or shred your own blend of Monterey jack cheese, colby and cheddar cheese.
- Pico de gallo: You’ll need diced cherry tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro to make fresh pico. It’s easy to throw together and adds a boost of nutrition plus tons of fresh flavor to your nachos. You can use store-bought too.
- Avocado & jalapeño: I absolutely love adding super thinly sliced jalapeño pepper and diced avocado before serving. The jalapeños give the whole dish just a small amount of heat, and the avocado balanced it out with some creaminess!
- Sour cream: Add dollops of regular sour cream or plain, fat-free Greek yogurt.
Variations
- Add more veggies. Top with thinly sliced bell peppers or substitute half of the chips with bell peppers, like in these bell pepper nachos.
- Add a spicy kick. Top with diced green chiles, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes.
- Drizzle on the cheese sauce. Top with creamy queso or any other cheese sauce that you enjoy.
- Make a single serving. If you want to use up leftover taco meat, you can make a single-serve plate of nachos. Simply add your ingredients to a plate, heat them up in the microwave, and add your favorite nacho toppings.
How to Make Ground Turkey Nachos
- Cook the turkey: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, heat 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil on medium heat. Add the ground turkey and sprinkle the taco seasoning on top. Cook the turkey until fully browned, about 10 minutes.
- Make the pico de gallo: While the turkey cooks, make the pico de gallo. Combine the diced cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the nachos: Next, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add a layer of tortilla chips, and then top with the cooked ground turkey, black beans, and cheese.
- Bake in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with pico de gallo, sliced jalapeños, diced avocado, and sour cream. Serve with lime wedges and lots of fresh cilantro!
JAMIE’s TIPS
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use sturdy tortilla chips. Thicker chips hold up better under the toppings and stay crisp while baking.
- Don’t overload the chips. This recipe has the perfect amount of toppings. Too many toppings can make the nachos soggy. Spread everything evenly so the chips stay crisp.
- Add cold toppings after baking. Always add the fresh toppings like avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, and cilantro after the nachos come out of the oven.
- Serve immediately. Nachos are best when the cheese is melted and the chips are still warm and crunchy.
Storage Instructions
Nachos taste best fresh when the chips are still crisp and the cheese is melty.
If you know you’ll have leftovers, store the turkey mixture separately and assemble fresh nachos when reheating.
However if you still have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm in the oven or air fryer until heated through. You can freshen them up by adding a handful of fresh chips and topping them with fresh cold toppings like avocado, salsa, or sour cream before serving.
More Taco Night Favorites
If you’ve made and loved these Ground Turkey Nachos or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Loaded Ground Turkey Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 oz tortilla chips
- 1 1/4 Mexican cheese, shredded
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- 2-3 tbsp cilantro, diced, extra for topping
- 1/2 cup sour cream, dollops for serving
- 1 jalapeño, sliced thin
Quick pico de gallo
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 2-3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 tsp lime juice
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tsp of oil on medium heat and add your ground turkey. Season with taco seasoning and continue cooking until fully browned, about 10 minutes.
- While the ground turkey mixture is cooking, make your simple pico de gallo. Combine diced cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Next, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add a layer of tortilla chips, and then top with cooked ground turkey, black beans, and cheese.
- Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted. Be sure to peek on them every few minutes to prevent burning.
- Remove from the oven and top with pico de gallo, sliced jalapeños, diced avocado, and sour cream. Serve with lime wedges and lots of fresh cilantro! Feel free to add any other favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- If you expect leftovers, store the turkey mixture separate and assemble fresh nachos when reheating.
- Nachos are best enjoyed right away while the chips are still crisp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Love this one! It makes me realize that sheet pan nachos are so quick and easy. I often make this one and Jamie’s bell pepper nacho recipe.
Thank you so much for the review Annie! 🙂