Mexican-inspired Turkey Picadillo is made with a few extra hidden veggies and ground turkey to deliver a flavorful and nutritious twist on a favorite.
A Really Great Nutritious Meal
Picadillo is a traditional dish served in many Latin American countries and the Philippines. It combines tomatoes, ground meat, and other ingredients that vary by region. Once prepared, the mixture is typically served with rice or served as a filling for savory pastries, tacos, empanadas, croquettes, etc.
This particular Ground Turkey Picadillo recipe is Mexican-inspired and created with a few nutritious swaps including replacing ground beef with ground turkey and adding in a few extra hidden veggies. For a more authentic Mexican picadillo recipe be sure to check out My Latina Table!
Turkey Picadillo Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes are the best for this recipe because they’re sweet and buttery and don’t fall apart while cooking. They have thin skin, so you don’t need to peel them. You can also use Russets (peeled) or sweet potatoes (peeled) for a bit of sweetness.
- Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes add a lot of flavor. Try brands like Cento Marzano®, Carmelina Marzano Italian®, or Muir Glen®. They are flame-charred before canning, which makes them sweeter and smoky. You get extra flavor without extra work.
- Why use chicken broth instead of beef broth in Turkey Picadillo? I found chicken broth better because it’s milder. It won’t overpower the beef bouillon, which makes the ground turkey taste beefy. Some people even thought it was made with beef!
How To Make Turkey Picadillo
Below are our top tips for preparing this recipe:
- Season as you go. Season the sautéing veggies, the ground turkey, and again at the end for the most flavor possible. Don’t be afraid of salt! It’s really what is going to bring out all the flavors in this meal!
- Add heat to personal preference. The spice in jalapeños can vary a great deal so start with less and taste as you go! If you end up wanting more heat at the end, you can always add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes on top.
- Dice veggies small, especially the potatoes! We want small even sizes to ensure the potatoes cook in time and end up with a perfect crispy outside and fluffy interior. We want fairly small potato pieces — about a 1/2-inch in size. The size is also important to get that perfect crispy outside and fluffy interior.
- Add extra liquid if needed. If the dish starts to dry before the potatoes are tender, you may need to add a splash more of chicken stock. This can also mean the heat is likely too high or potatoes were chopped too big. Add 1/4 cup of stock and go from there.
How To Make Healthy Turkey Picadillo
Here are a few tips to further enhance the nutrition of this dish:
- Replace the Yukon Gold with a diced sweet potato (be sure to peel it first).
- Add extra veggies and protein: Mix in 1 cup frozen sweet peas at the end (peas are a great source of plant-based protein!).
- Watch what you serve the ground turkey picadillo in or on. (If there are lots of fried corn chips or flour tortillas involved, it’s going to make the dish a bit less nutritious.)
- How to make healthy Turkey Picadillo tacos: Get a package of Mission’s thin corn tortillas, char the tortillas on the stovetop, and load ’em up with Turkey Picadillo (directions for charring corn tortillas on this fish stick tacos post!).
Serving Suggestions
Our favorite way to enjoy this Turkey Picadillo recipe is to load the meat and potatoes on a plate. Then, using a fork and a ripped piece of a warm fresh flour tortilla, scoop up bites and eat it!
Here are some other serving suggestions:
- Alongside some rice! Try it with some Mexican rice, cilantro-lime rice, or plain rice. For a low-carb meal, enjoy it over cauliflower rice.
- Stuff the filling in to make tacos, gorditos, or empanadas. (We’re obsessed with Turkey Picadillo tacos — especially when you drizzle on some of the cilantro-lime sauce from these shrimp tacos!)
- Serve with a big bag of corn tortilla chips — the best possible dip!
Quick Tip
We love these unbaked tortillas by TortillaLand® (not sponsored). They are generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near shredded cheeses.
More ground turkey recipes
- Asian Ground Turkey with the best stir-fry sauce!
- Turkey Chili with loads of veggies
- Turkey Bolognese with spaghetti
- Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs with marinara
- Turkey Sloppy Joes on toasted brioche buns
Turkey Picadillo
Try this Mexican-inspired Turkey Picadillo with hidden veggies and ground turkey for a flavorful, nutritious dish!
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion 1 onion
- 1 cup finely diced carrot 2 to 3 large carrots
- 1 cup finely diced green bell pepper 1 green pepper
- 1 pound lean ground turkey 93/7
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups diced Yukon Gold potato see note 1
- 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno add according to your heat sensitivity
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- Serving suggestions see note 2
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat and add in oil. Add diced onion, carrot, pepper, and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently until veggies begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Press to the sides of the pan and add turkey to the middle. Season to taste (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Cook, until mostly browned, breaking the meat up as you cook.
- Add in tomato paste, diced potatoes, jalapeño, garlic, and all seasonings. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Pour in undrained canned tomatoes, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Stir, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Press potatoes below liquid and cover with a lid. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid, increase heat to medium, stir, and continue cooking with lid off for an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (see note 3). Taste and add extra salt/pepper if needed. Remove and discard bay leaf.
- Serve warm with flour tortillas (see note 4) and/or rice. Add lime wedges and fresh cilantro to the plate if desired and dig in!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I like Yukon Gold potatoes best—no need to peel. If using Russet instead, peel them. Dice the potatoes in small, even pieces to cook in time (1/2 inch).
Note 2: For serving: rice, tortillas (Note 4), cilantro, and/or lime.
Note 3: Add extra liquid if needed. If the dish starts to dry out before potatoes are tender, you may need to add a splash more chicken stock (start with 1/4 cup). This can also mean the heat is too high or potatoes chunks are too big. Timing will vary depending on the size of pot, size of potatoes, actual heat of stovetop, etc. When potatoes are easily pierced by a fork and most of the liquid is absorbed into the meat, it’s done!
Note 4: I love these unbaked tortillas by TortillaLand® (not sponsored). They are generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near shredded cheese. Heat them through and serve the filling inside or the tortillas on the side (rip up and use as a fork!).
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 553mg | Potassium: 1124mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 6164IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was tasty. I found it to be more tomato-forward than I like, perhaps next time I would use just the tomato paste OR the canned tomatoes, and then thin with the chicken stock. I also like the potatoes to be a little smaller dice. I am excited to have a healthier picadillo recipe that I can tweak to my tastes, thank you for sharing!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!! You absolutely can do that to lessen the tomato taste! Thanks for your comment Kimberly! 🙂
Delicious. Made as written and it was sooooo good. I can’t Remember the last time I cooked with ground turkey and it was so great in this recipe. I served it with rice. My daughter who normally doesn’t eat cooked veggies ate this and requested leftovers for lunch tomorrow. She has celiac disease so this is such a great nutritious meal for her and our family. Thank you.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Christina! 🙂