This ground turkey fajita skillet is one of my favorite easy, healthy ways to fill my family’s bellies with good food. Few things compare to a one-dish meal! It’s fast, and it’s an easy way to sneak in TONS of veggies for the non-veggie lovers.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Macro-friendly Fajita Ground Turkey Skillet
- Serves: 6
- Calories: 191 cal
- Protein: 25.5g
- Fat: 5.8g
- Carbs: 9.4g
- Why You'll Love It: This macro-friendly fajita ground turkey skillet is a great way to create good food for your family.
I make it in my big cast-iron pan. It’s super affordable, and it’s MASSIVE… which is EVERYTHING to me. It’s my go-to for any meal that needs lots of surface area to brown meat without crowding or cooking in a million shifts.
I grab it for TONS of the skillet recipes in my one-dish meal cookbook, from my lightened up beef stroganoff to my one pan garden veggie orecchiette. And don’t be afraid of the upkeep! Mine is seasoned, so I just scrub it like normal, with a little soap if needed (gasp), and dry it well before wiping it down with oil.
What Seasoning Should I Use for Ground Turkey Fajitas?
I keep it simple with chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, kosher salt, and garlic. A little tomato paste cooks in with the spices, and then balsamic vinegar, salsa verde, and a touch of cream cheese at the end make it saucy and SO flavorful. No packet needed. Love a homemade seasoning blend? Try my classic taco meat too.
How Long Does Ground Turkey Take to Cook in a Skillet?
About 10 minutes. I let the turkey sit undisturbed in a hot pan for several minutes to get some color, then add the veggies and spices and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through and the veggies are tender. Fight the urge to stir! Leaving it alone gives it a little color, which means more flavor.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- 93/7 ground turkey: not all ground turkey is the same. I like the Foster Farms organic 93/7 from Costco because it’s labeled at 4 fat per 4 oz. Trader Joe’s has an extra lean ground beef with the same fat content. Use whatever you have and love.
- Bell peppers: 4 ½ cups, sliced. That’s a LOT of veggies, and they cook down.
- Salsa verde: just ¼ cup adds tangy, bright flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar: a surprise ingredient, but 2 Tbsp makes the whole skillet taste richer.
- Cream cheese: 2 Tbsp of ⅓-less-fat cream cheese makes it creamy. For dairy-free (and gluten-free), use Daiya DF cream cheese or your favorite dairy-free cream cheese.
Before You Start Cooking
- Grab your biggest heavy skillet. A large cast-iron pan gives the turkey room to brown instead of steam.
- Prep the veggies first. The onion and peppers go in while the turkey is browning, so have them chopped and sliced before the pan gets hot.
- Measure the finishing ingredients. The vinegar, salsa verde, and cream cheese go in together at the end, so have them ready by the stove.
- Plan for about 40 minutes. That’s 20 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking.
- Log it the easy way. One serving is 208g. Search “Lillie Eats and Tells Fajita Ground Turkey Skillet,” or here’s how I add a recipe to MyFitnessPal.
How to Make Ground Turkey Fajita Skillet
- Sear the turkey. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat with a spritz of oil. Add the ground turkey and let it sit for several minutes undisturbed to get a little color on the bottom.
- Add the veggies. Scoot the turkey to one side and add the onion and bell peppers to the other. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then break up the meat and stir it all together as it cooks.
- Season. Add the spices, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through and the veggies are tender, about 10 minutes in total.
- Make it creamy. Turn the heat down to low and mix in the vinegar, salsa verde, and cream cheese. Let the cream cheese melt in, then turn off the heat and toss in the cilantro.
What to Serve with Ground Turkey Fajita Skillet
Enjoy it in tacos, over rice bowls, stuffed into sweet potatoes, or tucked in buns like Sloppy Joes! For stuffing, my roasted sweet potato halves are perfect. If you love the Sloppy Joe idea, try my Mexican sloppy joe too.
For a lower-carb bowl, serve it over coconut cilantro sticky cauliflower rice. Add a scoop of corn avocado salad or a drizzle of avocado cilantro cream on top.
How to Freeze Ground Turkey Fajita Skillet
This one freezes great, and it’s on my list of macro-friendly freezer meals.
- You can freeze this with everything stirred in, including the cream cheese, salsa verde, and vinegar. No need to hold anything back!
- Let it cool, then portion it into freezer bags or containers and label with the date and grams (one serving is 208g).
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of broth if it seems dry.
- Toss in a little fresh cilantro after reheating.
- Keeps up to 3 months.
Want more easy skillet dinners? Try my fajita chicken and veggies, cauliflower rice enchilada skillet, sweet potato chipotle chicken skillet, simply seasoned turkey taco meat, or Thai basil turkey veggie skillet.
This is a favorite bulk prepped protein on my macro-friendly meal plans. You get a new menu and categorized grocery list every Thursday, with the macros already done. You can try it free.
Ground Turkey Fajita Skillet Calories and Macros
One serving (208g) of this ground turkey fajita skillet has 191 calories, 25.5g protein, 5.8g fat, and 9.4g carbs, with 2.7g fiber. That’s before tortillas, rice, or sweet potatoes. The full nutrition is in the recipe card below.
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Macro-friendly Fajita Ground Turkey Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb lean (93/7) ground turkey (704 g)
- 1 1/2 cup onion, chopped (150 g)
- 4 1/2 cup bell pepper, sliced (500 g)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 frozen garlic cubes, or minced cloves
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste (30 g)
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (30 g)
- 1/4 cup salsa verde (60 g)
- 2 Tbsp ⅓-less-fat cream cheese or Daiya DF cream cheese (30 g)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (10 g)
Instructions
- Heat a heavy skillet over high heat with a spritz of oil. Add the ground turkey and let it sit for several minutes undisturbed to get a little color on the bottom. Scoot the turkey toward one side and add chopped onion and bell peppers to the other. Saute for a couple of minutes before breaking up the meat and stirring it all as it continues to cook.
- Add spices, garlic cubes, and tomato paste. Cook until meat is browned and cooked through, and veggies are tender. It should take about ten minutes in total. Turn the heat down to low and mix in vinegar, salsa verde, and cream cheese. Let the cream cheese melt into the mixture, then turn off the heat and toss in cilantro.
- Enjoy in tacos, over rice bowls, stuffed into sweet potatoes, or tucked in buns like Sloppy Joes!
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Tag @LillieEatsAndTells on Instagram with #LillieEatsandTells! We’d love to see your creations!
This was such a good meal – Thank You for this delicious, nourishing recipe!
so happy you liked it, patty!
Looks delicious! If I am freezing this, should I add in cream cheese after I thaw and cook or just make and freeze with everything in it? What about salsa verde and vinegar?
Delicious combination of flavors. I was skeptical of the balsamic vinegar but added it anyway. Woah! So good!
The dish was delicious and full of flavor. I only gave it a 4 because the original recipe was dry and I like sauce. I added unsalted chicken stock-so yummy. We made bowls with rice, pickled red onion, cucumbers, radish, and avocado.
Is is 4 1/2 cups bell pepper?
Yes!
This was so good!! My husband hates ground turkey so I used lean ground beef and it was delicious!
So good! I had to change the recipe a bit bc I didn’t have salsa Verde, but I used green enchilada sauce instead and it was amazing!!!
Thank you for the idea of the green enchilada sauce as I don’t have the salads verde and father can’t have tomatoes so this was great idea !
This recipe seemed simple and easy so I decided to make it. It’s DELICIOUS! The flavors somehow mix together so perfectly to create an outstanding dish!
Delicious tasting and easy to make!
This has been my favorite recipe for the past year. Your recipes are now my “go to” recipes for each week. Everything is so yummy and healthy. Thank you!
Fantastic! I will definitely make this again and again!
Big hit with my kids! Thank you!
This recipe was so flavorful and good! I will be making it a ton more. One question, when I measured it out afterwards, there were only 4 servings as opposed to 6 it is supposed to make.Should I go with the suggested grams and only have 4 or do I have to do divide up the recipe to make the 6? I only ask because I’m tracking my macros carefully. Thanks!
Do you have any recommendations for freezing and reheating? Thanks!
i dont have cream cheese😭 can i omit?! or any substitutes?
I substituted fat free greek yogurt in a pinch and it tasted great.
Made this tonight, delicious!
Hi! About how many peppers equal 4 1/2 cups sliced? Thank you!
About 3-4 bell peppers!
Where can I find the macros and ingredient amounts?
So sorry it was missing at first!
I’d love to try this recipe! Where are the macros and ingredient amounts?
Sorry about that! It’s up now!
Thanks so much! Putting this on my meal plan for the week!