Roots and Radishes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Spring Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
  • Eat More Plants (Free Guide!)
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Spring Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
  • Eat More Plants (Free Guide!)
×
Home » Recipes » Healthy Dinner Recipes

20-Minute Quinoa Bowls with Turkey Taco Meat

Modified: Feb 19, 2025 · Published: Mar 6, 2018 by Tera Gigot · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

These insanely good, 20-minute quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat are exactly what you need to make when you're short on time, or just don't feel like cooking. They're a complete meal that's packed with protein and flavor!

Quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat, greens, and toppings. this recipe

Okay, picture this. It’s getting to be 4-5pm on a weeknight, everyone in the house is getting done with school and work (including you, probably!), and the last thing you want to do is spend a ton of time cooking. That’s when these quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat LEGIT save the day! In just 20 minutes, you’ve got a high-protein, flavor-packed meal that’s as satisfying as it is simple. The seasoned ground turkey taco meat pairs perfectly with fluffy quinoa and all your favorite toppings—think avocado, salsa, and cheese (I’ll tell you right now that I will be recommending feta).

We make this almost weekly at our house, and if we have leftovers, they’re perfect for a take-to-work lunch the next day. If you don't have time, this recipe is a complete meal on its own, but when I have time, I add in some oven roasted sweet potato cubes as well. YUM! Let’s make these bowls!

Jump to:
  • Key Ingredients + Notes
  • Let's Make These Quinoa Bowls
  • Pairing
  • 📖 Recipe

Key Ingredients + Notes

Ingredients needed to make quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat.
  • Ground turkey - For the juiciest turkey taco meat, I highly recommend a fattier meat! 93% lean is what I cook with at least once per week, and I love that while it's a leaner meat, it's still fatty enough to stay juicy and taste delicious. Any leaner than that, and I think you'll run the risk of the meat drying out quickly. Feel free to substitute ground chicken as well (I make this exact taco meat with ground chicken in my ground chicken tacos recipe!).
  • Salsa - I love a thicker, tomato-based salsa for this recipe because I love the texture and flavor it adds. My favorite to use is the pepita salsa from Trader Joe's, but any tomato-y salsa you like will work.

Please see recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.

Let's Make These Quinoa Bowls

Quinoa toasting in pot.
  1. Step 1: We'll get quinoa started first. Heat olive oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. Add quinoa and toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (toasting enhances flavor!). Add water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes.
Turkey taco meat being sautéed with taco seasoning in pan.
  1. Step 2: Meanwhile, make the turkey taco meat. Heat olive oil in a medium-large pan over medium heat. Add diced onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the ground turkey and taco seasoning. Turn heat to medium-low, and continue to break up the taco meat as you cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Fully cooked turkey taco meat in pan.
  1. Step 3: Once the turkey is almost cooked through (but still a little pink in some parts), add salsa and black beans. Stir and sauté until everything is well combined and meat is fully cooked through. Turn heat to low until quinoa is done.
Quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat, greens, and toppings.
  1. Step 4: Once quinoa is done, remove lid and fluff the quinoa. Assemble bowls with greens, quinoa, turkey taco meat, avocado, cilantro, and squeezes of fresh lime juice. Top with desired toppings--we're obsessed with feta, pepitas, tortilla chips, and pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños, and all the healthy street corn when we have time to make it. YUM!

Pairing

Want to make things interesting? We love adding in the following ingredients into the bowls when we have more time (or leftovers in the fridge!).

  • 20-minute healthy street corn in a clear glass bowl with silver spoon on blue and white surface with two lime wedges
    20-Minute Dang Good Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
  • Roasted sweet potatoes on sheet pan with bamboo serving spoon.
    Comforting Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Easy Recipe!)
  • Favorite healthy coleslaw in clear glass bowl with wooden spoon, on light gray surface
    Bright, Crunchy Vinegar Slaw (Meal Prep Friendly!)
  • Roasted butternut squash half on sheet pan.
    Roasted Butternut Squash - Cubes & Halves

Did you try these quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!

Print

📖 Recipe

clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat, greens, and toppings.

Delish 20-Minute Quinoa Bowls with Turkey Taco Meat


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Tera
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

These quinoa bowls with turkey taco meat are a complete meal done in just 20 minutes! Packed with protein, flavor, and nutrients, these wholesome bowls are satisfying and perfect for busy weeknights.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup salsa (I like a thicker salsa)
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (Use your fave! I love Siete)
  • 2 limes
  • 1 avocado
  • Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • Spinach, for serving (or your fave greens)
  • Topping Ideas: fresh cilantro, avocado, sour cream, feta, tortilla chips, pepitas, pickled red onions, pickled or fresh jalapeños


Instructions

  1. Make quinoa. Heat ½ tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add dry quinoa and toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add water and salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat. Cover and cook quinoa for 15 minutes.
  2. Make turkey taco meat. While quinoa cooks, heat remaining olive oil (more if needed) over medium heat in a medium-large sauté pan. Add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add meat and taco seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir and sauté, breaking meat up as it cooks. Once the ground turkey is almost cooked through (a little pink left in some parts), add salsa and black beans. Stir to fully incorporate and cook until turkey is completely cooked through. Turn heat to low until quinoa is ready.
  3. Fluff quinoa & assemble. Once quinoa is ready, remove lid and fluff with a spoon or fork. To each bowl, add greens, quinoa, and taco meat. Top with avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime juice, plus any other toppings! Highly recommend feta, pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and tortilla chips. YUM.

Notes

  1. Substitutions. Feel free to sub ground beef or ground chicken for the ground turkey. You could also use brown rice instead of quinoa, or any grain you need to use up at home.
  2. Salsa. I prefer a thicker salsa for this recipe. My favorite is the pepita salsa from Trader Joe's!
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner; Bowl Recipe
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican-inspired

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 quinoa bowl
  • Calories: 566
  • Sugar: 4.5 g
  • Sodium: 1034.4 mg
  • Fat: 20.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 63.2 g
  • Fiber: 14.8 g
  • Protein: 37.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 78.2 mg

Did you make this recipe?

If you loved this recipe, make sure to let me know and give it a star rating (below)! Star ratings help Roots and Radishes recipes reach more people, which helps support the continued production of our content. Also, we'd LOVE to see what you make! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @rootsnradishes  🙂

More Healthy Dinner Recipes

  • Vegetarian black bean and sweet potato skillet enchiladas being scooped out of pan.
    Skillet Veggie + Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Potato (One Pan!)
  • Hand holding a plate of three ground chicken tacos.
    Delicious 15-Minute Weeknight Ground Chicken Tacos
  • Chicken tortilla soup in gray bowl with spoon.
    Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Kale
  • Baked turkey meatballs piled onto a white plate with fork.
    Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tera Gigot, the author, photographer, and recipe developer of Roots and Radishes.

Hey, I'm Tera! And I'm so glad to meet you. I've been using seasonal produce to create recipes in my Wisconsin kitchen for 12 years. Here you'll find nourishing whole foods recipes that are approachable and delicious.

More about me →

FREE 5 Day Guide: Eat More Plants! Get the guide →

Memorial Day Recipes

  • Pesto pasta salad with chicken on a white plate.
    Simple Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken

  • Pesto potato salad scooped into large copper spoon resting on small white ceramic plate, next to bowl of potato salad and small white bowl of pesto
    Easy Pesto Potato Salad

  • Healthy scotcheroos topped with flaky sea salt and cut into squares on blue and white background
    No Corn Syrup Scotcheroos (With Date Syrup Instead!)

  • Shrimp mango and avocado salad in copper serving spoon on white and light blue background
    Zesty Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Mango

  • Favorite healthy coleslaw in clear glass bowl with wooden spoon, on light gray surface
    Bright, Crunchy Vinegar Slaw (Meal Prep Friendly!)

  • Strawberry avocado basil salsa in white bowl.
    Strawberry Avocado Basil Salsa

Recipes to Make In May

  • Healthy strawberry crisp in cream-colored pie dish with copper serving spoon and two small white bowls with more crisp, with almonds and fresh strawberries on the side
    Wholesome Strawberry Crisp (SO Jammy!)

  • Pickled strawberries in a jar with black peppercorns.
    Quick Pickled Strawberries (Naturally Sweetened!)

  • Jammy egg on avocado toast with matcha tea.
    Seriously Delicious Jammy Eggs on Avocado Toast

  • Lemon dill hummus in beige serving dish with olive oil drizzled on top, with golden spoon
    Easy Lemon Dill Hummus

  • Marinated white beans in beige stoneware serving dish with golden spoon on beige and white surface, next to golden-yellow matte linen
    Easy Marinated White Beans

  • Stack of whole wheat Greek yogurt pancakes with strawberry compote on top, on white plate with fork.
    Greek Yogurt Pancakes with Strawberry Compote

Footer

↑ back to top

Info

  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for recipes and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Roots and Radishes on the Foodie Pro Theme