Ground Turkey Enchiladas (Homemade Enchilada Sauce)

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You’re going to love these easy Ground Turkey Enchiladas with a simple Homemade Enchilada Sauce. Why? Because they’re absolutely delicious, beautiful and nutrient dense. Ground turkey is sautéed with onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and green chilies, then rolled in corn tortillas and covered with enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes and dinner is served. This recipe can be made ahead of time and it reheats very well!

Why You Should Make This Recipe

I’ve been making this Turkey Enchilada recipe for years and I have served it to several people. I’m confident that it’s a recipe worth making!

• More natural ingredients – This recipe calls for more natural ingredients , avoiding preservatives, excess sodium and added sugars.
• Impressive yet easy – It’s a beautiful meal and has great flavors. It’s restaurant-worthy, but simple enough for a weeknight meal.
• Make-ahead friendly – It can be made entirely ahead of time and baked later. The enchilada sauce and filling can also be made ahead of time and assembled later.
• Freezer friendly – Bake now and freeze for later. Perfect for those busy week nights.
• Leftovers are great – Reheat to enjoy leftovers.
• It can be customized – Add beans, veggies, or switch up the protein to your liking.

Turkey Enchiladas Ingredients

Instructions

Tips For Success

There are a few things you can do to make sure these Turkey Enchiladas come out perfect!

• Read through the recipe before starting – Reading through the recipe before starting helps prevent mistakes.
• Prepare the ingredients before starting – Preparing the ingredients before starting prevents mistakes and makes clean up easier.
• Shred the cheese – For the best melt, shred your own cheese. Already, bagged cheeses have anti-caking preservatives. They don’t melt as well. I use my cheese grater all the time!
• Don’t over-stuff the tortillas – Over-stuffing the tortillas can cause them to break. Put just enough so you can roll them without breaking.
• Finely dice the vegetables – Finely dice the red pepper and onion. This ensures every bite is packed full of flavor. I love this knife for dicing.

Similar Recipes

If you enjoy Mexican inspired recipes and these Turkey Enchiladas, here are a few more that I think you’ll love!

Mexican Lasagna, Mexican Zucchini Boats, Chicken Fajitas, Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Make a batch of my Favorite Guacamole and Pickled Red Onions to go with all of these recipes!

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Yield: makes 12 enchiladas

Turkey Enchiladas

Print

Ground turkey is cooked with onion, garlic, red bell pepper and green chilies then rolled in corn tortillas and covered with a homemade enchilada sauce. Cover with cheese and bake until bubbly. Delicious!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Enchiladas

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• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 ounces mild green chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Enchilada Sauce

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• 2, 14 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Additional Ingredients

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• 12 tortillas (corn of flour - see recipe below)
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar and colby jack)
• Cilantro
• Avocado
• Sour Cream
• Lime
• Optional: Pickled red onions for garnish
• Optional: Fresh Guacamole

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. First, prepare enchilada sauce by adding all of the ingredients into a medium sauce pan and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer, stirring occasionally for at least 30 minutes so.
3. While sauce simmers, prepare the filling by adding two tablespoons of olive oil to a sauté pan and place over medium heat. Add onions and diced red pepper and sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Next add garlic and chilies. Saute for an additional minute. Finally add turkey, salt, and pepper and cook until turkey is cooked through, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of the cheese and mix.
5. To assemble enchiladas, place two ladles of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Dip tortillas in the sauce (this will help make them easier to work with) then add a few tablespoons of filling and roll up placing seem side down into the pan. Cover enchiladas with enchilada sauce (may not use all of it. It can be frozen for later use) and sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top.
6. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
7. Serve with cilantro, avocado, sour cream and a lime wedge.

Notes

You can use flour or corn tortillas. Corn tortillas offer an authentic taste but are more difficult to work with. Dipping them in the enchilada sauce makes them more pliable. Flour tortillas are easier to work and do not need to be dipped in the sauce before.

You will get about 12 enchiladas if you use small tortillas and 8 enchiladas if you use large tortillas.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Enchiladas can be assembled and frozen then baked later.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 872Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 1876mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 8gSugar: 7gProtein: 48g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.

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