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These Instant Pot tacos with ground turkey are weeknight gold. The pressure cooker does all the work while you handle the fun part—toppings. In just 10 minutes, you’ve got saucy, flavor-packed tacos that feel way more special than the effort it took to make them.
These tacos with ground turkey come out tender, juicy, and perfectly saucy every time. They’re so flavorful you technically don’t need the extras—salsa, sour cream, all that—but let’s be honest, we’re still putting them on the table. The best part? Dinner’s done in 10 minutes. While the turkey pressure cooks in all that salsa-chile goodness, you’ve got just enough time to chop your toppings and pretend you didn’t almost order takeout.
Looking for more taco inspiration? Try these quick-and-easy baked chicken tacos—crispy, cheesy, and ridiculously good. If you’re in slow-cooker mode, my 4-ingredient slow-cooker chicken tacos are basically made for busy weekdays (or lazy Sundays). And don’t sleep on breakfast tacos—these healthy ones deserve a spot in your weekend brunch lineup.
Why You’ll Love Instant Pot Tacos
- You can focus on other prep—No babysitting a pan and stirring required. The Instant Pot cooks the ground turkey meat flawlessly while you chop and prepare toppings.
- They’re quick—You can get tacos on the table for your family in 10 minutes.
Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey—I go for a 93/7 blend (93% lean, 7% fat), but you can use a leaner blend if you prefer. Because the meat cooks under pressure in salsa and chiles, it comes out juicy and tender no matter what.
- Canned green chiles—These aren’t spicy, but they add a nice, earthy flavor. You can omit them if you want, though, as they don’t make or break the dish.
- Salsa—We all love fresh salsa, but a chunky jarred salsa is a must here. It has the right consistency to create a nice, thick sauce for the meat rather than a runny mess.
- Taco seasoning—I like using my homemade taco seasoning, but any will do! You can use a packet or even your own personal blend.
Modifications
- Protein—This recipe works well with ground chicken or ground beef.
- Vegetables—Once in a while, I’ll add some chopped veggies into the mix, like bell pepper or mushrooms, just to up the nutrient value.
- Add heat—You can add some hot sauce or extra cayenne to the meat, or, instead of using canned chiles, chop up and add an adobe chile or two. With that, you’ll also get a fantastic smoky flavor!
How to Make Instant Pot Tacos
Step 1: Parcook the Ground Turkey
Activate the Instant Pot’s sauté function on low or medium. (High gets too hot, and the ground turkey tends to stick.) Heat the olive oil in the pot, then add the ground turkey. Simmer for about two minutes, stirring and breaking the turkey down into crumbles as you go, until the meat is just partially cooked. Turn off the sauté function.
Step 2: Add Those Flavors
Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the ground turkey, then add the salsa and green chilies (with the liquid; don’t drain). Stir everything until well combined, then lock the Instant Pot lid into place.
Step 3: Pressure Cook
Position the valve to “sealing” and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
Step 4: Prepare Your Toppings
While the ground turkey cooks, you can prep your toppings—chop the tomatoes and lettuce, shred the cheese, etc.
Step 5: Quick Release & Serve
When the Instant Pot timer goes off, do a quick release. Once all of the steam has escaped, remove the lid from the Instant Pot and give everything a good stir.
Pile the filling into your taco shells, top with your favorite stuff, and enjoy!
Recipe Tip
When you add your salsa and chilies to the Instant Pot, let them simmer a bit, then scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Browned bits from the turkey that stick to the pot can trigger a burn notice, even if nothing is burning.
Sides for Tacos With Ground Turkey
- Drinks: Classic margarita, Watermelon sangria with prosecco
- Vegetables: Honey lime air fryer sweet potatoes, oven-roasted broccoli
- Dips: Texas caviar, easy taco dip, salsa, queso, guacamole
Frequently Asked Questions
In this particular recipe, it doesn’t matter. Between the pressure-cooking and the salsa, both meats—no matter how lean—will come out incredibly tender and flavorful.
Yes, and you can follow the same basic rules. Par-cook the ground turkey in a pan with some oil and stir in the seasoning. When adding the salsa, add a bit at a time. You may not need the
Both ground turkey and ground beef are excellent sources of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. People often reach for turkey when they’re looking to cut back on saturated fat for heart health or weight management. That said, red meat isn’t the enemy—enjoyed in moderation, it can absolutely be part of a balanced diet.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Store leftover taco meat in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To freeze, transfer the meat to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to six months. Alternatively, you can store it in a freezer bag. Lay it flat, push as much air out as possible, and seal tightly. Pop it in the fridge the night before to thaw.
- When it comes to reheating, you can either pop it in the microwave and reheat it in 25-second increments, or transfer it to a pan and reheat it on the stovetop.
If you try these Instant Pot Tacos With Ground Turkey, please pop back and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Instant Pot Tacos With Ground Turkey
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb ground turkey
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 cup chunky salsa
- 2 TBSP taco seasoning, I like using my homemade taco seasoning here
- 4 oz canned green chilies (not drained)
- 6 taco shells, hard and/or soft; whichever your prefer!
Topping Ideas
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese , Mexican blend, taco blend, or cheddar work great.
- Hot sauce
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Activate the sauté function [low or medium] on Instant Pot.
- Add the olive oil to the pot, heat it, and once its hot add the ground turkey. Let it simmer for about two minutes, stirring and breaking the turkey down into crumbles as you go. When the turkey is partially cooked, turn off the sauté function.
- Stir the taco seasoning into the ground turkey, then add the salsa and green chilies. Mix well, then lock the lid into place, positioning the valve to "Sealing".
- Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- As the ground turkey cooks in the Instant Pot, get your toppings ready.
- When the Instant Pot timer goes off, move the valve to "venting" for a quick release. Once the pressure has completely released, remove the lid from the Instant Pot and stir everything up once more.
- Pile the filling into your taco shells, top with your favorite stuff, and enjoy!
Super quick to make and easy clean up. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
really yummy! Adding this recipe to my top taco recipe rotation!
These were super easy and delicious! A real winner with my family. Thank you!
I don’t know why I never thought to use my Instant Pot for taco night. These are so good!
I love this healthier take on tacos! I’m a big fan of using ground turkey in place of beef, so I’m eager to try this.
You had me at 10 minute tacos! Adding this to our menu plan for later this week. Thanks!!
This Seasoning is bursting with flavors. Perfect snack for any time of the day. Tempting and inviting too.
Served these for dinner last night and they were a hit all around the table! Quick, easy and turned out absolutely delicious! Easily, a new family favorite recipe!
Wow! I can’t believe how quickly you can get these delicious looking tacos on the dinner table! Perfect for busy evenings. :)
These tacos were so easy to make and were super satisfying!! My whole family loved them!