You'll love this lean enchilada recipe made with ground turkey, diced potatoes, and black olives all in a red sauce topped with a blend of cheese.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
This oven-baked enchilada recipe is unique in that it incorporates potatoes, black olives and ground turkey for a lean yet filling dish with tons flavor. Since very few ingredients are needed, this meal comes together quickly.
This enchilada recipe is freezer-friendly so can be prepared and frozen, then thawed and baked when you're ready for an easy meal you can pop in the oven for dinner.
These enchiladas are topped with melty cheese making then look just as good as they taste. Your family or dinner guests will want to dig right in.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
You only need 6 ingredients to make this dinner! Black olives are option but highly encouraged.
- Flour tortillas. Large size works best but smaller ones are fine too.
- Ground turkey. You can use lean ground beef or a half-and-half blend of turkey and beef if you prefer.
- Potatoes. Frozen diced breakfast potatoes is all you need here. Super easy. If you want to add a touch of sweetness, try canned sweet potatoes instead. (dice them as needed)
- Red enchilada sauce. Choose your favorite brand.
- Black olives. If you're not an olive person, you can skip these, but they do add a lot of salt umami flavor that really elevates this enchilada recipe.
- Cheese. A shredded blend of Mexican cheese is perfect. You can go with low-fat cheese if you like.
That's it! Super simple. So good.
Optional toppings include: fresh jalapeno slices, cilantro, lime juice, sour cream, and/or hot sauce
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
Here's a look at how to prep and cook these turkey and potato enchiladas.
- Brown ground turkey.
- Add potatoes and black olives.
- Stir to combine.
- Add layer of enchilada sauce to pan.
- Fill tortillas, roll up, then place one by one into the pan.
- Pour over remaining enchilada sauce.
- Brush to coat tortillas with sauce.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Can I use ground beef instead of ground turkey?
Incorporating lean ground turkey in place of ground beef is one of the best ways to make a favorite dish more healthy. However, if you prefer beef, then you can absolutely make the swap from turkey to beef.
Keep in mind that if using a high-fat ground beef, you may want to drain away excess fat that cooks out. Or start with a lean blend of ground beef.
Sometimes a half-and-half blend of ground beef and ground turkey is the best of both worlds as far as flavor and cutting down on grease.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers cans be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Should I season these enchiladas?
The beauty of enchilada sauce is that it is seasoned, so you do not need additional seasonings.
However, if you want to add some extra kick to the turkey as it browns, you can sprinkle on fajita or taco seasoning.
Can I make ahead and freeze these enchiladas?
Yes, these enchiladas can be made ahead and frozen before baking for a quick and easy meal. Just thaw and heat as directed.
If you don't have time to thaw, don't worry. You can bake from frozen, just add some bake time and let the dish heat up with the oven to prevent shattering if using a glass baking dish.
What sides pair well with these enchiladas?
Common side dishes include Mexican rice, black beans, guacamole, or a fresh salsa with tortilla chips.
Are flour tortillas necessary, or can I use corn tortillas?
While corn tortillas are traditionally used in enchiladas, I prefer flour tortillas. Go with whichever you prefer! Keep in mind that the flavor and texture will be slightly different.
How can I make this recipe vegetarian?
To make these enchiladas vegetarian, omit the turkey and consider adding a veggie or substituting with plant-based protein like black beans or tofu.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
Love Mexican flavor?
Browse all my easy Mexican-style recipes and be sure to Pin your favorites for later!
Easy Lean Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2-4 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 lb ground meat ground turkey or beef or blend of both
- salt and pepper to season meat
- 3.8 oz sliced black olives drained
- 16 oz frozen diced potatoes
- 16 ct flour tortillas
- 28 oz red enchilada sauce
- 8 oz Mexican blend shredded cheese
Optional Toppings
- jalapeno slices, fresh cilantro, squeeze of lime, sour cream, and/or hot sauce
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Instructions
- Heat skillet to medium/high heat then add ground turkey. (Add a drizzle of cooking oil as needed to prevent sticking). Cook until browned.
- Add frozen potatoes to the meat and cook together until the potatoes are cooked through. Add a few more drizzles of vegetable oil to the pan when things.Add chopped black olives and about โ cup of enchilada sauce to the potatoes and meat. Mix to combine.
- Add a thin layer of enchilada sauce to a large baking pan.Fill a tortilla with ¼ cup of the turkey and potato mixture and place it in the middle of the shell. Add 1 tablespoon cheese on top. Fold one side of the tortilla in, over the filling, then fold the other side over. Flip the enchilada so the seam faces down. Repeat this process for all 12 tortillas.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas, brush to completely coat.Sprinkle a layer of cheese evenly over top.Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool before serving.
Notes
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