These simple Ground Turkey Taco Bowls come together with cauliflower Spanish Rice and all of your favorite taco toppings! A wonderful and nutritious way to enjoy your tacos. Grain-free, Paleo, and Whole30 approved!
Hello Taco Tuesday, my favorite day of the week. You taste absolutely amazing a million different ways, but today we’re talking about taco bowls. Because tortillas are sooooo 2016…….
Kidding…….Don’t be mad taco people. I do love tortillas. But, ever since our round of Whole30, and eating this bowl of goodness every single Tuesday, I am pretty sure we can all agree that this form of tacos is just what we all need.
It’s lighter, it’s got a ton of flavor, and soooooo dang delicious. I’ve been using my Cauliflower Spanish Rice as a base for so many dishes. A true weekly staple in our house. Add it to the bottom of this flavorful ground turkey, some fresh tomatoes and cilantro, and avocado to make the best taco bowl ever.
The turkey taco meat is anything but ordinary. I’ve mixed up my favorite blend of spices, and added in some tomato paste and apple cider vinegar for the extra tang and flavor. I love to use ground turkey as a substitution for ground beef, but beef is also delicious. Feel free to change it up. Although I do have to mention, Costco sells 1.5lb packages of organic ground turkey for less than $8, which is an absolute steal! This makes ground turkey a weekly addition to our dinner rotation.
The kids will eat all the fun stuff, but just wrap it up in a tortilla. They don’t really have any idea that the rice they eat is made from cauliflower. They just know it tastes delicious! Happy Taco Tuesday, and enjoy fixing up these bowls to please everyone!
Hungry for More? Subscribe to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Ground Turkey Taco Bowls with Cauliflower Spanish Rice
Ingredients
For the turkey tacos:
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1.5 lbs ground turkey or beef
- 1/3 cup chopped white onion
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 3 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chipotle powder optional
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth may need an additional 1/4 cup
For the Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 large head of cauliflower*
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt + more to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ - ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- Fresh cilantro for garnish optional
Instructions
- Begin by making the taco meat. You can make the cauliflower rice while the taco meat is cooking, or cook the cauliflower rice ahead of time. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onion. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, then add in your ground turkey or beef. Continue to stir so the meat cooks evenly.
- While the meat is cooking, in a small bowl mix together all of your spices (chili powder through salt or chipotle powder). Once meat is no longer pink, add in your spices. Coat the meat with spices. Now mix in tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Bump up the heat just a tad and continue to mix everything until spices and liquid is evenly cooked. Reduce temperature to medium low. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes until most of the liquid is completely absorbed.
- For the Cauliflower Spanish Rice:
- Cut your cauliflower in half and in half again. Remove stem and discard. Chop the head of the cauliflower into chunks (1-2 inch pieces). Place inside a food processor and pulse. You probably need to do this in 2-3 batches. Between each batch, remove and set aside.
- Heat up a large skillet to medium heat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes.
- Add in riced cauliflower, salt, and cumin. Stir around the veggie mixture to coat.
- Add in tomato paste, then ¼ cup broth, and bump up heat to medium high. continue to stir around until the tomato paste dissolves in the mixture. If the mixture is too dry, add in more broth by the tablespoon. If the mixture is slightly wet, continue to cook until the liquid dissolves.
- Make your taco bowls:
- Assemble the cauliflower rice on the bottom, then top with taco meat. Add in all of your favorite toppings: tomatoes, avocados, green onion, cilantro, salsa, lettuce, cheese, etc.
Recipe Notes
*You can also use Trader Joe's frozen Organic Cauliflower in place of a large head of cauliflower. Follow the same instructions on heating.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
March 1, 2017 at 5:24 pmThis looks so good – I would be honored if you shared it at our Taco Tuesday link up!
http://www.lazygastronome.com/chipotle-bean-tacos-taco-tuesday-linky-7/
Michelle at LuLaRoe Michelle Dmohowski says
March 28, 2017 at 5:41 amSo so delicious!!
Joan says
April 13, 2017 at 12:31 amMade this tonight for son and Hubby…it was a big hit. I added black beans and my homemade salsa to the “sides”. They warmed up taco boats to eat with the meal. I will definitely make this again. I like having control over the amount of salt in the taco meat…you need very little or none with all the great spices. Thank you!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
April 25, 2017 at 1:43 amYou are welcome! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Zou Zou says
April 19, 2017 at 11:41 pmI’d like to know which Costco is selling 15 pounds of organic ground turkey for $8.00, because today I bought the 8-lb package of organic ground turkey at Costco for $17.25! The price of organic ground turkey aside, I cannot wait to try this recipe. It sounds delish!!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
April 20, 2017 at 1:21 amIt’s 1.5 lbs of organic turkey for $8. I can’t believe you found 8lbs for $17.25!!! That’s a crazy low price.
Zou Zou says
April 20, 2017 at 8:02 pmLOLOL! Well that makes much more sense. My Costco had a coupon price on the organic ground turkey — $3.00 off — which makes it $14.25!! I love ground turkey and actually prefer it in chili.
Zou Zou says
April 20, 2017 at 7:38 pmI made the Taco Bowl for dinner tonight and it was amazeballs! I have never added AC vinegar and chicken broth to my taco meat and I absolutely loved the flavor. There was a tiny bit of a tang, but it was the perfect complement. The whole family loved it. I am definitely adding this to my go-to dinner roster.
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
April 20, 2017 at 8:52 pmOh yay!! So glad you loved it! IT’s a favorite around here too 🙂
Chelsea says
March 2, 2018 at 11:07 amSame here with the chicken broth and ac vinegar, I hesitated adding it, but so glad I just followed the directions! It turned out so good! I actually cheated and added some corn chips and cheese for the kiddos because, well why not?! Haha. It was a hit, everyone at the table loved it! My daughter actually prefers cauliflower rice to real rice but she isn’t a fan of spanish anything unfortunately. All in all, I can say I’m glad to have leftovers for lunch today!
Amy says
March 2, 2018 at 1:20 pmGreat to hear Chelsea! Thanks for stopping by!
Renee says
April 25, 2017 at 1:56 amI grew up eating so much Spanish rice! So nostalgic for me! I can’t wait to try this!
Kari Peters says
April 26, 2017 at 5:51 pmI never get enough of taco flavors, and these bowls look wonderful! Our Costco just started carrying ground turkey too, and it’s such a good deal!
Irena Macri says
April 26, 2017 at 5:58 pmI’ve never thought to make Spanish rice with cauliflower somehow – looks sooo good paired with these taco bowls!
Michele Spring says
April 26, 2017 at 8:22 pmI love this – for some reason I forget ground turkey can be used like this. I always think it needs to be made into a turkey burger, haha!
Katja says
April 27, 2017 at 5:31 amThis is my kind of meal. Looks delish!!
Allison Wojtowecz says
April 27, 2017 at 5:23 pmI’ve been eating more turkey lately and these look like a perfect way to switch it up!
Cristina Curp says
April 28, 2017 at 6:37 amEverything tastes better in a bowl… and these have ALL THE GOODS! Yum!
ChihYu says
April 29, 2017 at 5:37 amYUm ! love taco bowls and I am going to try the Spanish rice recipe. I love Spanish flavored dishes !
Vanessa Woozley says
April 30, 2017 at 10:03 amhmmmm yummy this looks so colourful and delicious.. I love spicy food and this has so many great spices added to it, wonderful recipe..
Real Food with Dana says
April 30, 2017 at 3:46 pmI could definitely eat this every tuesday! Love this idea! And such great flavors too!
STACEY CRAWFORD says
April 30, 2017 at 10:39 pmAwesome recipe for Cinco de Mayo! I’m always game for anything involving the word “taco”. 🙂
Taesha Butler (The Natural Nurturer) says
May 1, 2017 at 12:51 amAdding these to the Taco Tuesday line up!
Jessica DeMay says
May 1, 2017 at 2:51 amOh man- this bowl looks amazing! I totally prefer bowls over tacos. Also- your pics are gorgeous!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
May 1, 2017 at 6:16 amThis is jam packed with so many delicious flavors! It sounds absolutely delicious.
Becky Winkler says
May 3, 2017 at 2:48 amLove loaded bowls like this! Perfect for meal prep this time of year.
Georgina Young says
May 8, 2017 at 3:12 pmMy meat eating friends would go absolutely insane over this! Love the colours <3
Christina says
June 7, 2017 at 11:50 pmMade this night and it was amazing! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. It’s definitely a keeper!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
June 8, 2017 at 8:14 amGreat, glad you loved it Christina!
Vanessa says
June 12, 2017 at 3:52 pmHelllo,
I am doing an elimination diet and im not able to have tomatoes, im wondering what i could possibly sub in for the tomato paste.
Thank you 🙂
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
June 13, 2017 at 9:40 amHi Vanessa, you can just leave it out altogether.
Mara says
June 26, 2017 at 4:29 pmWould ground chicken work? …..and would I need to adjust cooking time or anything? Thank you, in advance!!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
June 26, 2017 at 5:08 pmSure! Ground beef or chicken! Cooking directions and spices would all be the same.
Jen says
July 2, 2017 at 9:22 pmThis is one of the first recipes I tried during my first round of Whole30, and it’s one of my favorites! I generally hate cauliflower and this still didn’t do it for me plain, but mixed in with the meat and everything, it was great! I made mine into taco salads, tons of lettuce and fresh spinach, and added salsa. Only thing I’m not sure of is the vinegar in the meat, may cut that back a bit, it doesn’t seem to affect the taste much but does affect the smell.. Otherwise, delicious, and I’m about to go make it again!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
July 3, 2017 at 8:10 amSo glad to hear, Jen!! This is how I do tacos all the time, LOVE IT!!
Chrissy says
July 21, 2017 at 1:54 pmWhat are the serving sizes for the cauliflower rice and meat? This looks delicious!!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
July 21, 2017 at 7:43 pmHi Chrissy, about 1/2 cup meat with 3/4-1 cup cauliflower rice. Hope that helps!
Jessica says
August 4, 2017 at 6:49 pmLooks delish! How many servings would you say this recipe would be?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
August 5, 2017 at 10:54 pmHi Jessica, about 4 adult sized servings.
Tori says
August 6, 2017 at 4:49 amThis meal is FANTASTIC! 🙂 Made it two nights in a row, it was so tasty. Man and child approved, also! Thank you!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
August 6, 2017 at 9:50 pmLove to hear this, Tori! Thanks for stopping by.
Danielle W says
August 13, 2017 at 4:35 pmWhat is the topping you used in the pictures? It looks like some sort of seed.
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
August 13, 2017 at 5:16 pmPumpkin seeds!!
Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving says
August 29, 2017 at 12:39 pmI have some turkey in my freezer and I now know what to do with it! This looks amazing!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
August 29, 2017 at 2:06 pmEnjoy Kelly!!!
Jennifer says
September 19, 2017 at 5:35 pmWow, wow, wow. Just made it for my 3 year old and she asked for seconds! She loved it. Itcmakea me do happy that I can feed her this and she is getting great nutrition and flavor. She is learning that health y tastes great.
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:52 pmYESSSS!!! The best when kids love our healthy food!
Jennifer says
September 19, 2017 at 5:36 pmWow, wow, wow. Just made it for my 3 year old and she asked for seconds! She loved it. It makes me so happy that I can feed her this and she is getting great nutrition and flavor. She is learning that healthy tastes great.
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:51 pmLove hearing that!!!
Carly says
February 7, 2018 at 9:02 pmI’m doing whole 30 and had some frozen turkey, so I just googled ‘whole 30, ground turkey’ to see what I could make. This link came up and it was amazing! It’s recipes like this that make me think I could do Whole 30 for longer than 30 days. Thank you for posting it!
Amy says
February 7, 2018 at 9:26 pmLove to hear that, Carly!! So glad you found my site 😃
Mary Barber says
April 9, 2018 at 8:32 amMade this dish yesterday. I love it. Spices gave the perfect kick.
Amy says
April 9, 2018 at 9:22 amLove to hear that, thanks Mary!
DJBJ says
May 6, 2018 at 7:30 pmYummy with a nice spice
Ariel Daniel says
June 26, 2018 at 10:17 pmThis dish was sooooo good. Would you happen to have the nutritional facts?
Amy says
June 27, 2018 at 12:15 pmHi Ariel,
I just updated the recipe to include nutrition facts! They are in the notes section of the recipe. Glad you loved it!
Sarah says
September 18, 2018 at 11:26 pmI made this last night. It was absolutely delicious!! The leftovers the next day were even better. Thank you so much for sharing! I’m excited to have a healthy recipe that tastes this good.
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:52 pmWooohooo!!!
Tiffany says
October 11, 2018 at 8:17 pmThis recipe is amazing! The only this I omitted was the salt. I Used Mrs. Dash instead. Thank you for such a wonderful meal.
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:54 pmYay!! And you are welcome 😉
Susan Irving says
December 16, 2018 at 12:18 amMade the Taco Bowls tonight, added in drained, rinsed black beans and 2 Tablespoons of mild chopped green chiles to cooked meat. It was wonderful. Topped ours with salad and shredded blend mexican cheese. It’s definitely a keeper!!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:53 pmSuch great additions!!
Koreena says
January 13, 2019 at 11:02 pmSuper good! I followed it exactly, but I used 3 cups of frozen Walmart riced cauliflower, and I added cayenne to both the rice and turkey. I can’t find any flaws with this recipe. Great for any night of the week. Wish I could post a pic!
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:53 pmSo glad it was a hit!!
Lauren says
February 21, 2019 at 11:30 amDelicious! Awesome flavor!
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:53 pmSo glad you loved it!
Nasha Hu says
April 7, 2019 at 8:02 pmDelicious
Debbie Gray says
June 13, 2019 at 8:21 pmBoth recipes are delicious! This recipe is a keeper… thank you!!
Kristen says
June 17, 2019 at 10:43 pmMade this for dinner tonight and this recipe was so delicious and flavorful loved every bite!
Amy says
June 19, 2019 at 1:52 pmYessss! Love to hear that!
Alice says
September 3, 2019 at 6:52 pmMade this recipe today for my family! Everyone loved it – and we are all Mexican so we can be very picky haha! Thank you for this delicious, Whole30 compliant dish 🙂