Turkey Tacos

We designed this recipe to make a lot of taco filling because 1) that filling is tasty enough for crowds, and 2) it freezes well for quick, microwave meals in the weeks or months ahead. You’ll need two 1-pound packages of ground turkey (rather than one 2-pound package). The blocks of frozen meat need to stand against each other in the cooker. Otherwise, they have a tendency to scorch— or one gets done while the other stays partially frozen. Frozen ground turkey can be difficult to break apart. After cooking, it stays in long, thin strands, about the way it comes out of the grinder. You’ll need to break these into smaller bits for a good taco filling

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Dinner, Main Course

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

30-60 min

Cooking Technique

Max Pressure Cook, Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

30-60 min, 6-8 servings, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, can chopped mild or hot green chiles, chicken broth, chunky-style mild or hot red salsa, contributed, cook 45 min, dinner, easy, frozen chopped onion, frozen ground turkey, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, main course, max pressure cook, modern, prep 5 min, pressure cook, sauté, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, soft flour or corn tortillas or taco shells, standard chili powder, table salt, yellow cornmeal

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

45 min

Servings

6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups chunky-style mild or hot red salsa
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 1/2 oz can chopped mild or hot green chiles
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
2 tsp standard chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp table salt
2 lbs frozen ground turkey
2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
Soft flour or corn tortillas or taco shells
Shredded lettuce
shredded cheese

Instructions

Stir the salsa, broth, chiles, onion, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and salt (if using) in an Instant Pot. Set the two blocks of frozen turkey in the pot so that they look like an A-frame or a lean-to, sticking up out of the liquid and balancing against each other along their upper edges. Lock the lid onto the pot.
Option 1 Max Pressure Cooker
Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 20 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Option 2 All Pressure Cookers
Press Poultry, Pressure cook or Manual on High pressure for 25 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Use the edge of a large, metal spoon and a meat fork to break the ground turkey into tiny bits.
Press the button SAUTÉ, set it for MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 400°F. Set the timer for 5 minutes.
Bring the turkey mixture to a simmer, stirring quite often. Stir in the cornmeal and simmer until thickened, 2–3 minutes. Turn off the SAUTÉ function, set the lid askew over the pot, and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken some more. Serve warm in tortillas with shredded lettuce and cheese.

Notes

Beyond
• For an 8-quart Instant Pot, you must increase the broth to 1 cup.
• Go beyond our serving suggestions: Add sliced radishes, thinly sliced red onion, sprouts (particularly radish sprouts), sour cream,and/or sliced pickled jalapeño rings to your taco.
• Use the turkey taco filling (without the tortillas or lettuce) to stuff omelets on the weekend. Or serve it warm with a fried or poached egg on top. Don’t forget to top with grated cheese.
• If you use this taco filling for burritos, make sure you drain it, especially if you intend to wrap those burritos up and eat them by hand at lunch.
*Using a –20°F CHEST FREEZER?
There is no difference in cooking times.