These turkey taco meal prep bowls are made with juicy turkey taco meat, corn, pico de gallo and brown rice and are simple, but filling. Make them ahead for four delicious lunches.
Meal prep is the best way to ensure that you avoid wasting a whole bunch of money buying your lunch...some of my favorites include these honey sesame chicken bowlsย and these caprese chicken salad bowls. These turkey taco lunch bowls are perfect if you are craving Mexican food!
These meal prep bowls are not only one of the most popular meal prep recipes on Sweet Peas & Saffron, but one of my personal faves as well!
Inspired by a burrito bowl, but with turkey taco meat, brown rice, corn and a quick pico de gallo for a pretty and delicious meal.
Think of this as a really loose recipe that you can adapt with your favorite toppings.
Reasons you'll โก this recipe
- so tasty!
- they are simple to prep and make 4 lunches
- the recipe is easily adaptable
Recipe Video
These meal prep bowls are super simple to prep, but it always helps to have a visual. Watch the video below to see exactly how this recipe comes together. You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
Which ingredients do we need?
This recipe is highly adaptable and are loosely based on a burrito bowl. Here are the components:
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- turkey taco meat- swap the turkey for ground beef, crumbled tofu, or your favorite protein. I used my homemade taco seasoning.
- brown rice- cooked in my rice cooker. See How to Cook Brown Rice. Swap with long grain white rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice.
- corn- from a can, frozen or fresh corn work as well
- pico de gallo- normally I don't love tomatoes in my meal prep but since it's meant to be somewhat 'juicy', it works well in this one!
- cheese- optional but recommended. I used shredded mozzarella!
Other toppings that would be great in this recipe?
- roasted sweet potato
- avocado slices (add just before serving)
- salsa
- black beans
- bell peppers
Are these served hot or cold?ย
They are meant to be served cold, however you can certainly heat them up! If you do plan to heat, I might store the pico de gallo separate and add it in after heating through.
Can I use chicken?ย
Yes, you certainly can. I would cut the chicken into small pieces, sautee until cooked through, then add the taco seasoning + water to make the sauce.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes, you can! I would follow directions for the tofu taco 'meat' in this Tofu Tacos post.
What about low carb?ย
I would swap the rice for cauliflower rice (here's How to Make Cauliflower Rice!), swap the corn for bell peppers or your favorite lower carb veggie, and maybe add in some healthy fats like avocado to make it more filling.
More delicious meal prep ideas
- Cold Sesame Noodle Meal Prep Bowls
- Maple Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
- Vegan Spring Roll Bowl Meal Prep
- Easy Buddha Bowlsย
- 38 Easy Lunch Meal Prep Recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls
Ingredients
Rice
- ยพ cup brown rice (uncooked; may be swapped for quinoa or long grain white rice)
- โ tsp salt
- 1 lime (zested)
Turkey
- ยพ lb lean ground turkey (beef or chicken may be swapped)
- 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- โ cup water
Salsa
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 jalapeno (finely chopped)
- ยผ cup red onion (finely chopped)
- ยฝ lime (juiced)
- โ teaspoon salt
Other:
- 12 oz can corn kernels (341 mL; drained)
- ยฝ cup mozzarella (shredded)
Instructions
- Cook brown rice according to package directions, adding the lime zest and salt to the cooking water. Allow to cool slightly before portioning out.
- Add turkey to a medium pan and cook over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula until no longer pink (approximately 10 minutes).
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the cooked meat, then add the water. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes, until sauce has thickened.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before portioning out.
- Combine all salsa ingredients and toss together.
- To assemble lunch bowls, divide ingredients evenly between four 2-cup capacity meal prep containers.
Storage
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- You may serve cold or warm up in the microwave before enjoying (see * notes)
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Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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Ashleigh says
Love love love this receipe, super easy and fuss free but packs a punch with the flavours!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Ashleigh, we're so glad that you enjoyed these turkey taco meal prep bowls! They are a classic, and so easy but tasty! Thanks for leaving a rating and review ๐
Jessica says
This turned out good! I think I will use frozen corn next time though..didn't like the canned stuff as much.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Jessica, we're glad you enjoyed it, and hope you've found a new favorite to enjoy again and again! Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review.
Angela Pachciarz says
Just made this recipe today for lunch for my husband and I. It was delicious and so easy! Thank you for a quick and yummy lunch recipe!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Angela, we're so glad that both you and your husband enjoyed these turkey taco meal prep bowls! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review ๐
Lisa says
Hello, what exactly are the portions for the nutrional facts?
3 oz cooked turkey
.5 cup of rice
????
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Lisa, Denise's go-to "formula" for portion sizes is: 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup protein, 1 cup of vegetables. As this recipe serves 4, the nutrition facts are for 1/4 of the ingredients. I hope this helps!
Sean says
Put your conjecture at the bottom, then take the ingredients and recipe and put it at the top.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Sean, thanks for your feedback. There is a "jump to recipe" button that you're free to use at the top of each page, that will take you directly to the ingredients and recipe if you wish to skip over the ingredient details and FAQ. ๐ We do include some information about the recipe at the beginning of the post, as this helps search engines and users to find our recipes!
Debbi Collier says
So delicious! These are perfect for a grab and go lunch during the week and they were so easy to make! I also love that they can be served hot or cold and both are equally yummy!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Debbi! Yay, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the taco bowls! Thanks so much for reporting back <3
James Mullins says
Can all of these meals be frozen
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi James, we haven't had great success with freeze/thawing rice. The turkey and the corn could be frozen, but the salsa definitely will not freeze well. If you are in search of freezer meals, you might enjoy this post that includes 59 Freezer Meals. I hope that helps!
Laura Young says
Super simple and tasty! Love it! ๐
Denise Bustard says
Hi Laura! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the taco bowls! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review, I really appreciate it ๐
Leah says
Absolutely obsessed with this!! Made it as a meal prep a few weeks back and have been craving it every week since. I swapped the turkey mince for quorn mince but so impressed. Canโt recommend enough ๐โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Denise Bustard says
Hi Leah! I'm so happy to hear you've been enjoying this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review ๐
Melissa says
Hi!
Would you know how much cauliflower rice I would need to make this recipe? I usually try to eat less carb for lunch.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Melissa! I would aim for 2 cups total, around 1/2 cup per bowl. I generally use 1/2 cup rice portions. Hope you enjoy!
Lucy Benton says
Do you know the nutrition facts for this recipe with Chicken without the salsa?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Lucy, unfortunately I don't have that information. You could try putting it through a calculator like on My Fitness Pal?
Cooked Best says
Love us a taco bowl and this one looks absolutely immense! Great job Denise ๐
Denise Bustard says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Daniele says
I made these for lunch for this week. I LOVE the turkey taco bowls! I made it as directed, minus the onions (I do not like onions) and my own taco seasoning recipe, It was fantastic. I was a little leary of eating it cold but it was very tasty. I have also made the Thai Turkey lettuce wraps a couple of times and love those as well. I invested in the 2 cup snap ware containers and they are a game changer for my lunches! Thank you so much.
Sandy Whitby says
I started following your blog about a year ago, and this is still one of my favorite recipes! It is my "go-to" recipe when I don't feel like I have time to meal prep. It's so easy... I do the rice in my steamer and the turkey in my instant pot and it is done in no time. I like to add some black beans and salsa too. Thank you for showing me that meal prep can be done easily!
Denise says
Hi Sandy! I'm so happy to hear that you love this recipe! Thank you for following along, and for leaving a review! XO
Jamie says
I just made this yesterday to take for lunch the rest of the week. I just ate my first one and it was DELICIOUS!
I currently have the same aversion to brown rice that you had, so I used quinoa instead - a little less carbs, a little more protein, but altogether delicious ๐ (maybe I'll try your recipe for brown rice in the oven next time!)
Denise says
So glad you enjoyed, Jamie!
havee says
Nice muffins! thank you!
Eleanor says
I tried these swapping Turkey out for Quorn and it was great! Recipe made 4 so I ate one fresh and have 3 lunches backed up for the week. Recipe is tasty and the layout looks really beautiful.
Denise says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for reporting back, Eleanor!
Tammy Bowman says
This recipe is in my top 5 all time favorite lunch meal prep. The flavor is wonderful and I feel full after I am done eating it. Very simple to make I just love it and I can't say that enough.
Denise says
Wow, I'm so happy you enjoyed it so much, Tammy!
Annetta says
Sorry if this is a really dumb question...but you heat them or eat them cold? I eat lunch in my car 3x week so would be perfect if it didnโt need to be heated. ๐
Denise says
Hi Anetta! Not dumb at all! I have done it both ways and I have enjoyed it both ways...it comes down to personal preference ๐
Deborah says
This recipe was my first foray into meal-prep, which I have wanted to try doing for a while but have felt too overwhelmed to get started. The recipe was fantastic--quick and easy to prepare, and a great balance of nutrients, flavours and textures that kept me on my feet and didn't leave me craving snacks in the afternoon. The mental relief from not having to devise new lunches for me and my husband each day was huge, and the time I saved gave me energy and enthusiasm to try a couple of dinner meal-preps too! Thank you SO much for your wonderful site, Denise.
Denise says
Yay Deborah! Way to go! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Alisha Moore says
Hi, Denise
Interesting recipes, they look so yummy. I can't wait to make this recipe for my family. It's really healthy. Do you have a video about in this recipe? That can make easy to do beter.
Denise says
Hi Alisha! I do have a video for this but for some reason it seems that it never was uploaded to the post. Here's a link to it on Facebook for now until I have a chance to hunt it down and upload it ๐ https://www.facebook.com/sweetpeasandsaffron/videos/2235310013422699/