Al Pastor Ground Turkey Bowls

One thing I miss about living in Austin, Texas is the easy access to tacos al pastor. But when life gives you limóns, make a high protein tribute. These ground turkey taco bowls combine extra lean ground turkey with the signature al pastor sauce, half calorie rice, black beans, and fire roasted corn. Each bowl is packed with 38 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber, meaning you can have your turkey al pastor and eat it, too.

You will find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post with notes about serving sizes and nutrition facts. If you have an ingredient question, I’ve included substitution tips and preparation tips between here and the recipe card.

Ingredients for Al Pastor Ground Turkey

At the heart of this recipe is a blender sauce. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Pineapple Tidbits in Juice – We can’t talk about tacos al pastor without pineapple. Instead of slow roasted fresh pineapple like my chicken al pastor, this sauce uses pineapple juice for sweetness and acidity. You can either blend the pineapple pieces with everything else for a smooth sauce or leave them out to have pineapple pieces in the finished ground turkey.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – The recipe calls for four ounces, but you can reduce it if you’re worried about the spice level. I’d put this turkey in the 5/10 spice range.
• Garlic Powder, Ground Cumin, Dried Oregano, Chili Powder – Standard fare aside from the call for ancho chile powder. If you have regular chili powder, that works fine.
• Ground Cinnamon and Clove – Put some respect on their name. This duo is a great way to elevate Mexican inspired proteins like pulled chicken and this ground turkey.
• Cider Vinegar – Any vinegar works.
• Achiote Paste – This is a blend of seasonings and annatto seed, which gives al pastor its signature vibrant red color. You can get by without it, but I’d recommend ordering online or making your own for best results.

If you’re short an ingredient or two, you might want to check out my ground chicken tinga or chicken chorizo recipes. The seasoning blends in those recipes would work great for ground turkey and these taco bowls.

On the flip side, if you love this flavor profile and want to use it in other recipes, my make ahead breakfast bowls use the same sauce (minus achiote) with ground chicken.

Let me know in the comments if you have a question about an ingredient or making a substitution.

Building Turkey Taco Bowls

If you’ve tried recipes like my teriyaki turkey stir fry or ground beef bulgogi, you’re familiar with my recipe for low calorie rice. It’s a simple blend of “real” rice like jasmine rice and riced cauliflower. You’ll never know the cauliflower is there. For these taco bowls, I added cilantro and lime juice to compliment the ground turkey and other flavors.

In addition to the rice blend, the recipe calls for canned black beans and frozen fire roasted corn. You’re welcome to use any beans and other pairings like grilled peppers and onions or other vegetables.

This would also be a great spot to mention you can use the al pastor turkey to make tacos, crispy baked tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, and all kinds of other stuff. I made sure to include nutrition facts for each individual component so you could easily plug and play without much math.

As far as garnishes go, diced white onion and cilantro are standard fare for tacos al pastor. But I would recommend adding a few extras like pickled onions and jalapeño peppers, salsa verde, avocado (or creamy avocado salsa), nonfat Greek yogurt or sour cream, and a crumbly cheese like queso cotija.

This pickled cauliflower with carrots and peppers would also be a great way to add some extra volume and brightness to your bowls.

If you’re planning to pack your ground turkey bowls for a taco bowl meal prep, be sure to save the garnish for after you’ve reheated them.

Okay, I think that’s everything you need to know about these al pastor ground turkey bowls. Be sure to let me know how yours turn out via a recipe review or tag on my Instagram!