If you don’t want to eat the same lunch multiple days in a row, this Hot & Cold Turkey Taco Meal Prep is for you. It makes two taco salads and two taco bowls so you get variety with minimal extra work.
It’s meal-prep season, and I’m excited to share this recipe and video. Two of the most common meal-prep complaints are:
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“I don’t like eating the same thing every day.”
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“I don’t like leftovers.”
Here’s a simple approach: plan dinners so they produce intentional leftovers that become different lunches. That way you save time without being stuck with the exact same meal all week. One recipe, two ways to serve it — taco salads and taco bowls — gives you variety from the same base.
Recipe Overview
Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Stovetop
Prep: Make-ahead friendly
Watch how to Make Hot & Cold Turkey Taco Meal Prep (1 min 42 sec):
The difference between “leftovers” and intentional meal prep is mindset. If you plan to eat what you cook and prepare it to store well, it’s meal prep — not stale leftovers. Making your own salads and bowls at home is easy, cheaper, and usually healthier than pre-made options.
How to make this meal prep work for you:
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Customize toppings to your taste. You don’t need to follow the recipe exactly — adapt it to what you like.
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Use glass meal-prep containers instead of plastic. Glass holds up better to microwaving and dishwashing and keeps food tasting fresh.
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Swap the ground turkey for another protein if you prefer. Ground beef, chicken, or plant-based crumbles can work.
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Mix and match quinoa flavors. I pair cilantro-lime quinoa with the salads and tomato-green chili quinoa with the bowls, but you can use any combination you enjoy.
More meal prep lunches…
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Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep
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Easy Buffalo Chicken Salad Meal Prep
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Tuna Egg Salad Meal Prep
Hot & Cold Turkey Taco Meal Prep
Recipe by Danielle
Two taco salads and two taco bowls let you prep two different lunches with half the effort — perfect for anyone who hates eating the same lunch every day.
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield4 meals
Ingredients
Turkey Taco Mixture:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or EVOO)
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 1 jalapeño, diced, seeds and stem removed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt + black pepper to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 lime’s worth of lime juice
Quinoa Mixtures:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or more depending on cooking method)
- Lime Cilantro Quinoa: 1/2 lime juice, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Tomato & Green Chili Quinoa: 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes and green chilis
Toppings & Side Ideas:
- romaine lettuce
- green onion
- black olives
- diced tomatoes
- avocado (add when serving)
- shredded Mexican cheese
- cilantro
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook quinoa using low-sodium chicken broth according to your preferred method (stovetop, Instant Pot, or rice cooker). Cool slightly.
- Heat oil over medium in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add ground turkey and break it into small pieces. Season with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook 6–7 minutes until mostly browned. Drain excess liquid if needed.
- Add cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic, jalapeño, black beans, corn, and another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and simmer 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Divide cooked quinoa into two bowls (about 1 1/2 cups each). In one bowl, stir in lime juice, cilantro, and salt for the cilantro-lime quinoa. In the other, add chili powder, cumin, and the tomatoes & green chilis for the tomato-green chili quinoa.
- Assemble meals: place lettuce in the salad containers and the tomato quinoa in the taco bowls. Divide the turkey mixture evenly across the four meals. Add lime-cilantro quinoa to the salads and raw toppings (green onion, tomatoes). Add cheese and cilantro to the bowls (items that reheat well). Add avocado only when serving.
- Store in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Salads are great cold; heat the bowls in the microwave about 1 minute 45 seconds, stirring once, until hot.
Equipment
3-Piece OXO Wooden Spoon Set
3 Compartment Glass Meal Prep Containers
Notes
Nutrition was estimated and does not include chips or avocado. This recipe is a variation of an earlier turkey taco black bean salad recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunches
- Method: Stovetop
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 pound turkey & 3/4 cup quinoa + toppings
- Calories: 495
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Protein: 36g