Nothing is better for dinner than a heaping plate of Air Fryer Turkey Enchiladas. They are so easy and one of my family’s absolute favorites.
If you want a great and quick air fryer meal, this is one of my favorites. Easy to make, and you can even prepare it ahead of time. Nothing is better than popping the tray of enchiladas into the air fryer.
If you like Mexican food as much as my family, some of my favorite Mexican Air Fryer Recipes are AIR FRYER BREAKFAST CHIMICHANGAS, AIR FRYER JALAPENO POPPER WONTON CUPS, AIR FRYER COPYCAT TACO BELL QUESADILLA or PRESSURE COOKER (INSTANT POT) — AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RICE.
Air Fryer Turkey Enchiladas
If you have never made Enchiladas before, they are simple; today, I used ground turkey. Still, ground turkey can easily substitute for ground pork, ground chicken, or even ground beef. This hearty enchilada bursts with flavor, as I included diced bell peppers, cilantro, onions, and shredded cheddar jack cheese.
I also wrapped everything together in a corn tortilla, but you can easily substitute that out for a gluten-free or low-carb tortilla if you would like.
The sauce that I used today was a simple homemade red chili sauce, which was made from vegetable oil, tomato paste, taco seasoning, minced garlic, water, and granulated sugar. This sauce was boiled down until you had a deep rich sauce ready to soak your tortillas in.
Of course, in true Enchilada style, I covered the enchiladas with a lot of cheese. While I used Shredded Cheddar Jack, you could easily substitute that out for any Mexican cheese blend.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients Used Today:
- Ground Turkey
- Taco Seasoning
- Tomato Paste
- Tortillas, Either Corn or Flour
- Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
- Cilantro
- Scallions
- Green Bell Pepper
- Onions
- Minced Garlic
How to Cook Air Fryer Turkey Enchiladas
In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil, add the onion, green bell peppers, minced garlic, and ground turkey. Saute until the turkey is brown and the vegetables are softened.
Once the turkey and vegetables are fully cooked, remove them from heat, pour them into a medium-sized bowl, and mix 1/2 teaspoon of the taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water into the ground turkey mixture, mix in 1/4 cup diced scallions and 1/8 cup diced cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
To make the homemade red chili sauce: Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a small skillet, add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, over low-medium heat saute for about 1 minute. Then add 1 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, bring to a low boil, simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Transfer to a small bowl.
How To Assemble Enchiladas:
Then into your tortillas, add about 1/2 cup of turkey filling into the center into your tortillas, then roll up. Place seam side down in a baking pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Set the baking pan into the air fryer basket or on the lowest tray level (if you have an air fryer oven); set the temperature to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting for 5-7 minutes.
Add the cheese and set it back into the air fryer basket or oven for another 2-3 minutes, just long enough for the cheese to melt; remove when the cheese is melted.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ENCHILADAS
This is a great dish to make for an alternative on Taco Tuesday; while I usually serve it with a heaping plate of Pressure Cooker, Instant Pot, and Mexican Rice, this dish will really go well with anything.
Another favorite of mine, which my kids love, is my Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn Recipe. You can also serve it with a huge salad for a complete and easy meal.
CAN I MAKE AIR FRYER ENCHILADAS AHEAD OF TIME
Absolutely, this is one of my favorite meals to make ahead of time. What I usually do, is assemble them and then cover and place them into the refrigerator.
The key with this is really to keep the sauce off of the tortillas until just ready to cook. Otherwise, the tortillas will become soggy.
A key thing to do is assemble without the sauce but make the sauce beforehand since it refrigerates very well. Then pour the sauce over the rolled-up enchiladas and then air fry.
PRO TIPS
- If you want to substitute the homemade enchilada sauce out for the homemade sauce, that will make this meal even easier.
- Make sure that the turkey is fully cooked before assembling the tortillas.
- Ground turkey can be easily substituted for either ground pork, beef, or chicken. So, use whatever you have on hand.
VARIATIONS AND ADD-INS
If you are looking to add some other fillings in, your imagination is really the only limitation; here are some of my family’s favorites:
- Beans: Add a can of black or kidney beans with your turkey filling, drain and heat up, and then toss with the turkey filling.
- Vegetables: This is a great way to add some easy flavors: corn or roasted sweet potatoes.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
If you have any leftover enchiladas, the best thing is to let them cool to room temperature. Then place them into an airtight container.
Set into the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
If you want to reheat them, place them on a microwave plate and reheat until warm, or place them back into the air fryer, then heat them at 330 degrees F, setting for about 3-4 minutes. Remove when heated through.
To keep the leftovers moist, add a couple of teaspoons of sauce to keep the enchiladas moist during reheating.
HOW TO FREEZE AIR FRYER TURKEY ENCHILADAS
If you want to make this ahead of time, freeze them, wrap the enchilada up without the sauce, and place it into an airtight container or a freezer bag.
Then freeze, they will last about 5 to 6 months. Then you can air fry them up from frozen or defrost them before reheating.
CAN YOU MAKE TURKEY ENCHILADAS WITH LEFTOVER TURKEY?
Yes, if you have leftover turkey, this is a perfect recipe with which to use your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Just substitute for the ground turkey, saute the vegetables, and then mix it with the shredded turkey.
Some Other Great & Easy Air Fryer Mexican Recipes-
- AIR FRYER MEXICAN STREET CORN RECIPE
- AIR FRYER, MEXICAN PIZZA (TACO BELL COPYCAT RECIPE)
- EASY AIR FRYER, MEXICAN AIR FRYER CHICKEN TAQUITOS
- AIR FRYER, MEXICAN CHICKEN FOIL PACKET
- PRESSURE COOKER, INSTANT POT, MEXICAN RICE
Air Fryer Turkey Enchiladas
Description
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 small Corn or Flour Tortilla
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 cup cilantro, diced
- 1/4 cup scallions, diced
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Serving Suggestions: Diced Cilantro, Scallions, Salsa and Sour Cream
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil, add the onion, green bell peppers, minced garlic, and ground turkey. Saute until the turkey is brown and the vegetables are softened.
- Once the turkey and vegetables are fully cooked, remove them from heat, pour them into a medium-sized bowl, and mix 1/2 teaspoon of the taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water into the ground turkey mixture, mix in 1/4 cup diced scallions and 1/8 cup diced cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
- To make the homemade red chili sauce: Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a small skillet, add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, over low-medium heat saute for about 1 minute. Then add 1 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, bring to a low boil, simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Then into your tortillas, add about 1/2 cup of the turkey filling into the center, then roll-up. Place seam side down in a baking pan or on a piece of foil in your Air Fryer Basket.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Set the baking pan into the air fryer basket or on the lowest tray level (if you have an air fryer oven); set the temperature to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the cheese and set it back into the air fryer basket or oven for another 2-3 minutes, just long enough for the cheese to melt, remove when the cheese is melted.
- Plate, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
Nutrition
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