Ground Turkey Taco Ring Recipe

Whether tacos are a weekly meal for you or just something you enjoy every once in a while, it's still fun to change things up now and then. The basic elements of a taco — spicy meat, melty cheese, a crispy shell, and juicy cooling toppings — are a perfect combination of flavors and textures. That's why we sometimes turn tacos into a salad, make taco-flavored dip, and even bake tiny taco tarts. Well, here's another recipe to add to our repertoire of non-traditional taco spinoffs: ground turkey taco filling cooked inside a casing of canned crescent rolls. As developer Kate Shungu says of this dish, "The taco ring is a delightful spin on taco night."

Shungu tells us this recipe is as convenient as it is delicious, "It holds together surprisingly well after baking so you can eat it like a taco, no fork and knife required." The buttery crispy crescent rolls offer the perfect contrast to the juicy seasoned meat, and the cheese melts right into the mixture to pull everything together in a warm and comforting package. The attractive ring shape makes this hand-held meal perfect for a party. While this dish makes a great entree, you can also slice it up and serve it as an appetizer. For a Mexican-style fiesta, we'd suggest pairing it with a glass of homemade horchata.

The ring is made from canned crescent rolls, while the filling consists of ground turkey and Colby-jack cheese flavored with taco seasoning. There's also a bonus recipe for salsa made with avocado, Roma tomato, jalapeño, red onion, lime juice, and salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the ground turkey and taco seasoning until the turkey is fully cooked and no longer pink, about 5–6 minutes. Crumble the turkey as it cooks.

Stir in the cheese.

Place a bowl or cookie cutter that is 5–6 inches in diameter in the middle of the prepared pan.

Arrange the crescent rolls around the bowl/cookie cutter, with the short edge of the triangular shaped crescent rolls touching the bowl/cookie cutter. The crescent rolls can overlap slightly so they all fit (it will look like a sun).

Spoon the cooked turkey filling on the wide part of the crescent rolls, right next to the bowl/cookie cutter, gently packing it so it stays put.

Remove the bowl/cookie cutter. Bring the tip of each crescent roll around the turkey filling, gently tucking it under the filling on the inside of the ring. It should be in the shape of a wreath when done.

Bake the taco ring for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

While the taco ring is baking, gently toss together the avocado, tomato, jalapeño, red onion, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl.

Slide the cooked taco ring onto a serving platter. Spoon the avocado salsa into the center.

Serve while still warm.

Just as you can use any number of different fillings and toppings in standard tacos, you can also switch up this taco ring with a few tweaks to the ingredients. For one thing, you needn't stick with ground turkey, but can use chicken, beef, pork, chorizo, bison, or any other ground meat you have on hand. You can also use a plant-based ground meat substitute or even crumbled tofu and swap out the cheese for a non-dairy version. Even if you're not trying to veganize this recipe, you can still change the cheese. Instead of mild Colby-jack, a spicy pepper jack or tangy sharp cheddar would be tasty, or you can opt for a Mexican cheese blend.

While this taco ring comes with a bonus recipe for an avocado-tomato salsa, feel free to use bottled salsa or a different recipe for homemade pico de gallo or guacamole. A lime and cilantro-based chimichurri would also be tasty, as would a topping of sour cream flavored with taco seasoning. As for this seasoning, if you don't have any of the packaged stuff, you can make your own taco spice mix with pantry staples including chili powder, dried onions, garlic, and bouillon granules.

If you're making tacos for a crowd, you can outsource the assembly as a DIY project, with each person adding their own fixings to their personal preference. This taco ring, on the other hand, is something that needs to be fully assembled before baking. There may be a little more effort involved in the preparation, but once it comes out of the oven it's convenient and fun to eat. Working with the premade dough won't be too difficult as long as you keep the crescent rolls in the refrigerator until right before you need them so the dough stays cold, which makes it easier to work with. Be careful, too, not to pack the meat in too tightly, as this could cause the filling ring to fall apart when you take the bowl away.

To facilitate removing the cooked taco ring from the pan, it helps to line the latter with parchment paper or a silicon mat. If you don't have either of these items, aluminum foil will work just as well. You can also grease the pan generously and, if worst comes to worst, slice the ring right on the pan. Sure, it won't make for such a pretty presentation, but it will still taste just as good.