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Turn your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers into this smokey, spicy and cheesy baked Tinga tacos with avocado crema. The turkey is brought back to life in a tomato and chipotle sauce and baked into a crispy taco that will have you not even thinking about mashed potatoes and gravy. The avocado crema is silky smooth and is the perfect pairing for these spicy baked tacos. You will want to save this leftover turkey Tinga baked tacos with avocado crema recipe to make after Thanksgiving.
Every Thanksgiving, we also have so much leftover turkey. And although we love a good turkey sandwich, I sometimes crave some different flavors. But cooked turkey can be tricky to create new recipes with because it can be on the drier side. That is why these baked Tinga tacos are the perfect match for your leftover turkey. The smokey and spicy sauce adds the moisture and flavor into the turkey. And the avocado crema brightens up the dish and helps balance out the spicy tacos. Plus, tacos are always a hit with the family! We love making baked tacos, like this recipe or my buffalo chicken baked tacos!
If you are unfamiliar with Tinga, it is a Mexican dish made from tomatoes, chipotle and onions. It often stewed with shredded chicken. But in this recipe, the turkey replaces the chicken. It makes for a delicious filling for these baked tacos.
The seasonal side of these leftover turkey baked tacos
Although Avocados are not in season in California right now, they are in season in Chile! When avocado season ends in California, it starts in Chile, allowing for you to continue to enjoy this creamy fruit that is packed with good fat, fiber and potassium. I love creating meals for my whole family using avocados because of the nutritional value they offer. Cooking with avocados from Chile allows for us to enjoy recipes like this one, when domestically grown avocados are not available.
The avocado crema used in this recipe is simple but makes a huge impact on this recipe. The avocado flavor stands out and does not compete with the baked turkey tacos, but instead complements them. It is velvety smooth, and we never have any leftover crema when we make these baked tacos. In fact, it often is my kids’ favorite part of the meal!
Why we love these leftover turkey Tinga baked tacos with avocado crema
Easy: You only need a handful of ingredients and a little bit of time to make these baked turkey tacos. The majority of the time making these tacos is hands-off cooking, when the sauce is simmering, or the tacos are baking in the oven.
Perfect use of leftover turkey: The tomato and chipotle sauce brings moisture back into the turkey as well as flavor. It is great way to use leftover turkey to create a new dinner recipe.
Versatile: You can use leftover chicken in this recipe instead of the turkey. And you can control how spicy it is by adding more or less chipotle peppers. You can also customize the cheese to your liking.
Flavorful: The first time I made this turkey Tinga baked taco recipe, my husband took a bite, and said “these taste like they were made with love.” These tacos really are a comfort meal! Every bite has so much flavor from the sauce to the cheese, to the avocado crema.
Tips and tricks to making these baked turkey tacos
- When blending the tomato sauce and chipotle peppers, start by adding one chipotle. Blend, then give it a taste. If you want the sauce to be spicier, add another chipotle to the sauce to bring the spicy level up.
- You can use white, dark or a combination of both meats from the turkey. Use whatever you have leftover!
- Wait to add the turkey to the sauce until the last 3-4 minutes. You want to just warm it up and combine the turkey to the sauce, but you do not want to dry out the turkey by cooking it any longer.
- If possible, shred your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese often has a coating of non-caking agent that can interfere with the melting of the cheese.
- Start checking on the tacos in the oven around the 10-minute mark to be sure they are not burning. Remove them from the oven just as they start to turn a golden brown.
- When making the avocado crema, mix the two avocados, lime, garlic clove and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt together in a food processor. Taste after combining and add more lime or salt as needed.
Ingredient substitutions and variations
Turkey: Want to make these delicious baked Tinga tacos all year around? Swap out the turkey for chicken! This is a great recipe to use leftover roasted chicken as well.
Monterey Jack Cheese: Pepperjack cheese is a great replacement for the Monterey jack cheese. You could even use cheddar cheese if needed.
Flour Tortillas: You can replace the flour tortillas with corn tortillas if you wish. Just do not forget to pre-heat the tortillas in the oven for a few minutes before building the tacos to prevent them from breaking.
Yellow onion: You can use a yellow, white or sweet onion in this recipe.
If you give these leftover turkey tina baked tacos with avocado crema a try, be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I really appreciate your feedback!
And be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.
From my kitchen to yours, happy cooking! I hope you love these baked tacos as much as my does!
Leftover Turkey Tinga Baked Tacos with Avocado Crema
Ingredients
- 3 C. Leftover turkey shredded (or leftover chicken)
- 10 small flour Tortillas or corn tortillas
- 1 yellow Onion sliced
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- 1 15 oz. Can Tomato sauce
- 1-2 Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Adobo sauce
- 2 C. Monterey Jack cheese shredded
Avocado Crema:
- 2 Avocados
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/3 C. Sour cream
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a medium skillet. Once hot, add the sliced onion. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and soft. Add in minced garlic and sauté additional 1-2 minutes.
- Combine the chipotle, Adobo sauce, and tomato sauce in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add an additional chipotle pepper to make spicier. Pour the blending tomatoes and chipotle peppers in the skillet with the onions. Add in the bay leaf, cumin, and salt to taste. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the shredded turkey and cook for additional 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard bay leaf.
- Place the tortillas onto a baking sheet line with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 2-3 minutes to warm up the tortillas. Remove from the oven and spray all the tortillas with cooking oil and flip over. On one side of the tortilla start to build the taco by placing a little bit of shredded cheese, the turkey Tinga and more cheese. Fold over other side and press firmly down so they tortilla stays closed against the cheese.
- Place the tacos in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes or until the tortillas are golden brown.
- While the tacos bake, make the avocado crema by placing the ingredients into a food processor and blending until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and lime level to personal preference.
- When the tacos are done, remove from oven and serve with avocado crema. Enjoy!
