Flavorful poblanos and ground turkey make up a hearty filling in these ground turkey enchiladas that bake up with a cheesy white enchilada sauce on top and lots of toppings.
Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and I’ve got your enchilada game entirely sorted. In the direction of all the cheesy goodness of course.
This really is just a panful of FLAVOR since we’ve got tons of poblanos hanging out with spiced ground turkey, and the most utterly insane creamy white enchilada sauce on top.
Too much cheese + toppings? Never.
Hands down, the best part about these enchiladas is that you can FULLY prep them ahead of time! I’m talking pan in the fridge ready whenever you are kinda convenient.
Just promise me to pull out all the stops in the toppings department here. And strongly consider pairing these alongside a good marg.
These Enchiladas Feature…
- A flavorful ground turkey poblano pepper filling
- A creamy white enchilada sauce baked on top
- Lots of gooey cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, and avocado for topping
Making the Enchiladas
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Vegetable oil
- Poblano peppers
- Yellow onion
- Ground turkey
- Garlic
- Spices
- Flour tortillas
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- 2% or skim milk
- Sour cream
- Monterey jack cheese
Topping Ideas
Try the suggestions below for different ways you can top your enchiladas!
- Fresh vegetables – diced avocado, tomatoes, minced jalapeno, or shredded lettuce.
- Aromatics – minced cilantro or green onion.
- Sauces – hot sauce, sour cream, fresh lime, or salsa verde.
Tips for Perfect Enchiladas
- Cook poblanos and turkey separately – I like to cook these ingredients separately so the peppers don’t overcook.
- Fill all the tortillas at the same time – doing so will ensure that you’re filling all the tortillas with the same amount of filling and you don’t end up with too much or too little filling at the end.
- Make a roux for enchilada sauce – a roux is equal parts fat and flour and is used to thicken the sauce.
- Melt part of the cheese in sauce – a little cheese in the sauce will help thicken it and the rest will get baked on top enchiladas.
- Make them ahead of time – keep reading for my favorite time-saving tips.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these enchiladas.
- Use another pepper – replace the poblano with sweet pepper, Anaheim, green pepper, or a mix of several.
- Swap in a different meat – try ground chicken, beef, or pork in place of the turkey.
- Add beans – reduce the meat to 1/2 lb and add a can of rinsed and drained black beans.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for how to make enchiladas ahead of time.
Fill the enchiladas with poblano/ground turkey filling, assemble in pan, cover pan, and store in fridge up to 3 days. You can also make the sauce and store in refrigerator up to 6 days.
When ready to bake, top enchiladas with sauce and cheese and bake per recipe instructions.
It’s plates like these that fully convince me to stay home and celebrate Cinco de Mayo from the comfort of my own kitchen. Hard to argue with something this packed full of flavor!
Now…about those margs you’re gonna pair with a pan of this….
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More poblano-heavy dishes you’ll love!
Poblano Ground Turkey Enchiladas
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Ingredients
Enchilada Filling
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 medium poblano peppers, cored and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
White Enchilada Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1-1/4 cups 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup plus 1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sour cream, fresh lime, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and sliced green onions for serving
Instructions
Enchilada Filling
- Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and swirl to coat bottom. Add poblanos and onion to pan and sauté 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat until onions are translucent. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to same pan and swirl to coat bottom. Add ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and brown over medium-high heat 3-5 minutes until no longer pink. Add garlic and spices and cook 1-2 additional minutes until fragrant.
- Remove turkey from heat and fold in poblano mixture. Season turkey filling with additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Fill tortillas with about 1/3 cup turkey filling and tightly roll up. Place seam-side down in prepared baking dish. Set aside for a moment.
White Enchilada Sauce
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2-3 minutes over medium heat until golden-brown. Gradually whisk in milk and bring sauce to a low simmer over medium heat, whisking until sauce is thickened.
- Remove sauce from heat and fold in 1/2 cup shredded cheese until melted. Whisk in sour cream until smooth and season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour sauce over enchiladas in pan and top with remaining 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese. Bake enchiladas at 400F 20-25 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is golden-brown.
- Allow enchiladas to cool slightly and serve with optional toppings. Enjoy!
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