These mini turkey taco boats are the best appetizers! Packed with protein and fresh produce they are the perfect bite size for everyone, and healthy too. You can buy these tortillas already shaped or this is how to make a taco salad bowl without mold from scratch right at home.
Ok so these cute turkey burger boats are not just the perfect appetizer but we have them for dinner too and the kids LOVE them!! No forks necessary really, just pack them full of fresh veggies, burgers and this creamy Sriracha sauce.
These are just delicious! We are always looking to eat healthier, and if it is quick that is an added plus for me because with three kids I really don’t have a lot of time for prep. There are several proteins you can use for this. We have cooked air fryer frozen turkey burgers and chopped them up for the kiddos to make these.
Then others can make them as is on a bun etc… If you made tacos the night before with ground turkey I would make them as a leftover taco meat recipe.
Taco Burger Boats
No matter what protein or fillers you add into the hole they are sure to please for everyone in your house, young and old. Want it spicy? This is how long to cook chorizo so you can use that for the meat.
Here is what you need to make this fun dinner or appetizer!
- Mini soft taco shell boats – Mini tortilla taco boats
- Pre-cooked taco meat or diced up burger patties like you see here
- Cheese is a must for us
- After you heat these up together you can add cold toppings like:
- lettuce
- avocado
- salsa
Super simple right?? Of course you can pack in as many vegetables as you like. I added small pieces of avocado and onion this time, they are really versatile that way!
What can you use instead of tortilla boats?
For a low carb option to these you could make air fryer zucchini boats with the inners listed below instead. Just use a spoon to scoop out the middle seeds and leave room for the meat and toppings.
How to make taco boats
If you are cooking patties instead of ground meat cut them into small bite size pieces when they are cooked so they are easy to eat in our little turkey burger boats, or opt to make Instant Pot taco meat and use that instead.
You can chop up the burgers small and make them “tacos” too. That is fun. OR make air fryer ground beef and use that instead.
Season it more if you wish but they’re pretty tasty as is. Of course pile high with toppings though! Of course you can top with a squeeze of ketchup and mustard but really this creamy Sriracha sauce takes them to a whole new level and is so easy to make! I do not like a lot of heat but this is perfect whether you’re serving these as a meal or an appetizer.
Taco Boat Sauce
These are the following items I used, toppings are just suggestions of course. You can make Sriracha mayo as we did here or mix together this sauce to add a bit of heat and creaminess. Of course you could use salsa, sour cream, guacamole or Taco Bell taco sauce out of the jar instead but these are our faves.
- 1 tsp. sugar (if you want it sweet and spicy)
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 c mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
If you make a large batch of meat for a get together but don’t use it all up you have lots of ground beef options to make next day like Taco Cornbread Casserole on and on…..
Another option is, you can make frozen hamburger patties in air fryer to break up, or choose air fryer frozen chicken patties diced when done. Any meat you use makes it such a fun finger food for everyone in the family.
Taco Boats Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 head lettuce, chopped
- 6 small cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup onion
- 1 pkg taco boats, made of tortillas, found with taco shells
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Sriracha, (or more depending on spice preference)
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Either grill or put a bit of olive oil in a pan and cook on your stovetop for about 5 minutes on each side on medium heat.
- Prep your vegetables in small pieces so they fit into your mini tortilla boats.
- Cut your cooked turkey, veggie, or original Bubba Burger patties into small bite size pieces and lay them into your small boats with your vegetables.
- Mix together your mayonnaise, sriracha, white wine vinegar, paprika, and garlic salt together.
- Serve sauce on the side or spoon into small sandwich bag, cut edge off, and squeeze on top of each mini turkey burger boat. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I recently make a turkey meatball recipe that used Amy’s chunky tomato bisque for the sauce and I put it over spaghetti squash, you could also make the recipe using lot’s of different farmers market veggies.