Meat mains
Turkey & butternut tacos
Spice up your Christmas leftovers with these tacos: nothing cuts through Christmas gluttony like something fresh and spicy.
These tacos are a fantastic way of using up leftover turkey or chicken. They make a really quick and easy dinner, and some tactile dining if you put all of the components in the middle of the table.
Cook's notes
If you don’t have squash, try sweet potato
Ingredients
For the spiced squash:
- 1 small Butternut squash, peeled & cut into 2cm chunks
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
For the turkey:
- 700g cooked leftover turkey, shredded
- 1 tbsp honey
- juice & zest of 1 lime
- 50g drained sweetcorn
For the refried beans:
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 small white onion, peeled & finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 400g black beans
For the salsa:
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 small chilli, finely chopped
- ½ a small cucumber, cubed
- 100g cherry tomatoes, chopped
- juice & zest of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- small bunch of coriander
For the tacos:
- 12 taco shells
- avocado
- sour cream
Method
For the squash
-
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas 4. In a roasting tray, toss the squash with olive oil, the spices and salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, until soft.
For the turkey
-
Step 1
Combine the honey and lime juice and zest, then thoroughly mix with the shredded turkey. Season well, add the sweetcorn and mix.
To make the refried beans
-
Step 1
Start by slowly frying the onion in a little oil until soft. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the spices, then the beans, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
-
Step 2
Remove from the heat, allow the beans to cool slightly, then blitz in a blender until smooth; if it’s still too lumpy, add small amounts of water until you’ve got a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the salsa
-
Step 1
Combine all ingredients carefully in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and allow to marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
To serve:
-
Step 1
Warm the tacos in the oven as per packet instructions.
-
Step 2
Plate up the tacos, alongside each component in separate bowls, garnished with fresh coriander and sliced chilli. Serve with sliced avocado and sour cream. Build up your tacos and dig in!