Kofta Smash Tacos + Greek Salad

Ya’ll, when I say this is the best thing I have made and eaten recently, I am NOT playing… I literally made this 3 days in a row and had to restrain myself from making it a 4th day because I feared hubby would not be thrilled. (he loved it though, trust). I could probably eat this every week (and almost every day) and you better believe this WILL be on my weekly rotation for the foreseeable future. So I got this idea by combining two things I love making – chicken Caesar smash tacos and sheet pan Kofta. It honestly happened by accident that this came together, but that’s how all great dishes happen right? If you make one thing from my blog, please make this. You have a crispy tortilla, with flavorful warm meat, and then a crunchy, fresh Greek salad on top for a perfect dinner. You can also absolutely use pre-made tzatziki and Greek dressing; I prefer making my own versions to get a little bit more protein in my meals; but this is totally a preference thing!

Makes: 8-10 Tacos

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes*

Total Time: 35 Minutes

*this will depend how many tortillas you can fit in your pan at once without overcrowding.

To Make:

1. First let’s get the turkey mixed so it can rest while we prep everything else. In a mixing bowl, add 1 lb ground turkey, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and 1/4 cup finely diced fresh parsley. Mix well to combine and set aside.
2. While the turkey rests, let’s chop all the ingredients for the salad. Prep the romaine, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onion and add all of these to a large bowl.
3. Next, let’s make the Tzatziki and the Greek salad dressing (you can absolutely use a pre-made Greek dressing if you prefer!).
4. First the Tzatziki – in a bowl mix together the 1 cup plain greek yogurt, 3 tbsp fresh dill, 1/2 lemon juiced, 1 garlic cloves minced, and 2 tbsp white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust if needed. Set the bowl of tzatziki aside.
5. Next, let’s make the Greek salad dressing. In a bowl, add the 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 lemon juiced, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried basil, and 1 tsp dried oregano. Mix to combine and set aside.
6. Now that we have everything prepped and ready to go, it’s time to make the tacos. Grab a large pan and heat it over medium heat. Once the pan is heated through, spray some oil in the pan to prevent sticking. Next, take a tortilla, add a large scoop of the turkey mixture to the middle. Add the tortilla, meat side down to the pan and immediately press down to thinly spread out the meat. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until the turkey is cooked through. Carefully flip the tortilla and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the tortilla starts to slightly crisp up. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate, turkey side up.
7. Repeat step 6 until all of the turkey has been used.
8. Once you have all of tacos made, let’s toss the salad (you want to do this step very last right before serving to prevent a soggy salad). Add a few spoonfuls of the dressing to the salad bowl and add the 2oz of crumbled feta and toss to coat. *add more dressing to your preference.
9. To assemble, take a taco, add a spoonful of tzatziki down the middle, then top with a generous serving of salad, making sure to get tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and feta in it! Repeat this step to assemble all of the tacos and enjoy!