Spiced Orange Ancho Turkey Tacos in the Crockpot for Easy Dinners

These slow cooker spiced orange ancho turkey tacos are ideal for busy holiday weeks when you need a crowd-pleasing dinner without spending hours at the stove. Fresh orange juice, garlic, and rich ancho chili melt into boneless turkey breast as it cooks low and slow. The result is succulent shredded meat perfect for building taco bowls or filling warm tortillas with minimal effort.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb boneless skinless turkey breast
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup canned fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• 12 corn or flour tortillas, warmed
• 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese for serving
• 1 avocado, sliced for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the boneless turkey breast in the bottom of a 6-quart crockpot.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the fresh orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and fire-roasted crushed tomatoes.
3. Pour the citrus and spice mixture evenly over the turkey breast.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours (or HIGH for 3 hours) until the turkey breast is tender and reaches a safe internal temperature of 165 F.
5. Transfer the cooked turkey to a rimmed cutting board and shred the meat using two forks.
6. Return the shredded turkey breast to the crockpot, tossing it in the warm cooking juices to coat thoroughly.
7. Warm tortillas and fill with shredded turkey, sliced avocado, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro before serving.

Tips

• Storage tip: Store leftovers in an airtight container with a spoon of pan juices in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Flavor variation: Add one finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the sauce for extra smoky heat.
• Meal prep idea: Use leftover shredded turkey for quick lunch bowls over brown rice, black beans, and roasted corn.