We love chicken recipes, but it’s no surprise that we have it so often that dinner sometimes gets a little, well… boring. And while beef and fish are great ways to change things up, I’ve found that ground turkey offers us the most bang for our buck while still allowing us to make healthy meals. Here are 15 of our favorite ground turkey recipes you need to add to your menu rotation!
Easy Ground Turkey Recipes
1. Easy Turkey Taco Skillet
A turkey taco skillet will be a huge hit with your family. It’s an easy, healthy meal that’s ready in under 30 minutes, and you can’t beat the yummy flavor of tacos in a bowl. All you need for this quick and simple meal is ground turkey, taco seasoning, salsa, a can of corn with green and red peppers, instant rice, and your taco toppings. Cook the ground turkey with onions and garlic, then add the taco seasoning, canned corn with green and red peppers, and instant rice, and cook until rice is done. Top with your taco toppings and enjoy this quick and delicious dinner!
2. Healthy Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
Or for an even healthier take on turkey tacos, make these delicious and super easy turkey taco lettuce wraps. Yes, the kids will love them even without a shell. Promise! Make your ground turkey meat and simply replace the tortillas with a romaine lettuce leaf. This makes for a light, healthy and quick weeknight meal. Top with fresh veggies like onions and bell peppers, or onions and tomatoes. You could also make some pico de gallo, or even top with some freshly made guacamole!
3. Skinny Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Another carb-conscious option is these Skinny Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats. Don’t you just love healthy food that the whole family can enjoy so you don’t have to prep separate meals? I know I do. Cut the zucchinis in half and scoop out part of the middle with a melon baller or spoon. Chop up about 3/4 of the scooped-out zucchini to add to your ground turkey taco filling. Boil the zucchini for about a minute, then top with your cooked ground turkey and cheese. Add salsa to the bottom of the baking pan to keep everything from sticking and enjoy this delicious and healthy dinner!
4. Smokey Sweet Honey-Chipotle Turkey Meatballs
When you need something to take to a party, you can’t go wrong with these smokey sweet Honey-Chipotle Turkey Meatballs. Mix together ground turkey, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper until combined, being sure not to overmix and create 16 meatballs. Brown them on the stove, and then pour your honey chipotle mixture- made from honey, chiles, and vinegar- over them and then bake for about 5 minutes to get the sauce to thicken up.
5. Chinese Green Beans with Ground Turkey
Serve Chinese Green Beans with Ground Turkey over white or brown rice for a 20-minute meal you can make on even the busiest of weekdays. Cook your ground turkey over some sesame oil, green onions, and garlic, then add chili garlic and hoisin sauces, ginger, green beans, and soy sauce and stir. Serve over white rice.
6. Gluten-Free Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers Recipe
We love stuffed peppers, but let’s face it when they’re full of ground beef and rice, they aren’t exactly the epitome of health food. But making Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers lightens up the fat factor, and they’re just as tasty. The best part about this recipe is that the bell peppers aren’t swimming in the tomato sauce. There is a light and fresh tomato sauce inside each pepper.
All you need for this fancy-feeling dinner are some bell peppers in any color, cooked rice, ground turkey, crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and shredded cheddar cheese. Make this in your cast iron skillet and throw your constructed peppers into the oven for about 30 minutes, then add your cheese and melt it for about 5 more minutes. Plus, they look adorable in the cast iron skillet, don’t they? Don’t forget to add some olive oil to the bottom of the skillet to keep them from cooking.
7. Teriyaki Ground Turkey Bowls
Teriyaki Turkey Bowls taste like your favorite takeout, but they’re way healthier. Make them low carb by serving them over riced cauliflower. All you need for the teriyaki turkey are:
- ground turkey
- soy sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- crushed red pepper flakes
- honey
- garlic powder
- water cornstarch + water to thicken it up
8. Ground Turkey Black Bean Enchiladas
Loaded with turkey and black beans, these Ground Turkey Black Bean Enchiladas will be a regular in your family’s dinner rotation.
To make these lovelies, you’re going to need some ground turkey (obvi), black beans (also obvi), enchilada sauce (canned is cool!), low carb flour tortillas (yeah, no corn tortillas…), cheese, some spices, and 45 minutes. We cool?
-Katerina
9. Turkey and Greens Pasta Skillet
This Turkey and Greens Pasta Skillet is a great way to stretch a pound of ground turkey without sacrificing flavor or heartiness. Cook your turkey with some onion, then season with cumin, paprika, chili powder, a bit of salt, and pepper. Set it aside, then cook your pasta in broth, then add tomatoes, swiss chard, and the turkey you made. Add cheese and stir before serving, and enjoy!
10. Ground Turkey and Sweet Potatoes
Make Ground Turkey and Sweet Potatoes anytime you need a gluten-free meal to please a crowd. It comes together so quickly, and you really can’t beat the flavor. This recipe is very customizable. You can make it with regular potatoes instead, or shred your sweet potatoes to make a hash. You can also stir in some yogurt at the end to make it creamy, or serve with a cut lime for a light and fresh touch.
11. Teriyaki Ground Turkey Burgers
Teriyaki Burgers sound amazing right now! Some turkey burgers that I’ve had in the past have been a little dry, but this one looks juicy and delicious. Create your teriyaki sauce by bringing the pineapple juice from your canned pineapple rings, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger to a boil. Add about 3 TBS of your teriyaki sauce to the ground turkey, along with panko bread crumbs, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and cilantro to create your burgers. Be sure not to overmix here. Split the remaining teriyaki sauce, and use half of it for grilling the burgers and pineapple rings, and the other half for serving. These can also be made without a grill on the stove.
12. 30-minute Chili with Ground Turkey Recipe
Normally I’d argue that a great chili recipe takes hours of simmering to get the flavors just right, but I can’t argue with how tasty this 30 Minute Turkey Chili is. And it’s perfect for putting in the freezer and reheating later, so make a double batch to save time later! There’s nothing better for a surprise cold front on a busy night than 30-minute chili! Simply brown the ground turkey and add onions and peppers until they are cooked. Then add the rest of your ingredients, including a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans, a can of diced tomatoes and one of tomato sauce, diced green chilis, seasonings, and water or broth, and boil for about 15-minutes.
13. One Pan Southwest Turkey Vegetable Rice Skillet
One-pan meals are my favorite… anything that saves time washing dishes is an automatic winner in my book. We can’t wait to try this creamy, cheesy Southwest Turkey Vegetable and Rice Skillet.
Cook your ground turkey and add your onion and garlic, then add a can of green chiles and zucchini and continue to cook. Add in cooked rice, corn, and tomatoes and stir, then add cheese until it’s melted. Take the skillet off the heat, add greek yogurt and serve.
14. Ground Turkey and Peppers Recipe
Simple recipes are often the best recipes. Ground Turkey and Peppers is marvelous served over rice or pasta, but you can also add it to wraps or shells for a different take on tacos. Cook the ground turkey with olive oil, onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt, chipotle or chili powder, and 2 TBSP of chopped parsley or cilantro. Simple, quick, healthy, and delicious! If you are making more than 1 pound of ground turkey, you may want to make it in batches or in 2 skillets to prevent the vegetables from burning.
15. Fool-proof Turkey Meatloaf
Meatloaf is one of those comfort foods we can’t get enough of, but oh my goodness is it unhealthy… until now! This Fool-Proof Turkey Meatloaf is a lighter version that’s perfect for a Sunday dinner with the family. Combine turkey, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, breadcrumbs, thyme, dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper in a bowl, and combine. Shape into a loaf, bake for 40-minutes, and slice and serve immediately. Serve with white rice, mashed potatoes, or macaroni and cheese.
If you liked these ground turkey recipes, you should also check out:
- 30 Rotisserie Chicken Recipes to Make Dinner Easier
- 23 Easy Pork Chop Recipes to Feed Your Family
- 19 Insane Burger Recipes You Have to Try
