Looking for ways to use ground turkey? Here are a variety of delicious healthy ground turkey recipes that are sure to be a hit!
Let’s talk turkey… ground turkey that is!
Ground turkey is a staple that we pretty much always have on hand. In general, I prefer to cook with ground turkey over ground beef because it’s a leaner protein and lower in saturated fat. Plus, it has a milder flavor, which makes it such a versatile protein that compliments a variety of meals nicely.
I do have one ground beef recipe on EBF (this no bean chili) and a handful of ground chicken recipes most of my ground meat recipes are turkey so I’m putting them all into one post so you can easily find them when you need them.
Ground Turkey vs. Ground Beef
Overall, ground turkey is a leaner meat than ground beef. If you’re using 99% lean ground turkey it will have fewer calories and fat than ground beef. If you’re comparing 93% ground turkey with 93% ground beef, the calories and fat are relatively the same, but ground turkey has less saturated fat. Saturated fat is something that’s good to limit because it can raise your LDL “bad” cholesterol and put you at higher risk for heart disease.
Ground Turkey Recipes
The great thing about ground turkey is that there are so many ways to use it! I’ve compiled my favorite ground turkey recipes below covering everything from burgers and casseroles to soups and salads.
Turkey Burger
These juicy turkey burgers are made with ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce and a blend of seasonings. They’re loaded with flavor and easy to make on the grill or stovetop.
Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers
These spinach and feta turkey burgers are quick and easy to prepare and taste delicious grilled and served on a bun with your favorite burger toppings.
Spinach Turkey Meatballs
These simple clean eating Popeye turkey meatballs are moist and flavorful, loaded with veggies and require no binders! Meal prep a batch early in the week so you can add them to pasta, sandwiches, salads and more throughout the week!
Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili
Not your average chili, this butternut squash and turkey chili features red lentils and is simmered in a creamy coconut milk and tomato broth. It can be made in your pressure cooker or on the stove top!
Turkey Chili
This lightened up turkey chili is made with a blend of kidney and black beans as well as corn. It’s the perfect meal to serve for game day or as an easy dinner!
Taco Soup
This easy taco soup recipe combines all your favorite taco ingredients in one pot – ground turkey, beans, corn, tomatoes and taco seasoning. It’s packed with flavor and a hint of spice and is perfect for meal prep.
Turkey Stuffed Peppers
These turkey stuffed bell peppers are an easy and healthy weeknight meal loaded with ground turkey, brown rice, tomato sauce and spices. Serve with side salad for a veggie-packed meal.
Turkey Eggplant Casserole
Comfort food made healthy, this cheesy eggplant casserole layers eggplant with protein-rich turkey and mozzarella. The best part? It bakes up in 30 minutes!
5-Ingredient Turkey Zucchini Boats
Healthy turkey zucchini boats that consist of 5 ingredients? Is this real life? Yes, yes it is. This dinner is comforting and so simple to make. Low-carb, paleo-friendly and gluten-free.
Turkey Cauliflower Baked Ziti
This turkey cauliflower baked ziti uses cooked cauliflower instead of pasta noodles so it’s low-carb and gluten-free while still being cheesy and delicious.
Turkey Marinara over Zucchini Noodles
Use zucchini noodles instead of pasta for a low-cal, low-carb turkey marinara pasta dish. With only five ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep time, this is a fast, healthy and easy meal you can make any night of the week.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This stuffed pepper casserole has all the delicious flavors of traditional stuffed peppers but is made in one pot for an easy weeknight meal. Loaded with ground turkey, brown rice, veggies, spices and topped with cheese. It’s hearty, delicious and packed with flavor.
Healthy Taco Salad
This healthy taco salad is made with ground turkey taco meat instead of beef and is packed with veggies. It comes together quickly making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
Cheeseburger Salad
Enjoy all the flavor of a delicious burger, but make it low carb with a cheeseburger salad that’s loaded with veggies and topped with a honey mustard dressing.
Spaghetti Squash Taco Bake
This spaghetti squash taco bake combines low-carb spaghetti squash with ground turkey, taco seasoning, salsa and cheese for a delicious, healthy and easy dinner.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
This egg roll bowl combines lean protein with coleslaw mix and coconut aminos for a healthy meal that has flavor similar to an egg roll, minus the fried wrap.
Taco Zucchini Boats
Protein packed and dairy-free, these taco zucchini boats are perfect for a quick and easy healthy weeknight dinner.
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
These unstuffed cabbage rolls taste just like the traditional recipe with a fraction of the effort. Packed with vegetables and flavor, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner.
More Recipe Collections You Might Enjoy
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Cook brown rice if you haven’t already.
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Cut bell peppers in half, remove seeds and discard. Set aside.
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In a large nonstick pan, brown ground turkey with chopped onions and garlic. Use a spatula to break ground turkey into small pieces while it cooks. It should be fully cooked after 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add rice, 1 cup tomato sauce (save remaining 1/3 cup for later), Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and cinnamon to the pan. Mix well.
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Add halved bell peppers to a 9×13 baking dish. If the peppers are leaning too much, you can trim the bottom of the pepper to help it lay flat in the pan without the stuffing falling out.
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Stuff each bell pepper with about 1/2 cup of the turkey and rice mixture and top each with 1 Tablespoon tomato sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Carefully pour 1 cup water in between peppers in the bottom of the pan to help steam the peppers while baking.
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Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and place peppers back in the oven uncovered for about 5 minutes more, until cheese melts and peppers are soft. Serve immediately.
Serving: 2pepper halves | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 12g | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
