Home Recipes Ingredients Turkey Ground Turkey
Lindsay D. MattisonUpdated: Feb. 09, 2024
These ground turkey recipes are great any night of the week. This versatile ingredient cooks up fast and can be used in anything from burgers to tacos to chili.
Ground turkey isn’t just a low-cost, low-fat alternative to ground beef. With a little creativity, this ground meat can be transformed into flavorful dinners. Whether you’re looking for a healthy dinner recipe ready in 30 minutes or an inexpensive healthy meal, you better believe ground turkey is probably involved. From comforting classics like ground turkey casseroles to creative twists, there’s something for everyone!
1/29
California Burger Bowls
This ground turkey recipe perfectly blends everything you love about a burger with the flavors of a tropical salad. If you can’t find chipotle mayonnaise, make your own by mixing chipotle chili powder into mayonnaise, or substitute another creamy dip like guacamole.
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2/29
Effortless Black Bean Chili
A good black bean chili warms the taste buds with smoky flavors, hearty beans and a kick of spice. This one is packed full of so much flavor, no one will notice you used ground turkey instead of beef!
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3/29
Three-Cheese Turkey Manicotti
Manicotti translates to “little sleeves.” It refers to both the large, tube-shaped noodles and the Italian dish made by stuffing those noodles with ricotta cheese and other fillings. The end result is a savory casserole packed full of melty cheese and bold Italian spices.
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4/29
Sweet and Spicy Sloppy Joes
There’s just something about a sloppy joe that brings us back to childhood. The comforting combination of tangy, savory and sweet flavors is made healthier by using turkey. Making this ground turkey recipe in the slow cooker means it’s even easier to prepare, making it a go-to choice for weeknight dinners.
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5/29
Great-Grandma’s Italian Meatballs
Meatballs are typically made by mixing beef with pork, sausage or veal, but we keep things lean here by using ground turkey. The 90/10 beef has enough fat to keep the meatballs juicy, but they finish nice and light because of the addition of poultry. Use this recipe the next time you’re preparing meatball appetizers for a party.
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6/29
Turkey-Stuffed Bell Peppers
We absolutely love stuffed bell peppers as an easy low-carb dinner option. The pepper maintains its tender-crisp texture, and the filling is rich and savory. To make the recipe gluten-free, swap in gluten-free bread crumbs.
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7/29
Jalapeno-Swiss Turkey Burgers
These turkey burgers turn out surprisingly juicy, especially if you pick up the package labeled as “ground turkey” instead of “ground turkey breast.” Regular ground turkey is a mixture of white and dark meat, giving the patty the extra fat it needs to stay moist as it cooks. If you’re not a fan of Swiss cheese, pepper jack cheese works well on this burger too.
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8/29
Turkey White Chili
This bowl is stunning, and the chili tastes just as good as it looks. You can use any type of bean in white chili, but we love chickpeas because they maintain their chewy texture as the soup simmers. If you can’t find turkey breast, substitute chicken breast or use all ground turkey instead.
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9/29
Mexican Turkey Meat Loaf
Meat loaf is one of our favorite ground turkey recipes. This particular recipe gets a flavor boost from all the Mexican flavors. If you end up with leftovers, slice the loaf into individual portions and use it to make meat loaf gyros.
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10/29
Turkey Sausage Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage rolls sound like a lot of work, but everything for this ground turkey recipe can be prepped in advance. Prepare the filling and soften the cabbage leaves the night before. In the morning, roll them up and pop ’em in the slow cooker so dinner will be ready when you come home.
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11/29
One-Dish Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
This is one of those ground turkey recipes you should probably double, because the leftovers taste even better the next day. It’s a perfect option for meal prepping because the whole thing cooks in a single skillet. If you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes, try using butternut squash instead.
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12/29
Black Bean Turkey Enchiladas
Ground turkey enchiladas happen to be one of our favorite Mexican recipes under 400 calories, but that doesn’t mean it’s not packed full of flavor! Between the bold sauce and all that cheese, it will be impossible to know you made a skinny version.
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13/29
Asian Turkey Lettuce Cups
Lettuce cups can be used as a fancy appetizer, but they’re also a great ground turkey recipe when you’re looking for a light lunch. To make the dish more substantial, you can eat the filling over noodles or rice instead of lettuce.
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14/29
Crispy Baked Wontons
We’re all about skipping the drive-thru and making copycat takeout recipes instead. We also like passing on the fryer oil with these crispy wontons and baking them in the oven so they’re not as greasy.
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15/29
Quinoa Turkey Chili
The combination of earthy quinoa and spiced ground turkey is divine. Add in black beans, corn, zucchini and tomatoes, and this ground turkey recipe becomes hearty, filling and delicious.
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16/29
Slow-Cooker Turkey Pesto Lasagna
Did you know you can make lasagna in the slow cooker? Just make sure to use no-cook lasagna noodles. These thin sheets are designed to soak up liquid from the sauce as the lasagna cooks, resulting in the perfect texture.
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17/29
Turkey Sausage Zucchini Boats
This is one of those ground turkey recipes that’s completely customizable. Feel free to make the recipe your own by adjusting the seasonings. We like the combination of Italian seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper and paprika, but it would also taste great with taco seasoning or other popular spice blends.
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18/29
Tangy Turkey Tostadas
These tostadas will be a hit with the whole family! The turkey mixture can be made in advance (and even frozen), so all you need to do is reheat it when you’re ready to eat. It tastes fantastic on crispy tostada shells, but you can spoon the mixture into soft tortillas or crispy taco shells if you prefer.
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19/29
Mediterranean Turkey Skillet
This ground turkey recipe reminds us of minestrone soup but without the pasta and broth. It’s packed full of flavor but has a light, refreshing character—perfect for a hot summer day! As a bonus, you can make it in a single pan, so cleanup is a breeze.
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20/29
Upside-Down Frito Pie
Frito pie is a Southwestern-style casserole that combines chili, cheese and corn chips. In a restaurant, the chili is often served directly into an open bag of Fritos. We turn the dish upside-down, garnishing this ground turkey chili with the chips instead.
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21/29
Chili-Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Chile rellenos are delicious, but they sure are a lot of work! This ground turkey recipe skips the battering and frying step, producing a lightened-up version that tastes just as great. Poblano peppers aren’t that spicy, but you can substitute bell peppers or sweet banana peppers if you’re sensitive to heat.
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22/29
Buffalo Sloppy Joes for Two
This chicken-wing inspired recipe reinvents the flavors of a basket of wings, transporting them into a ground turkey sloppy joe. It makes the perfect portion for two, so it’s ideal when you don’t want leftovers (although, you can certainly double the recipe if needed).
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23/29
Ketolicious Cheesy Biscuits with Turkey Sausage
You don’t have to be on the keto diet to enjoy this comforting breakfast recipe. The sausage tastes fantastic on homemade biscuits, but it also stands on its own. Use this recipe anytime you’re looking to lighten up breakfast without sacrificing flavor.
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24/29
Taco Noodle Dish
Looking for ground turkey recipes that can feed a crowd? This is one of those! It captures the essence of tacos but turns it into a healthy casserole, so you don’t have to assemble each one individually.
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25/29
Turkey Stroganoff with Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is a fantastic alternative to pasta. It’s naturally gluten-free, and it boasts fewer carbohydrates and calories than grains. Its texture is perfect with rich and creamy stroganoff sauce too.
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26/29
Southwest Turkey Patties with Beans
We love this healthy recipe for busy weeknight dinners because it comes together in only 30 minutes. If the weather is nice outside, feel free to take the patties out to the grill instead of cooking them under the broiler.
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27/29
Loaded Turkey Sliders
These turkey sliders are designed to fit on a standard dinner roll, and they’re as tasty as they are adorable. They make a great addition to the appetizer spread for potluck events or tailgating parties, but they’re also a great way to feed a group of picky eaters: each person can customize their slider to their liking.
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28/29
Enchilada Stuffed Shells
This fun twist on a classic dish is sure to surprise your guests. It looks like an Italian pasta, but the shells are bursting with Mexican flavors from the enchilada sauce.
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29/29
Lasagna Cups
Layering lasagna can be a pain, so we transformed a full-sized casserole into individual lasagna cups made in a muffin tin. The addition of refrigerated crescent roll dough adds a buttery element to the dish, and it makes the cups easier to remove from the pan.
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Originally Published: September 20, 2018
Lindsay D. Mattison
Lindsay has been writing for digital publications for seven years and has 10 years of experience working as a professional chef. She became a full-time food writer at Taste of Home in 2023, although she’s been a regular contributor since 2017. Throughout her career, Lindsay has been a freelance writer and recipe developer for multiple publications, including Wide Open Media, Tasting Table, Mashed and SkinnyMs. Lindsay is an accomplished product tester and spent six years as a freelance product tester at Reviewed (part of the USA Today network). She has tested everything from cooking gadgets to knives, cookware sets, meat thermometers, pizza ovens and more than 60 grills (including charcoal, gas, kamado, smoker and pellet grills).Lindsay still cooks professionally for pop-up events, especially when she can highlight local, seasonal ingredients. As a writer, Lindsay loves sharing her skills and experience with home cooks. She aspires to motivate others to gain confidence in the kitchen. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her cooking with fresh produce from the farmers market or planning a trip to discover the best new restaurants.
