19 Ground Turkey Recipes for Healthy, Delicious Dinners

The Lean Meat Is Incredibly Versatile

Written by
Laurel Randolph
A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.
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Laurel Randolph
Updated 04/03/20
Serve the chili with cornbread and toppings.

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Ground turkey is a healthy alternative to beef and can be used in a wide variety of ways to decrease your intake of red meat—plus, it tastes great! The lean poultry makes delicious chili, tacos, burgers, and oh-so-much more. Read on for a wide range of quick and easy recipes that use the versatile meat.

  • 01 of 19

    Turkey Tacos

    Turkey tacos recipe

    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

    Change up taco night by swapping beef for ground turkey. The flavor is still great and we bet your family won't even notice the difference. The browned, spiced meat is a great filling for both soft or hard tacos that you can place out with a toppings bar of lettuce, cheeses, salsa, and more.

  • 02 of 19

    Turkey Meatballs Baked With Parmesan Cheese

    Turkey Meatballs Baked With Parmesan Cheese Recipe

     The Spruce

    Making meatballs with a mix of white and dark meat turkey yields moist and flavorful results. Serve your turkey meatballs in spaghetti sauce or coat them in a soy glaze or barbecue sauce to serve as appetizers.

  • 03 of 19

    Ground Turkey Chili

    Ground turkey chili recipe

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

    Ground turkey is especially good in chili, happily standing in for ground beef with a fraction of the fat. With all of the delicious seasonings and beans, you won't even notice. Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, green onions, or all three.

  • 04 of 19

    Basic Turkey Meatloaf

    Turkey Meatloaf
    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    This moist and flavorful turkey meatloaf only requires a few ingredients and comes together quickly. While it bakes in the oven, put together a green salad and any other side dishes, like mashed potatoes.

    Continue to 5 of 19 below.
  • 05 of 19

    Classic Stuffed Peppers

    Classic Stuffed Peppers

    Brian Macdonald / Photodisc / Getty Images

    Stuffed peppers are a hearty meal that look great and taste great with minimal effort. Ground turkey works great here and any kind of cooked rice will do (make it even healthier by subbing in quinoa). Leftovers reheat well in the oven or microwave.

  • 06 of 19

    Honey Sriracha Meatballs

    Honey Sriracha Meatballs
    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    Ground turkey is at the heart of this honey Sriracha meatball recipe. The meatballs are easy to make and freeze well, and the sauce is quick and flavorful. To accent the sweet and spicy combination of honey and Sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and ginger are used to give the sauce an amazing flavor. Though they're a nice appetizer, these meatballs are worthy of the dinner table when served over rice.

  • 07 of 19

    Ground Turkey Burritos With Refried Beans

    Ground turkey burrito

    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

    Burritos loaded with spiced ground turkey, refried beans, and cheese are sure to please the whole family for lunch or dinner. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and more salsa.

  • 08 of 19

    Juicy Baked Turkey Burgers With Garlic

    Juicy Baked Turkey Burgers on a cutting board with various ingredients in the background

    The Spruce 

    Baked in the oven, juicy turkey burgers are an easy and delicious weeknight meal. Breadcrumbs and an egg help the mixture form into patties and a little Creole seasoning and lime juice add a punch of flavor. Top with homemade salsa.

    Continue to 9 of 19 below.
  • 09 of 19

    Ground Turkey Stir-Fry

    Ground Turkey Stir-Fry

     Anita Schecter

    When it comes to an Asian stir-fry, ground turkey may not be the first protein you think of. But when cooked along with onion, garlic, and soy sauce, the dish becomes reminiscent of the well-known appetizer served in lettuce cups. The broccoli and red pepper add wonderful texture and color while turning the dish into a nutritious, complete meal.

  • 10 of 19

    Slow Cooker Vegetable and Ground Turkey Soup

    Ground turkey soup recipe

    The Spruce

    Perfect for a soup supper or lunch prep, this tomato-based turkey and veggie soup has lots of flavor thanks to bouillon and spices. Serve with crusty bread for dipping. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a couple of months in an airtight container.

  • 11 of 19

    Instant Pot Turkey Chili

    Serve the chili with cornbread and toppings.

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Make turkey chili in a flash with a pressure cooker. A combination of hot peppers makes the end result especially flavorful and fire-roasted canned tomatoes add a little smokiness. If you don't have an Instant Pot, any pressure cooker or multi-cooker will work.

  • 12 of 19

    Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

    Vegetable lasagna
    Randy Mayor / Getty Images

    Ground turkey and frozen spinach add protein and color to this super cheesy lasagna. Three varieties are layered with the turkey, spinach, tomato sauce, and noodles for a truly memorable meal. This recipe feeds a crowd, but leftovers are tasty, too if you're making for a smaller group.

    Continue to 13 of 19 below.
  • 13 of 19

    Blue Cheese Pizza

    Blue Cheese Pizza

     The Spruce / Pete Scherer

    Ground turkey meat, two kinds of blue cheeses, bitter radicchio, and citrus marmalade make for an unusual and delectable pizza. Store-bought dough makes this blue cheese pizza quick and easy.

  • 14 of 19

    Homemade Turkey Sausage

    Turkey Sausage
    The Spruce

    For a lower fat version of pork sausage, substitute with turkey instead. It's way easier than it sounds—just combine ground meat with spices and fry up as patties for breakfast or cook crumbled for a pasta sauce or filling.

  • 15 of 19

    Slow Cooker Chunky Turkey Chili

    Slow Cooker Chunky Turkey or Beef Chili Recipe

    The Spruce

    Use your slow cooker to make a tasty chili with almost no effort. While turkey keeps everything lean, this pot is certainly not lacking in chili flavor. Eat as is or use it to top nachos for an extra special treat. Leave out the olives if you're not a fan or serve them on the side as a topping.

  • 16 of 19

    Stuffed Mushrooms With Ground Turkey Stuffing

    Paleo stuffed mushrooms

    The Spruce  

    Mushrooms stuffed with ground turkey, water chestnuts, garlic, and parsley are an ideal paleo and gluten-free appetizer or side dish. If you're going gluten-free but not paleo, top with shaved Parmesan cheese for a salty kick.

    Continue to 17 of 19 below.
  • 17 of 19

    Quick Tomato Ragu Pasta Sauce

    Tomato Ragu Pasta Sauce

    Sofie Delauw / Getty Images 

    This classic and simply delicious ragu sauce can be made with any ground meat, including turkey. Ground dark meat or a mix of white and dark works best for this recipe. Serve with spaghetti, ravioli, or your choice of pasta.

  • 18 of 19

    Crock Pot Turkey Meatloaf

    Crockpot turkey meatloaf recipe

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

    Cooked gently in a slow cooker, this turkey meatloaf is guaranteed to be moist. Adjust the garlic and seasonings to your taste, swapping marjoram for oregano if you don't have any handy.

  • 19 of 19

    Turkey, Bacon, and Egg Skillet

    Paleo Breakfast Skillet

    Westend61 / Getty Images

    High in protein, an egg skillet is a great use for ground turkey. Flavored with bacon and bell peppers, it's a meal in a pan. Serve for a hearty breakfast or with a salad for lunch or dinner. Even better, it's paleo and gluten-free, too.