What are your tried and true ground turkey recipes?

November 25, 2024 12:27 PM

Trying to cut down on saturated fat. I haven’t been super successful with ground turkey, unless I mixed it with a bit of pork (otherwise find it dry, gamey, and tasteless). I now know going for 93% fat is the way to go (vs extra extra lean or what have you). Please share recipes you have used before and enjoyed!
posted by cotton dress sock to Food & Drink (30 answers total)

I do this in an instant pot, but you could make the rice on a stovetop and the other stuff in a frypan.

Wild Rice
Chicken stock
Ground Turkey
diced celery, carrots, apples (one green one red) to taste
a small yellow onion, diced
garlic
fall herbs like sage and parsley
salt and pepper

Stovetop:
Boil the rice in chicken or turkey stock
Brown the veggies with some salt and pepper for 5-10 minutes
Add the turkey and herbs and more salt and pepper
Cook until turkey is browned
Combine rice and meat veggie mixture.

Pressure cooker:
Brown veggies and turkey, deglaze with some broth, making sure any bits on the bottom get stirred up
Add salt and pepper and herbs
Pour in rice and remaining broth
Pressure cook for wild rice timing. This page from Amy + Jacky has good info on rice vs liquid ratios and timing for your preferred result.
posted by soelo at 12:39 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

We use a lot of ground turkey! Here are some favourites:

- Mediterranean turkey bowls from Budget Bytes
- Mexi-mac skillet: we sub in turkey for the ground beef
- Lettuce wraps: subbing turkey for the ground chicken


You could also check out all the ground turkey recipes on Budget Bytes if you're looking for more inspiration!
posted by burntflowers at 12:42 PM on November 25 [5 favorites]

Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens is absolutely delicious
Turkey and Kale Ragu is very tasty and filling
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 12:54 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I make it into Asian meatballs: Ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, garlic and ginger, salt. Proportions depend on how much turkey I have.
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:05 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I enjoy this mild taco seasoning with ground turkey.
posted by paradeofblimps at 1:05 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I agree that it's great with taco seasoning, though I go spicier than what paradeofblimps recommended. Trader Joe's has a good seasoning packet, which is convenient.
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:07 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

Ground turkey is basically like ground beef, except less fat (hence the dryness) - so it's an easy sub in any recipe that is sauce or liquid heavy - soup/chili/red sauce/curry/lasagna/etc.
posted by coffeecat at 1:11 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

Smitten Kitchen has two that have become total go-to's for me:

skillet turkey chili (actually i am going to make this tonight!)
and
turkey meatloaf for skeptics (i was a skeptic! now i'm super into it!)
posted by capnsue at 1:22 PM on November 25 [5 favorites]

Kenji takes on making a turkey burger that doesn't suck.
posted by away for regrooving at 1:27 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

i've been getting pre-made turkey burgers at the store, mixing taco seasoning into each one and then frying them on the stove (no spray or extra fat). i eat mine with a fried egg and cheese on a hamburger bun. my picky son just likes them plain on a bun.

note- i don't like medium-rare turkey burgers so after a couple minutes on each side to brown i add a splash of water to the pan and cover them for a few minutes.
posted by noloveforned at 1:27 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

Curry turkey meatloaf, also using a lot of carrots.
We also do Frito pie with ground turkey, which, uh, is less healthy if one uses hefty amounts of Frito.
posted by cobaltnine at 1:36 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

The folks at America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated share some tips on cooking ground turkey burgers so that they don't come out dry. Short version, they add: panko, to break up the texture; baking soda to raise the pH which changes the protein structure and helps the meat retain water; gelatin to trap the juices; and a bit of butter to help the fat content. They also make a point out of forming the burgers very gently.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:47 PM on November 25 [2 favorites]

I really like this Chicken-Zucchini Meatballs with Feta recipe (gift link) from NYT Cooking. Can confirm this works well with ground turkey too!
posted by Sweetie Darling at 2:07 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

When I make my own turkey burgers, I add a tablespoon or two of white miso paste per pound. It adds flavor and keeps the burgers moister. The only other thing I add is granulated garlic, and they're pretty tasty.
posted by mollweide at 2:10 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

Turkey makes really good chili, just make sure to up your umami levels a bit because I feel like turkey falls a lot shorter than beef on that "meaty" taste. Diced mushrooms, mushroom soy or Maggi or Kitchen Bouquet, or vegan oyster mushroom sauce are a good way to do this; caramelized onions also help.

My husband often gets a sort of fusion-taco meal in our meal kits, where the ground turkey is browned and then a basic kind of stir-fry sauce (with or without gochujang) until it thickens, on little street taco tortillas with big piles of purple cabbage lightly marinated/pickled and cilantro.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:10 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup quick-cooking steel cut oats
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried savory or 1 Tbsp minced fresh savory
1 tsp dry yellow mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape gently into four to six patties, depending on how big you want the burgers. I usually double the recipe and make 12 burgers.

Spray a cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook the burgers about 4 minutes per side.

I usually make a double recipe and freeze the uncooked burgers on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper. Then I transfer them to an air-tight freezer container or freezer bag. They keep for several weeks. I thaw in the microwave and cook according to the directions above. They are delicious!
posted by Dolley at 2:19 PM on November 25 [2 favorites]

It goes great in a bolognese sauce for spaghetti! Compensates for the dryness and you can add in a bunch of garlic and italian seasoning.
posted by foxfirefey at 2:40 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I've also had good luck with the Budget Bytes turkey recipes (here's one I particularly like).

I've also experimented a lot with adding (1) mushrooms and (2) gelatin to turkey meatballs. The mushrooms add flavor, while the gelatin adds moisture. I don't have an exact recipe for you, but I do have some techniques to try. For 2# of ground turkey...
- Gelatin Option 1: add gelled stock. Dissolve 7g unflavored gelatin (aka 1 packet Knox) in 1/2 c. stock. You could use chicken stock or soak dried mushrooms in hot water to create a mushroom stock and/or drizzle in a bit of Worchestershire sauce or fish sauce or whatever umami you please. Let the stock cool & set. Finely mince & toss it into the meat mixture. This will create little pockets of moisture.
- Gelatin Option 2: just add powdered gelatin & liquid directly. Instead of doing the whole minced-gel thing, just add a packet of Knox unflavored gelatin and about 1/2c flavorful stock directly to the meatball mix. This will make the whole meatball more moist but also a little more bouncy in texture.
- Mushrooms: Mince mushrooms (anywhere from 25-50% of the weight of the meat) and saute in oil until they are nicely browned and have released a good deal of their moisture. Grocery store white mushrooms are ok, but this is better with shiitake, porcini, oyster, or other more flavorful varieties. Season with salt, pepper, herbs, whatever you like. Toss that into the meatball mix.

Be sure to get some breadcrumbs (or a panade -- milk-moistened bread) into the meatball mix to help improve texture. Many of the techniques in this recipe are useful, even though the meat you're using is different: https://www.seriouseats.com/italian-american-beef-pork-meatballs-red-tomato-sauce-recipe
posted by ourobouros at 2:49 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

Mixing in a bit of pork is probably not too much of a problem. Pork fat is a little more saturated than turkey fat, but not hugely so. If you mix in a relatively small proportion of lean ground pork to your turkey, it probably won't make a big difference to your overall saturated fat consumption. For most people, highly saturated fats like dairy, coconut, palm (which is in everything) and cacao are probably bigger factors than a little bit of ground pork.
posted by ssg at 3:16 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I don't have a recipe but my favorite ground turkey is "greek style" turkey burgers from my grocery store. They have Feta, chopped spinach, and greek seasoning mixed in them. Grill, serve with tzaziki, cucumbers, tomatoes and onion, and pita. Now I'm hungry.
posted by evilmomlady at 3:20 PM on November 25 [2 favorites]

I have a turkey chili that I love because it's not trying to be a beef chili; it's its own, delicious thing. Even lean turkey works fine here, and I'm not someone who generally enjoys health-driven substitutes. I got the recipe from Epicurious, and added a number of modifications over time:

In a big pot over medium heat, brown 2 chopped onions and 4 chopped poblanos in chicken fat, or in vegetable oil if you don't have any. Season with 1.5t each dried oregano and ground cumin and cook a couple of minutes more.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add 1.5lbs ground turkey; stir until no longer pink, breaking up somewhat with back of spoon -- but not too small. Stir in 1/4c chili powder, 2 bay leaves, 1T cocoa powder or a block of unsweetened chocolate, 1.5t salt, and 1/4t cinnamon. Leave all the seasonings out for correcting to taste later.

Add 28oz can of tomatoes with their juices, breaking up with back of spoon. Good canned San Marzanos cost more, but they do make a difference here if you can get them. Mix in 8oz can tomato sauce. Add enough stock to make it a bit more liquidy than you'll want it in the end. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add three 15oz cans of beans, rinsed and drained -- I like a variety of white or pale ones: a can of tiny white ones, larger white or pink ones, and garbanzos. Add one cob's corn, or the same amount of frozen corn. Simmer 10 minutes longer.

Taste and correct a lot -- if you focus on each in turn (smelling the jars if you need reminders), you should be able to detect the oregano, cumin, chili, cocoa (subtly), and cinnamon (subtly), so add more of any you can't taste. If it's not delicious and it's not getting close to too salty, it probably needs more salt. If you're wary of adding more of anything, experiment with a little bit in a ramekin first so you don't leave it all under-seasoned instead. I generally add a lot of some things at this stage, but I don't have a record of which things or how much.

Serve topped with chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, and greek yogurt (yes, really! Better here than sour cream!). Serve with warm cornbread.

It's even better the next day(s). If the leftovers get too thick, stir in a little more broth.
posted by daisyace at 5:40 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I like this turkey green bean stirfry, usually with quite a bit more chili garlic sauce
posted by the primroses were over at 5:58 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I like this turkey and white bean chili a lot. Pack in more nutrients by adding shredded kale in the last 10 minutes or so of cook time.
posted by blue suede stockings at 6:29 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

This recipe for Spicy Ground Pork and Zucchini from the Kitchn works well substituting ground turkey for the pork. Also with the addition of cashews and pomegranate seeds.
posted by sedimentary_deer at 2:31 AM on November 26 [1 favorite]

We’re a big ground turkey house, and have been for decades. My approach is to think of ground turkey as a blank canvas, or simply an inert carrier for whatever seasoning is called for. This is kind of a plus, because it allows you to really hone and expand your seasoning game.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:47 AM on November 26 [1 favorite]

I like my Italian Wedding Soup with turkey meatballs. My version is as lazy as possible (no browning meatballs just drop them in the soup, no extra veg just spinach), but here's a possible recipe: Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs
posted by kitcat at 7:47 AM on November 26 [1 favorite]

I have a Shan Seekh Kabab spice mix I got from my local Indian Grocer. I thoroughly work the seasoning into the meat and form skinny long patties over a skewer and grill along with some veggies. Service the grilled meat and veggies along with rice and pita bread.
posted by ShakeyJake at 8:32 AM on November 26 [1 favorite]

Nigella’s Thai Meatballs is tasty Thai flavours, light and reasonable amount of vegetables too. Turkey meatballs have ginger and grated zucchini in them and them are cooked in a light Thai green curry.
posted by AnnaRat at 3:01 PM on November 26 [1 favorite]

I like doing good ol' Old El Paso tacos with ground turkey and diced mushrooms. Makes it moist and meaty! I also recommend sloppy joes this way. I'll just throw the sloppy Joe mince on a bowl of greens and feel all healthy.
posted by frecklefaerie at 4:21 PM on November 26

I just made this NYT pad krapow gai (archive, original.) It was excellent with ground chicken and I plan to try it next with turkey. Scroll through the reader notes for variations and advice: you don't need Golden Mountain sauce, and if your only available basil is Italian, add tarragon and mint leaves.
posted by tangerine at 10:27 AM on November 28