Ground Turkey is a staple protein in my kitchen. You can use it in just about any recipe that calls for a ground meat – like beef, pork, sausage or chicken. It cooks and crumbles mostly the same way and takes on the flavors of the dish much like ground beef or chicken. You can make meatballs or burger patties just as well as use it as the added meat for sauces. It’s an excellent source of protein with a bit less fat content. And it’s a great meat to add to the constant rotation of chicken and beef that is evident in most family kitchens at dinner time.
As I mentioned, you can make meatballs or cook and crumble ground turkey. You can also turn it into sausage and use it for recipes that call for Italian Sausage or breakfast sausage. You do have to add a bit more filler like breadcrumbs and/or egg to have it hold it’s shape for a meatball or patty, but that’s just another opportunity to add flavor.
And without further adieu – here are My Favorite Ground Turkey Recipes from the blog!
Greek Meatball Pasta – Meatballs and pasta are a classic combination, but you can do so many different things to freshen it up. For this pasta night delight, I used a ground turkey mixed with roasted red peppers and feta and covered it in a creamy hummus and feta sauce. This Greek Meatball Pasta was a real hit at our dinner table.
Turkey Smashburgers – Smashburgers are pretty popular these days – and with good reason. They are classic diner style burgers made from layering up smaller patties with cheese and piling on all the good burger toppings. As a result of the cooking methods for making these burgers you get these delightful crispy bits of both burger and cheese to add texture to the burger as a whole. Most commonly, smashburgers are made with ground beef but for this recipe I wanted to try something a little bit different and go for some ground turkey. So here is it – my recipe for Turkey Smashburgers – complete with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Turkey Tacodillas – You may have read the title of this post and thought – “What the heck is a Tacodilla?????” Well it’s mash-up of a classic taco with a simple quesadilla for an ooey gooey cheesy bite that you are going to love love love. This particular tacodilla is filled with ground turkey, more cheese and a bit of my easy Pico de Gallo. If you need a new recipe for this week’s #TacoTuesday – then you need this recipe for Turkey Tacodillas.
Spicy Teriyaki Meatball Subs – You know how much I like to play with classic food ideas when I am planning my menus. This one is exactly that! I love the classic meatball sub (beef meatballs covered in marinara and mozzarella), so I wanted to see what other meatball and sauce combination might work for a different kind of sandwich. After a brief stop at the classic Vietnamese Bahn Mi, the final concept puts together the crisp fresh veggies with a spicy homemade teriyaki and a turkey meatball. These Spicy Teriyaki Meatball Subs have got a tasty kick that the whole family will enjoy.
Turkey Bahn Mi Lettuce Cups – Whenever I try a new style of food, I always think of ways that I can make it fit into my own dietary patterns – which tends to be lower in fats and very little carbs (almost Keto, almost Paleo). I absolutely love Bahn Mi Sandwiches – but the bread is a huge part of the preparation. So I was inspired to turn it into a lettuce cup that would cut those carbs right out! And the result is these Turkey Bahn Mi Lettuce Cups – a healthier version of the traditional Bahn Mi Sandwich.
Bacon Cheeseburger Bowls – A super simple way to make a family favorite healthier is to remove the bread. It really is that simple! By taking out the buns, bread and tortillas, you are cutting out so many carbs and a lot of sugar too. The easiest way to do that is turn the dish into a Bowl – like I did with this Bacon Cheeseburger Bowl recipe!
Spicy Spaghetti & Meatballs – Classic comfort dishes are classics for a reason – they make you feel like home, they make you feel safe, they make you feel loved. My kids absolutely love spaghetti & meatballs. And you know, I cannot leave well enough alone, so I have to switch it up every so often. Just like I did with this Spicy Spaghetti & Meatballs recipe. I opted for ground turkey instead of beef or pork. I also kicked it up a level with some red pepper flakes, fennel seed and hot honey!
Rosemary Lemon Turkey Burgers – Sometimes I like to play dress up and make for fancy gourmet style food – and this turkey burger was a direct result of that. You may be a little unsure about the collection of ingredients in this burger recipe but you’ve got to trust me! These Rosemary Lemon Turkey Burgers are so super flavorful. The combination of the lemon zest, rosemary, gouda and raspberry preserves is next level.
Honey Sriracha Pasta – It’s sort of spaghetti but really not! Tomatoes, ground meat, and pasta are all where it gets rather different. It’s almost Thai-style spaghetti, in terms of flavors. Honey Sriracha Pasta has got a sweet and spicy flavor pop that you are going to love. Yes, it’s got a little bit of heat, but really it’s the flavor of the spice not the heat that you taste the most. Try something new this week for Pasta Night!
Thai Meatball Soup – Every cuisine around the world has many versions of soup in their repertoire. Many are delightful fusion style recipes using techniques from a multitude of cuisines to make something amazingly comforting in a bowl. Which is the ultimate goal of any entree sized bowl of soup. This recipe for Thai Meatball Soup is no exception.
Hope you enjoyed my selections of Ground Turkey Recipes – do you have a favorite? Which one will you be trying first?
Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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These all sound delicious! Our favorite ground turkey recipe is an egg roll in a bowl one that I like to add a bit of fresh chopped pineapple to.