36 Easy Ways To Serve Ground Turkey for Dinner 

February 14, 2019
Photo: Romulo Yanes
Flavorful, juicy, and easy to prepare, this budget-friendly protein is more versatile than you might think. Try some of our favorite ground turkey recipes for delicious weeknight meals. 
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Greek Turkey Burgers

Victor Protasio
Greek Turkey Burgers Recipe

Riffing off the flavor of a Greek gyro, these turkey burgers cook up fast in a cast-iron skillet or grill pan. Lemony, olive-studded yogurt sauce adds more Middle Eastern–inspired flavor and is a tasty alternative to ketchup and mustard. Piled high with arugula, cucumber, and red onion, these are filling enough to be called dinner. Or, round out the meal with roasted potato fries. For the juiciest burgers, go for 93% lean ground turkey (a combination of white and dark meat).

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Herby Lamb and Turkey Meatballs

Sara Tane
Herby Lamb and Turkey Meatballs Recipe

The possibilities are endless with these simple, baked meatballs. By combining lamb and turkey, the meatballs possess that signature, rich flavor of lamb, but don’t feel excessively indulgent. If lamb isn’t your cup of tea (in terms of price or flavor), feel free to substitute for more ground turkey. Alternatively, if you’d like a stronger lamb flavor, adjust your ratio of lamb to turkey accordingly.

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Turkey and Mushroom Bolognese

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Turkey and Mushroom Bolognese Recipe

A rich and hearty meat sauce gains even more robust umami body with the addition of mushrooms. Try serving over polenta as a change of pace from noodles.

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Italian Turkey and Orzo Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Italian Turkey and Orzo Soup Recipe

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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Spinach

Jennifer Causey
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Spinach Recipe

Bake the squash in advance to shorten prep time; squeeze the noodles dry, and store in a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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Lamb and Turkey Vidalia Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Lamb and Turkey Vidalia Salad Recipe

Make sure to have your stove's hood vent cranking--the onion will give off smoke as it chars. A hit of floral fresh oregano provides the perfect top note for the salad's Mediterranean flavors.

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Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs with Polenta

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs with Polenta Recipe

This Asian twist on an Italian-style favorite just plain works. The four sauce ingredients create an instant, incredibly balanced barbecue-type lacquer, full of vinegar and chile punch, caramel notes, and umami richness.

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Chorizo and Kale-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Zucchini-Arugula Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower 
Chorizo and Kale-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Zucchini-Arugula Salad Recipe

A combo of superlean ground turkey and rich ground pork gives you the ideal mix of flavor and texture while staying nice and light.

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Lean Lasagna

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen
Lean Lasagna Recipe

Our favorite recipe from the Cooking Light column, this lightened-up lasagna tastes every bit as flavorful as the traditional version.

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Turkey Sliders with Crunchy Green Apple Slaw

Victor Protasio
Turkey Sliders with Crunchy Green Apple Slaw Recipe

Sliders make any burger night more fun, especially since you get double the patties and double the creamy, crunchy slaw. Look for ground turkey rather than ground turkey breast--the former has a bit more fat and flavor from dark meat while still keeping a lean profile.

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Slow-cooker Turkey Chili

Slow-cooker Turkey Chili Recipe

The most popular recipe for chili on our site, Slow-cooker Turkey Chili features lean ground turkey, black beans, onion, corn, and fresh bell pepper. With just 15 minutes of prep time, you can throw all of the ingredients into a slow cooker before leaving for work and return 8 hours later to a piping-hot, home-cooked meal. Serve with corn chips, shredded cheese (we prefer a cheese blend of Colby and Monterey Jack), chopped red onion, fresh avocado slices, and a dollop of sour cream.

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Italian-Style Hobo Bundles

Photo: Thomas J. Story
Italian-Style Hobo Bundles Recipe

The classic meal in a foil pouch gets a serious upgrade in this fresh version. For a head start, make the meatballs at home (see below). You'll need heavy-duty foil, long tongs, grilling gloves, and a firepit with a cooking grate. Watch us make this recipe: sunset.com/hobobundles. (For more uses for the pickled Calabrian chiles, see Note, below.)

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Rotini with Crumbled Turkey and Tomato Sauce

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Rotini with Crumbled Turkey and Tomato Sauce Recipe

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Turkey Sliders

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Caroline Cunningham
Turkey Sliders Recipe

Light the grill for crowd-pleasing, mini turkey burgers — because size doesn't always have to matter. Patty on water rolls and top with pepperoncini peppers, if desired.

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Turkey Taco Burritos

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Turkey Taco Burritos Recipe

Speedy assembly and bold, familiar flavors earn these burritos a regular place in the dinner rotation. For an extra boost, char the tortillas on a stovetop burner before you assemble the burritos.

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Turkey Burger With Artichoke-Goat Cheese Spread

Photo: Marcus Nilsson; Styling: Robyn Glaser
Turkey Burger With Artichoke-Goat Cheese Spread Recipe

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Ultimate Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

Ultimate Spinach and Turkey Lasagna Recipe
This healthy lasagna recipe features ground turkey instead of beef,  reduced-fat cheese and vitamin-packed spinach. Using store-bought marinara sauce helps keep it easy.You can assemble this lasagna and freeze it, unbaked, for up to a month.  Let it thaw completely before baking. 

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Gnocchi with Turkey Ragù

Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke
Gnocchi with Turkey Ragù Recipe
Gnocchi are Italian potato-based dumplings. They float to the top of the water when they're done. Serve with breadsticks.
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Turkey Enchilada Casserole

James Carrier
Turkey Enchilada Casserole Recipe
With more online raves than any other recipe on Sunset.com, this homey, comforting casserole summons up the past in the best possible way. Everything about it is familiar and easy: tortillas layered with ground turkey, enchilada sauce, and seasonings, plus lots of cheese. We love it with ground beef, too.

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Ground Turkey Laap

Photo: Petrina Tinslay
Ground Turkey Laap Recipe
In Laos, this laap (a ground meat dish) is usually made with duck and can be eaten alone or with sticky rice. The recipe here substitutes ground turkey, which is more readily available in the US and less expensive. But to make it the authentic way, use an equal amount of duck breast trimmed of fat, freeze it for 10 minutes and then finely chop by hand.

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Asian Turkey Cabbage Cups

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley
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Turkey, Squash and Black Bean Chili

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Gerri Williams
Turkey, Squash and Black Bean Chili Recipe
Butternut squash adds additional nutrients, flavor, and bulk to Turkey, Squash and Black Bean Chili. Serve this easy one-dish dinner over brown rice, or with warm corn tortillas or cornbread on the side.

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Baked Ziti with Turkey and Pesto

Photo: Dominic Perri; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Baked Ziti with Turkey and Pesto Recipe
Layers of pasta and cheese combine with ground turkey and pesto for this lasagna-type casserole of Baked Ziti with Turkey and Pesto.

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Turkey and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Photo: Dominic Perri; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Turkey and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
Bite-sized Turkey and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms would work well as an appetizer or an easy weeknight dinner with a side salad.
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Lamb and Turkey Pita Burgers

Oxmoor House
Lamb and Turkey Pita Burgers Recipe
Cinnamon, ginger, and cumin give these burgers the warm, spicy flavor of the eastern Mediterranean. The burgers would pair nicely with a simple cucumber or cucumber-tomato salad.

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Turkey, Pine Nut, and Currant Meatballs

Photo: Quentin Bacon
Turkey, Pine Nut, and Currant Meatballs Recipe
Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 16 minutes; Total time: 36 minutes.

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Crispy Ginger-and-Garlic Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Crispy Ginger-and-Garlic Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps Recipe
KIDS LOVE IT Finalist. JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE Brand Winner.
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Turkey Empanadas

Turkey Empanadas Recipe

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Slow-Cooker BBQ Turkey Meatballs

Photo: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Andrea Steinberg
Slow-Cooker BBQ Turkey Meatballs Recipe
These easy slow-cooker turkey meatballs are the perfect choice for busy weeknights.  Serve over mashed potatoes with a side of corn.

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Turkey-Basil Rolls

Photo: Oxmoor House
Turkey-Basil Rolls Recipe
Thai seasoning blend is packed with flavor, but isn't spicy. Look for it in the Asian section of your supermarket. Prepare the filling ahead, if desired, but assemble the rolls just before serving.

Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 5 minutes

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Cincinnati Turkey Chili

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro
Cincinnati Turkey Chili Recipe

Ladle bowlfuls of Midwestern-inspired chili for cozy dinners and tasty leftover lunches.

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Turkey Soup Provençal