36 Easy Ways To Serve Ground Turkey for Dinner
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.
Greek Turkey Burgers
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
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. Once made, you can serve these flavor-packed meatballs any number of ways. Plate them atop a bed of sautéed kale and a smear of Greek yogurt, topped with toasted pine nuts and feta cheese. Add them into a brothy, vegetable-heavy soup for a meaty kick, or crumble them into Mediterranean-inspired salads and pitas. Stick them with a toothpick and serve them as an easy appetizer alongside a lemony, herby yogurt dip. The fresh herbs and bold cumin pair beautifully with plain yogurt, tangy cheeses, and creamy dressings and condiments, like tahini.
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Turkey and Mushroom Bolognese
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
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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Spinach
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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Turkey Sliders
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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Turkey, Squash and Black Bean Chili
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
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
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
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
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
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Slow-Cooker BBQ Turkey Meatballs
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
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
Cincinnati Turkey Chili Recipe
Ladle bowlfuls of inspired Midwestern chili for your next casual dinner party or football gathering.
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Turkey Soup Provençal
This French-inspired turkey soup gets its rich flavor from dried herbes de Provence and features ground turkey breast, canned beans and tomatoes, chicken broth, and fresh spinach.
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Ground Turkey and Tofu
You can use chicken breast or lean pork instead of turkey. Cut chicken or pork into cubes, then grind it in a food processor.
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Tex-Mex Calzones
Spice up sandwich night with this Tex-Mex inspired favorite packed with ground turkey, fresh veggies, and spicy salsa.
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Turkey Mini Meat Loaves
Turkey Mini Meat Loaves Recipe
These delicious mini meat loaves feature ground turkey breast, keeping each mini loaf to less than 200 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving.