8 Easy Ground Turkey Recipes (in 30 minutes or less!) (2024)

Jan 4, 2023 / by Laney Schwartz / 4 Comments(updated Aug 17, 2023)

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The search stops here! I’m sharing 8 easy ground turkey recipe ideas that’ll make weeknight cooking a breeze. Here you’ll find lots of dinner inspiration using my favorite protein, ground turkey, to make delicious, hearty, healthy 30-minute meals. With everything from chili, to soup, pasta sauce and more, there’s no shortage of tasty ways to cook with ground turkey at home.

8 Easy Ground Turkey Recipes (in 30 minutes or less!) (1)

It’s the time of year where all I want are quick, easy, healthy and comforting meals. Let’s be honest, I always want that! I love using ground turkey in my recipes because it’s lean, mild and takes on whatever flavor you choose. It can be used in soups, stews, pasta bakes, tacos and more! It’s just so versatile!

Keep scrolling for some of my favorite ground turkey recipes that can all be made in 30 minutes or less, for real! People always ask me what to do with ground turkey to keep it from being boring and dry. I’ve got some great options for you! I promise it doesn’t need to be bland.

If you’re ready to try something outside of the 30 minute meal window, you gotta try my Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs or my Turkey Taco Bake. Both are fan favorites!

Feeling excited and ready for even more? Check out all my dinner recipes here! There’s lots more inspiration to get you through those busy weeknights.

I hope you love these recipes as much as I do!

Don’t forget THE most important ingredient when it comes to seasoning your food properly and making it taste amazing…SALT. My all time favorite salt is Redmond Real Salt and you can use code lifeisbutadish for 15% off! Check out my post all about salt to learn more.

20-MINUTE TURKEY TACO SKILLET

Seasoned, savory turkey, melty cheese, and your favorite salsa all make this Turkey Taco Skillet an incredible, hearty weeknight meal!

GET THE RECIPE

20-Minute Instant Pot Tortellini Soup

This easy, delicious Tortellini Soup is hearty and satisfying. It comes together in less than 20 minutes and is packed with flavorful ground turkey, diced tomatoes, cheese tortellini, coconut milk, lemon and parmesan. Cozy up with a bowl of your new favorite easy weeknight meal.

30 Minute Ground Turkey & White Bean Chili

This easy ground turkey chili is a hearty, filling 30-minute dinner recipe. It’s made stove top with canned white beans, diced veggies, and uncooked quinoa for simplicity and ease. But don’t be fooled by how fast it comes together—this turkey chili is packed with fantastic flavor!

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20-Minute Instant Pot Pasta (start to finish!)

A delicious, quick dinner that’s no-stress? Coming right up! Made fast in the Instant Pot, this penne pasta dinner comes together with the push of a button. It’s beyond easy, quick to make, and bursting with rich, tangy tomato flavor.

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25-Minute One Pan Picadillo (so flavorful!)

This easy one-pan recipe for Picadillo combines ground beef and turkey with spices and olives to create a simple dinner with bold, satisfying flavors!

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30-Minute Ground Turkey Bolognese Sauce

Easy quick dinner recipes are my speciality and this ground turkey bolognese fits the bill! The pasta sauce tastes like it has been simmering for hours but is ready in just 30 minutes! Serve with thick fettuccine noodles, enjoy!

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Ground Taco Meat w/ Homemade Seasoning

Finally after years of people asking how I make Taco Meat at home, I’m giving you my favorite Ground Taco Meat w/ Homemade Seasoning recipe!

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30-MINUTE MEATBALL SUB SANDWICHES RECIPES

This recipe for quick and easy homemade meatball subs is made with tender meatballs, tangy marinara sauce, and melted white cheddar cheese. The perfect weeknight meal, ready in just 30 minutes!

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8 Easy Ground Turkey Recipes (in 30 minutes or less!) (10)

8 Easy Ground Turkey Recipes (in 30 minutes or less!) Turkey Taco Skillet

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Laney Schwartz
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
Print Recipe

Description

Seasoned, savory turkey, melty cheese, and your favorite salsa all make this Turkey Taco Skillet an incredible, hearty weeknight meal!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 tablespoonolive oil
  • 1small red bell pepper, diced
  • 1pound ground turkey
  • ½ teaspoonsalt
  • ½ teaspoongarlic powder
  • ½ teaspooncumin
  • 1(12oz) jar salsa
  • 1 cupblack beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cupshredded Mexican cheese
  • 1avocado, sliced
  • 2 tablespoonscilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1lime
  • Tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat a skillet over medium/high heat. Add the oil, bell pepper and pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes until peppers are tender.
  2. Add the ground turkey, salt, garlic powder and cumin. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until turkey is cooked through.
  3. Add salsa and beans and heat through. Sprinkle cheese on top and put under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  4. Serve topped with sliced avocado, cilantro and a big squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy.

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    Comments

  1. Kim

    My husband and 4 teens all loved this dinner. It was so quick to pull together and only used one pan! That’s my kind of meal! I added some frozen corn, an onion, and fresh spinach because I had some that I wanted to use up, but I think it would have been just as good without them. I served it with tortilla chips, and my daughter said it was “like nachos, but better!”

    Reply

    • Laney Schwartz

      Like nachos but better! I love it!!! Thanks so much for leaving a review.

  2. Sam

    The one pan picadillo is our favorite!!! So easy for busy weeknights, thank you!

    Reply

    • Laney Schwartz

      Yay! So glad you love it as much as we do!

8 Easy Ground Turkey Recipes (in 30 minutes or less!) (2024)

FAQs

What can I cook in less than 30 minutes? ›

Our Best 30-Minute Recipes
  1. Chili and Cheese Pockets.
  2. Easy Beef Stew in Biscuit Cups.
  3. 2-Ingredient Chicken and Dumplings.
  4. Biscuit Hamburgers.
  5. Garlic Cheddar Biscuit Turkey Club.
  6. Cheesy Chicken-Bacon Ranch Crescent Rolls for Two.
  7. Cheesy Southwest Chicken Crescent Rolls for Two.
  8. Crispy Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Crescent Rolls.

How do you make ground turkey taste better? ›

How do you add flavor to ground turkey? Turkey meat can be flavored with easy ingredients like kosher salt and pepper, bell peppers, garlic powder, and olive oil. If you're cooking meat, specifically turkey taco meat, hot sauce and enchilada sauce are your best mates.

Do you season ground turkey before cooking? ›

Before you start cooking, be sure to season the ground turkey well with salt and pepper. Also consider including dried herbs and spices for additional flavor. If you're cooking meatballs or meatloaf, pinch off some of the seasoned mixture and cook it in a skillet to taste. Adjust seasoning accordingly.

What should ground turkey be cooked to? ›

Cook – Use a digital meat thermometer to verify ground turkey reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. To test burgers for doneness, insert the meat thermometer horizontally from the side. Always make sure to test the thickest burger as well!

What can I cook in 5 minutes? ›

25 healthy recipes you can cook in 5 minutes or less
  • Pea and broad bean couscous.
  • Fast home-made baked beans.
  • Porridge.
  • Pasta with cherry tomatoes and rocket.
  • Home-made hummus.
  • Smashed avocado and wilted spinach.
  • Cucumber (or potato) raitha.
  • Quick pitta pizzas.

What is the most easiest food to cook? ›

Easy staples of mine:
  • Eggs - scrambled and over easy.
  • spaghetti with meat sauce (brown meat and add a jar of sauce)
  • hamburgers on the grill.
  • tacos (hamburger meat and seasoning packet)
  • Bake a chicken breast with seasoning and microwave a bag of frozen veggies for side.
Jan 17, 2018

How to season ground turkey to taste like hamburger? ›

Whenever I made turkey burgers, I would dissolve some beef bouillon in a little water and add it to the turkey with a little canola oil, then season and form the patties. The bouillon gave it some flavor and the water and oil helped with moisture. Just make sure not to overcook.

What can I add to ground turkey to keep it moist? ›

Ensure Pleasing Texture and Richer Taste

Even 93 percent lean ground turkey—often the fattiest preground turkey you can buy—can still taste too lean and can easily dry out during cooking. To temper those effects, we added 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the meat, along with a panade of milk and panko.

How do you make ground turkey taste more savory? ›

You could try adding some Worcestershire Sauce, or some smoked paprika, savory, chili powder. What are some ways to cook chicken breast or ground turkey so that it is not plain? After you brown the meat, use it in a recipe. Most recipes that work for ground beef will also work for ground turkey.

Should you drain ground turkey after cooking? ›

You may want to salt it just a bit while cooking, or better yet, cook some onions with it for a seasoning/flavor that won't go when drained. Most ground beef needs to be drained, so it's besy to drain after cooking. Turkey has less fat, so you are fine to season it while cooking. Thank you for the a2a!

Which ground turkey is best? ›

Whether you're making ground turkey tacos, turkey burgers, or another family favorite, 93% Lean Ground Turkey will be your go-to for lean, flavorful dishes.

Why is my ground turkey rubbery? ›

Is turkey supposed to taste rubbery? Rubbery texture comes from cooking too long with too low a heat. Most land fowl like chicken, turkey, pigeon, guineafowl, peafowl, etc. are best when cooked hot and fast.

What does 93 7 ground turkey mean? ›

Ground turkey that is “93/7” means the product is 93 percent lean and 7 percent fat. Other popular products are 85/15, 90/10, 98/2 or 99/1. The leaner the product, the larger the first number listed. Ground turkey can also be a combination of white meat and dark meat.

Why is my ground turkey turning white when I cook it? ›

As ground meat cooks, the fat renders out, and it can sometimes appear gray or white. This is typically safe to consume. Why does meat turn a grayish pale when defrosted/thawed?

How long should you cook ground turkey? ›

Ground turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Depending on the size of the burger, this can take anywhere from 7-12 minutes over a medium-high flame.

What can you cook in 3 minutes? ›

Three-Minute Meals
  • Mushroom Toast. 1 piece whole-grain toast. ...
  • Spring Salad with Shrimp and Brown Rice. ...
  • Italian-Style Ratatouille with Chicken Sausage. ...
  • Quick Vegetarian Tacos. ...
  • Mediterranean-Style Loaded Baked Potato. ...
  • Breakfast for Dinner: Vegetarian Omelette. ...
  • Asian-Inspired Stir Fry. ...
  • Whole Grain Flatbread Pizza and Salad.
Jun 7, 2017

Which dish would take the least time to cook? ›

Masala Kheema - Dry Spicy Minced Meat

This simple meat dish comes together in as little as 35 minutes using any ground meat you prefer. Chicken, lamb, pork, goat, and beef all work well.

Which cooking method has the shortest cooking time? ›

a. As fast as boiling cooks food, steaming is even faster because the temperature of steam is much higher than that of boiling water. Shorter cooking times save energy and keep more nutrients in the food rather than washing them out in boiling water.

What can you cook in 8 minutes? ›

8-minute recipes (91)
  • 8 minute Spanish rice. ...
  • 8 minute spicy Ramen. ...
  • 8 Minute Fudge. ...
  • 3 Minute Bread Pudding (for breakfast and snacktime) ...
  • Easy Egg Sandwiches in 5 Minutes! ...
  • California Farm Panfried Halibut with Asparagus. ...
  • SHRIMP FETTUCCINE ALFREDO 😋❤️😘💋💋💋 ...
  • Glossy!

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