What to Cook With Ground Turkey: 9 Easy, Healthy Meals

What to cook with ground turkey? If a pack of it is sitting in your fridge, you already have the base for nine easy, healthy meals — chili, tacos, meatballs, burgers and more. Ground turkey is a lean swap for ground beef, and it takes seasoning well, which is why it works in so many different dishes.

Start with the baseline numbers. A 4 oz (113 g) portion of cooked 93% lean ground turkey has about 170 calories and 21 g of protein. The leaner 99% lean, breast-only kind has about 120 calories and 26 g of protein for the same portion — leaner, but drier, as you will see below. Every per-serving figure in this post is built from one of those two portions plus the stated sides, and all figures are estimates.

Protein is the reason ground turkey earns its place: at 21 g per 4 oz, a single serving covers a large share of a meal’s protein target. Our guide to calories in protein explains why protein is worth counting. Now, the nine meals.

9 Easy Meals to Make With Ground Turkey

1. Turkey Chili

Brown 1 lb of ground turkey with onion, garlic and chili powder, then add kidney beans, crushed tomatoes and cumin and simmer for 25 minutes. It is a one-pot meal that tastes better the next day, and it freezes well.

Per serving (about 1½ cups): about 340 calories and 31 g protein. The maths: 4 oz turkey (170 calories, 21 g protein) + ½ cup kidney beans (110, 7 g) + ½ cup crushed tomatoes (40, 2 g) + onion and peppers (20, 1 g) = 340 calories and 31 g protein.

2. Turkey Tacos or Lettuce Wraps

Season browned turkey with cumin, paprika, garlic powder and a squeeze of lime, then pile it into warm corn tortillas with salsa and shredded cabbage. For a lighter version, spoon the same filling into crisp lettuce leaves instead of tortillas.

Per serving (2 tacos): about 300 calories and 24 g protein. As lettuce wraps: about 200 calories and 22 g protein.

3. Turkey Meatballs in Marinara

Mix ground turkey with an egg, breadcrumbs, grated onion and Italian herbs, roll into balls and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, then simmer briefly in marinara sauce. Serve over pasta, or keep it lighter with zucchini noodles or a green salad.

Per serving (4 meatballs with ½ cup marinara): about 290 calories and 26 g protein.

4. Turkey Burgers

Shape 4 oz patties, season boldly with salt, pepper, garlic and a little Worcestershire sauce, and grill or pan-fry for about 5 minutes per side until the centre hits 165°F. A toasted bun and your usual toppings finish the job.

Per serving (1 burger with bun and a slice of cheese): about 440 calories and 31 g protein. Without the bun and cheese: about 290 calories and 28 g protein.

5. Stuffed Bell Peppers

Halve bell peppers, fill them with cooked turkey mixed with rice, tomatoes and a little mozzarella, and bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes until the peppers soften and the cheese bubbles.

Per serving (1 stuffed pepper): about 355 calories and 27 g protein.

6. Turkey Bolognese

Brown the turkey, then simmer it with crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion and a pinch of oregano for 20 minutes. It is a fast Bolognese that works over pasta — or, for a much lighter plate, over zucchini noodles.

Per serving (with 1 cup cooked pasta): about 440 calories and 30 g protein. Over zucchini noodles: about 270 calories and 24 g protein.

7. Asian Turkey Stir-Fry With Rice

Stir-fry the turkey with garlic and ginger until browned, add mixed vegetables and a splash of soy sauce, and serve over rice. The whole meal takes about 20 minutes, which makes it a genuine weeknight option.

Per serving (with 1 cup cooked rice): about 450 calories and 28 g protein.

8. Turkey Breakfast Sausage Patties

Mix ground turkey with sage, thyme, garlic powder and a pinch of maple syrup, shape into small patties and pan-fry for 3–4 minutes per side. Make a batch on Sunday and reheat them through the week.

Per serving (2 patties): about 210 calories and 21 g protein. Add an egg and it becomes about 280 calories and 27 g protein.

9. Turkey Shepherd’s Pie With Cauliflower Mash

Brown the turkey with onion, carrots and peas, spoon it into a baking dish, top with cauliflower mash instead of potato mash, and bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes until golden on top.

Per serving: about 270 calories and 26 g protein.

Ground Turkey Meals at a Glance

Meal	Calories per serving	Protein per serving
Turkey chili	340	31 g
Turkey tacos (2)	300	24 g
Turkey meatballs in marinara	290	26 g
Turkey burger	440	31 g
Stuffed bell peppers	355	27 g
Turkey Bolognese (with pasta)	440	30 g
Asian turkey stir-fry with rice	450	28 g
Turkey breakfast sausage patties (2)	210	21 g
Turkey shepherd’s pie	270	26 g

All figures are estimates based on a 4 oz portion of 93% lean ground turkey plus the sides stated in each section.

Ground Turkey vs Ground Beef

The swap is worth making when calories matter. Per 4 oz cooked, 93% lean ground turkey has about 170 calories and 21 g of protein, while 90% lean ground beef has about 200 calories and 22 g of protein — similar protein, about 30 fewer calories. Our ground beef calories guide breaks down every grind by fat percentage.

One more label note: 93% lean turkey includes some dark meat and skin, which is why it tastes richer and stays juicier than 99% lean. The 99% lean kind is breast-only — about 120 calories and 26 g of protein per 4 oz — so it is the better pick for a strict calorie budget, but it dries out fast. For the same reason, many cooks prefer turkey breast itself for roasting; see our turkey breast calories guide for those numbers.

3 Tips for Cooking Ground Turkey

• Do not overcook it. Ground turkey dries out past 165°F, so use a thermometer and pull it off the heat as soon as it reaches 165°F. Adding moisture helps too — grated zucchini or onion mixed into meatballs and burgers keeps them juicy.
• Season boldly. Turkey is mild, so it needs more salt, spice and herbs than beef does. Taste the seasoning in a small test patty before cooking the whole batch.
• Brown it well. Let the turkey sit undisturbed in a hot pan until it develops colour before breaking it up — that browning is where most of the flavour comes from.

Frequently Asked Questions