Ground turkey is great for your grocery budget but it needs to taste good too. These are ground turkey meal ideas that actually taste amazing!
If you've been searching for budget friendly dinners, you've likely come across the tip to use ground turkey instead of beef. And for good reason!
Including lower cost proteins like ground turkey in your weekly meal plan can go a long way toward keeping the grocery budget in check, something that's important to all of us right now.
But if you've switched to ground turkey and wound up with dry meat that just didn't taste good, you're not alone! Unfortunately, it's not always as simple as just switching out ground turkey for ground beef. This works really well in some recipes…but not so much in others.
I'm excited to share some of my all-time favorite ground turkey recipes with you today. Do you have a ground turkey recipe you love? I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment or message me on Instagram @prepdish. I'm always looking for new ideas!
The Secret to Delicious Ground Turkey Recipes
The reason using ground turkey often results in dry meat is that it's much lower in fat than ground beef. If you simply switch ground turkey for beef in your go-to recipe, it will be edible but it may not taste amazing. Don't worry though, you don't have to choose between a sky-high grocery bill and putting a delicious meal on the table!
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind for delicious ground turkey recipes:
- Choose Higher Fat – If you've struggled with dry ground turkey, try choosing turkey that's higher in fat next time. The 99% lean can be really hard to cook without it turning out dry.
- Choose a “Saucy” Recipe – If you are looking to sub ground turkey for beef in one of your favorite recipes, make sure it's a recipe with some liquid. Ground turkey works really well in things like pasta sauce or chili because they contain plenty of liquid to make up for the drier meat. However when it comes to things like burgers, you're going to have much better luck choosing an actual turkey burger recipe than just making a sub.
Keep these two things in mind and you're well on your way to delicious ground turkey recipes where no one will miss the beef!
9 Ground Turkey Meal Ideas
You'll notice some ground beef recipes in this list as well. These are recipes where it works really well to sub ground turkey so feel free to use whichever you have on hand or fits in the grocery budget this week.
1. Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers
In this easy ground turkey dinner recipe, you'll combine ground turkey with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, shallots, parsley and (optional) feta for a highly flavorful, Mediterranean-inspired stuffed pepper filling.
Bonus Tip – This filling is also delicious on its own! Feel free to skip the stuffed peppers and simply serve over cauliflower rice or quinoa for an extra quick ground turkey recipe!
2. Baked Polenta Casserole w/ Ground Turkey
It's well known that lasagna is a favorite dish in my house. This Turkey Polenta Casserole is inspired by lasagna but polenta takes the place of the noodles. With just 8 ingredients, this is one of those simple but highly satisfying recipes you'll find yourself reaching for again and again!
3. Turkey Taco Soup
Turkey Taco Soup often shows up on our Subscribers' Favorites lists, and for good reason! It's a delicious vehicle for all of your favorite taco toppings – bring on the avocado & shredded cheddar! But it's also a perfect ground turkey meal prep recipe. If you chop all of the veggies ahead of time, this soup comes together quite quickly, perfect for weeknights!
4. 3-Bean Kale & Ancho Chili
You'll notice this recipe doesn't actually call for ground turkey. As written, it's a vegetarian chili recipe. I wanted to include it though to highlight one of my favorite ways to incorporate ground beef or ground turkey into a budget-friendly meal plan.
If vegetarian isn't your thing, add a pound of ground turkey to this chili. Mixing ground turkey with beans is one of the best ways to stretch the meat further, making for a super friendly but satisfying low cost meal.
If you want to try it, simply saute the turkey with the veggies, until cooked through, before adding the tomatoes, beans and spices.
5. Paleo Turkey Lasagna w/ Zucchini
If you're looking for delicious ground turkey recipes, you can't beat lasagna! This is the perfect recipe for turkey because, between the zucchini and the sauce, there's plenty of moisture to make it delicious.
You can choose between cashew cream and Greek yogurt for the creamy later here so it's perfect if you need a dairy free option.
6. Easy Burritos
These easy burritos call for ground beef but you can easily substitute ground turkey. The salsa and shredded cheese will keep them from turning out dry!
You can also make a big batch of these and use them as freezer burritos! Just flash freeze before transferring to a freezer container.
7. Juicy Turkey Burgers
If you've had a bad experience with turkey burgers, I hear you. The thing is, you can't just use ground turkey instead of ground beef with no other additions when it comes to burgers. You need to add something else for moisture or they just turn out dry.
Well my friends, your search for the perfect juicy turkey burger is at an end! This post actually includes 4 of my favorite turkey burger recipes – not a dry burger in the bunch! These work just as well with ground chicken too.
8. Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
When you're looking for ground turkey meal ideas, soups are a great option. Many soups that call for ground beef are just as good with ground turkey and my slow cooker lasagna soup is no exception!
I love lasagna but I don't always have time to whip one up on a Wednesday. This soup version is perfect for those busy weeknights when you want a bit of classic comfort food.
9. Healthy Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
The simple ground turkey filling here is delicious but what really makes the recipe shine is the TWO homemade sauces! You'll drizzle both homemade ranch and homemade buffalo sauce on these stuffed sweet potatoes for a seriously delicious ground turkey recipe.
I want more ideas for budget friendly dinners!
I year you. Grocery budget has been at the top of my mind lately as well. Here are a few resources I've put together to help:
How to Spend Less on Groceries – I share the tips that have been working for me as I work to keep my own grocery budget down.
20 Healthy Budget Dinners – With meals like Shepherd's Pie and Chicken Vegetable Soup, no one will realize you're cutting back on the grocery budget!
5 Budget Friendly Protein Sources – In addition to ground turkey, I've rounded up some other proteins that are nutritious, tasty and easy on the budget.
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