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Ground Turkey Recipes

Ground turkey recipes made in one skillet with a smoky cumin-paprika sauce that turns tender and lightly thickened. Sauté onion and garlic, brown the turkey, then simmer with black beans or diced tomatoes for taco-ready filling with bold flavor.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 295
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lean ground turkey
  • 1 lb Lean ground turkey Use 90% lean or similar for best browning and flavor.
Yellow onion
  • 1 yellow onion Small onion, diced.
Garlic
  • 3 garlic cloves Minced.
Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
Smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
Chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp chili powder
Salt and black pepper
  • 1 salt and cracked black pepper Season to taste.
Black beans or diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) black beans or diced tomatoes Choose one option.
Optional serving items
  • 1 taco shells, lettuce cups, or whole grain buns Optional: for serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the turkey filling
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute (visual cue: oil moves easily across the pan).
  2. Sauté diced yellow onion for 3 minutes until softened (visual cue: pieces look translucent). Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute (visual cue: fragrant aroma, not browned).
  3. Add lean ground turkey and break it up with a spoon; cook until no pink remains, about 8 minutes (visual cue: meat turns fully brown with no red spots).
  4. Sprinkle in ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and cracked black pepper, then stir for 30 seconds (visual cue: spices look evenly distributed and slightly toasted).
  5. Add black beans or diced tomatoes, stir, and simmer for 8 minutes until slightly thickened (visual cue: sauce clings more to the turkey).
Serve
  1. Serve the turkey mixture in taco shells, lettuce cups, grain bowls, or stuffed peppers (visual cue: filling mounded hot in the chosen vessel).

Notes

Pro tip: ground turkey is leaner than beef, so add a splash of chicken broth if the mixture looks too dry during the simmer. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet or microwave until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-carb option, swap taco shells and buns for lettuce cups.