How to Cook Ground Turkey (the best way!)  (2024)

If you’re wondering how to cook ground turkey and make it taste good, you’re in luck! This recipe lets you create healthy, flavourful ground turkey meat in just 15 minutes. That way, you can have your weeknight meal ready in no time. You can cook ground turkey as taco meat, a topping for salads, chilli, gyro bowls, and more!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Versatile – The best part about this lean turkey recipe is that you can adjust the seasoning to your liking and turn the ground turkey into nearly anything.

Healthy – Cooking ground turkey is a healthy alternative to ground beef, as it’s lower in fat.

Fast cooking – This simple cooked ground turkey is ready in only 15 minutes, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights.

Flavourful – With spices like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne, you can expect a burst of flavour in every bite.

Simple seasoning – If you’re wondering how to season ground turkey, I’ve noted the spices I like to use below. This simple seasoning provides a tasty flavour and is versatile enough to use in various recipes.

If you have leftover mince, consider making one of these yummy recipes; Southwest Ground Turkey and Rice Skillet, The Best Ground Turkey Pasta and Korean Spiced Turkey Mince⁠

Best ground turkey to use

Fat content
Knowing which kind of turkey to buy is essential when learning how to cook ground turkey. I recommend aiming for a turkey with 2-7% fat. This percentage keeps the turkey relatively lean yet still flavourful. A higher fat percentage means you’ll have moist, not dry, meat.

Ground turkey breast vs mixed meat (dark and light)
Either ground turkey breast or ground mixed turkey meat will work for this ground turkey recipe. However, I recommend ground turkey breast, as it’s leaner. You can use mixed meat for a richer recipe if you don’t mind the extra fat/calories.

Ingredients

Ground Turkey – Part of learning how to cook ground turkey is grabbing the correct turkey from the store (see notes above). For this lean ground turkey recipe, I recommend turkey that has 2-7% fat. This seasoned ground turkey recipe will also work for ground beef, chicken, and pork.

Italian Seasoning – I’ve included Italian seasoning in this ground turkey seasoning, as it’s great for Italian-inspired recipes like pasta dishes. However, you can swap this out with other spice mixes, depending on what you plan to use the turkey for. For example, if you’re making ground turkey tacos, use a taco spice mix instead.

Cayenne Pepper – When you season the ground turkey with cayenne pepper, it adds a bit of a kick to the dish. If you have a low heat tolerance, consider using a smaller amount or leaving the cayenne pepper out completely.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

There are a few ways you can change up this recipe for how to cook ground turkey to meet your flavour preferences. For one, you can use whichever seasoning you desire. Be sure to prepare the meat with a seasoning that matches your intended recipe for the best results (like taco seasoning for ground turkey taco meat). Additionally, you can swap out the ground turkey for another ground meat of your choosing, like ground chicken, pork, or beef.

Pair this ground turkey mince with one of your favorite dishes; Creamy Polenta with Parmesan, Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta and Cheesy Gnocchi Bake

How to make ground turkey the best

1. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, coated with rapeseed oil/canola (Image 1).
2. Add the ground turkey into the pan and break apart (roughly) with a spatula (Image 2).

3. Leave to brown on a high heat for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper (Image 3).

4. After this time, the ground turkey should have taken on some nice colour. Break apart properly now with your spatula and stir (Image 4).

5. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes, then add the seasoning and another generous pinch of salt into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium now and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes (Image 5).

6. Serve up with a crack of black pepper and enjoy! (Image 6).

Need inspiration for some quick and easy recipes? See my ; Marmite Pasta, Spaghetti al Limone and Creamy Tarragon Chicken

Ground Turkey Uses

Now that you know how to cook ground turkey, you may be wondering what to use turkey for. Here are a few easy meal prep/dinner ideas: use the ground turkey for soup, stew, chilli, tacos, stir-fry, pasta meat sauce, egg roll in a bowl, meatloaf, burgers, or meatballs. Essentially, you can use ground turkey anywhere you would normally use other types of ground meat.

Serve with my delicious : Mexican Street Corn Off the Cob

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

After learning how to cook ground turkey, it’s necessary to know how to store leftovers (if there are any!).

Refrigerator
If you plan to use the leftover cooked turkey in ground turkey recipes in the next few days, you can store it in the fridge. Be sure to allow the meat to fully cool first. Then, store it in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator.

Freezer
If you’ve doubled or tripled the recipe and want to store the meat for future recipes, you can store it in the freezer. Like above, be sure to let the meat cool before packing it in an airtight container or baggie. Then, keep it in the freezer for no more than six months.

Reheat
When you’re ready to use frozen ground turkey, allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge. Then, toss it in a pan over medium heat and warm. Be sure to stir the meat regularly.

Make Ahead Instructions

One of the great things about learning how to cook ground turkey is that you can make it ahead of time. Simply follow the directions below. Then, store the ground turkey in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Then, you can reheat it in a pan over medium and use it in your recipe of choice.

FAQs