How to brown ground turkey

You’ve probably noticed that most recipes using ground beef start with a browning step. Slow cooker dishes, chilis, soups, meat sauces, ground beef stew, and sloppy Joes almost always call for browned ground beef, and many casseroles start with browned ground beef. Meatloaf, burgers, meatballs, and stuffed peppers and cabbage are a few notable exceptions.

How to Choose Ground Beef

When buying ground beef, always check the sell-by date on the label and choose the freshest possible package. To freeze fresh ground beef for longer storage, wrap the packaged beef tightly in foil or put it in a sealable freezer bag. Air in the bag will cause freezer burn eventually, so remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible and use the ground beef within about 3 to 4 months. For even longer storage, consider a vacuum sealer system. Store frozen vacuum-sealed ground beef for as long as 2 to 3 years. Make sure to label packages with the name, a use-by date, and the weight.

The lean beef to fat ratio is another important factor to consider. An 85/15 ground beef is the most common ratio, and it’s a good all-purpose choice. Choose a higher fat content—70/30 to 80/20—for the juiciest burgers and most flavorful meatloaf, or add some ground pork to the mixture for extra fat and moisture. Extra-lean ground beef—90/10 or 93/7—is a good choice for tacos and sauces, or when you are browning ground beef crumbles to freeze for recipes. It’s also the best choice for dishes that can’t be easily drained, such as casseroles and stuffed peppers.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Claudia Thompson, PhD, RD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Lundman

You can limit your red meat consumption, and still enjoy your favorite hamburger comfort foods by opting for ground turkey instead. Cooking ground turkey is similar to hamburger, but because it contains less fat than ground round, it needs added moisture or fat from vegetables or oil.

Whether you’re making ground turkey burgers, or crumbling the meat for sloppy Joes, chili or soups, your meal will satisfy both meat lovers and health-conscious diners.

Try Versatile Turkey Crumbles

Step 1: Sauté and Season

Sauté ground turkey and a little bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a spatula or spoon in the same way you would ground beef.

Season it to taste. Be aware that many commercially prepared seasonings are high in sodium. The American Heart Association recommends a daily intake of no more than 2,300 milligrams.

You’ll know the turkey is cooked thoroughly when it turns completely white with no pink color.

Step 2: Drain Excess Fat

Drain excess fat from the pan by pouring it off or blotting it in the pan with paper towels.

Step 3: Add Your Sauce

Add the turkey crumbles to chili, tacos and minestrone soup, or use them for the base for sloppy Joes.

For sloppy Joes, add cooked, chopped onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of hot sauce to the cooking pan, and heat all the ingredients thoroughly before serving it over hamburger buns.

Make Healthy Burgers

Step 1: Add Some Veggies

Add aromatics and vegetables, if you wish, to give the burgers flavor and additional moisture. Wash and finely chop them, then saute them in a bit of olive oil until they are soft.

Possible additions include sweet or hot peppers, corn, onions or shallots.

Step 2: Add Some Oil

Mix a little olive oil into the turkey to keep your patties moist if you’re not using chopped vegetables.

Step 3: Form Your Patties

Form the ground turkey into patties, gently, making them slightly larger than the hamburger buns since they will shrink as they cook. Use no more than a tablespoon of vegetables for each burger you make — too many will keep the burger from holding its shape.

Press a small indentation with your thumb in the center of each patty to help them maintain their shape in the pan. Season each side with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Cook the Burgers

Preheat a skillet to medium-high. Once it’s hot, add a coating of olive oil and place the turkey burgers inside. Cook the patties for about five minutes on the first side until the meat’s juices begin to run.

Step 5: Flip and Add Cheese

Flip the burgers, then add cheese if you want. Use Monterey Jack with peppers for a Southwest burger or blue cheese crumbles for a more potent flavor.

Cook the patties for another five minutes. The burger should register at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read meat thermometer, as advised by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Experiment with adding either raw or cooked vegetables and see which preparation you prefer.

Your health, both now and in the future, depend greatly on the kind of food you eat. There are types of foods you need to increase and those you need to reduce. Have you ever considered ground turkey? High in protein, low in calories, and packed with B-vitamins, ground turkey is certainly one of the foods you should increase. It is not hard to learn and apply these recipes and tips on cooking ground turkey.

Best Ever Recipes for Ground Turkey

If you prepare ground turkey well using any of the following recipes, you are assured a solution to your meat cravings and at the same time fall within healthy dieting brackets. Read on for more recipe instructions.

1. Ground turkey burgers

Ground turkey burgers can make you forget other meat burgers completely. Here is the recipe to make them:

Place about a pound of ground turkey in a large bowl. Add all the spices you need. Some suggestions are onions, seasoned bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, egg white, and so on. Knead them all together for two minutes to evenly distribute all the spices.

Scoop about 1/3 of the mixture with your hand, and shape it into a patty. Repeat the same to the whole kneaded mixture.

Put a pan on medium heat, add some oil, and swirl it around the pan when it is hot. This prevents the burgers from sticking.

Place the patties in the hot oil so that they do not touch each other. Allow each side to cook for three minutes or until it turns brown before turning it gently to the other side.

Serve the patties on buns. You can add mayonnaise, sliced tomatoes, ketchup, onions, or any other burger toppings you love.

2. Turkey crumbles

It’s simple by just following these steps.

Cook ground turkey in a skillet with a little olive oil using medium-high heat.

Use a spatula or a spoon, and keep turning the meat gently to break the meat apart. Cook until it all turns white. If you see some pink, it means the meat is not fully cooked.

Drain any excess fat by pouring the fat out or blotting it with a paper towel.

Add the cooked turkey crumbles to tacos, chili, or minestrone soup.

Heat all the ingredients well and later serve over some hamburger buns.

3. Plain ground turkey

Plain ground turkey is another recipe you can choose, and the steps are shown below:

First, heat the skillet for five minutes over medium heat.

Take the ground turkey and blot it using a paper towel to dry it fully.

Add about two tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil to the skillet.

Break the ground turkey meat into chunks (bite size) and drop them one at a time into the skillet.

Cook them undisturbed over oil until the bottom turns brown, and then turn them to the other side.

Remove them when fully brown and place them on a plate with paper towel to drain the oil.

Your plain turkey chucks are now ready. You can use them in lasagna, pasta, or turkey chili recipe.

4. Other ways to cook ground turkey

• Italian turkey burger
• Skinny burrito bowl
• Italian sloppy joes
• Banh Mi turkey burgers
• Greek stuffed turkey burgers
• Sriracha turkey burger and others

Tips for Cooking Ground Turkey

If you are wondering how to make ground turkey fit your taste, there are tips to follow. Ground turkey can be rolled into shaped burgers, meatballs, crumbled into a sauce, and more. Please read on for additional tips on how to store, choose, and prepare a good tasty ground turkey.

• Choose proper ground turkey

When planning to cook ground turkey, first decide what to cook them with. Instead of eating ground beef that is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, you can choose ground turkey which is less in saturated fat and cholesterol level. This will help you choose the right type of ground turkey. A wrong choice will alter or spoil your expected taste and flavor.

• Store ground turkey in a freezer bag

You can store the ground turkey in its original packaging, but if you want it to last longer, consider repackaging it in a freezer bag and then place it into a freezer. Note, when storing ground turkey make sure its wrapped with as little air as possible to avoid bacteria growth.

• Thaw ground turkey in the microwave

You can thaw a ground turkey in the microwave or a bowl full of cold water. If you are planning on cooking ground turkey which is already thawed, you should do it for two to three days.

Seasoning properly brings a nice addition of flavor or spice to some food. By seasoning properly, for example, sprinkling salt, adding pepper, or addition of herbs or spices, you really do affect the ground turkey’s end flavor.

• Do not cook the meat too long

If you happen to overcook ground turkey, you will have lost its nice flavor. It will be crumbly and dry because of its lower fat content.

The Final Word

Armed with this information and the advice of a nutritionist, you can limit the number of calories you take in. Following the right ground turkey preparation recipe is crucial for taste, and substituting ground turkey for meat is crucial for weight management. It’s a worthy option to take.

For the record, when you brown ground meat in a pan, it should be, well, brown and crispy. If it’s gray and mealy like mom’s taco meat used to be, you’re not really browning your meat. Those are just the facts. Learning how to brown meat the right way will leave you with a crispier, juicier, more interesting protein. Here’s how to show that ground beef, pork, or lamb the respect it deserves.

We want what’s on the left, not the right.

Photo by Alex Lau

1) Dry the raw meat on paper towels and let it come up to room temperature. This prevents it from steaming in the pan and moving from cool to hot too quickly. It basically ensures that it cooks more evenly.

2) Add the meat to a hot, lightly oiled cast-iron pan and smash it into an even layer—then don’t touch it. You don’t want to break up your ground meat before it has time to gain some texture.

3) Once you see crisp edges, use a spatula to divide the patty and flip it in pieces. Brown the other side, then break into bits—getting a full brown on both sides is what you’re aiming for. Then, make sure that you season the whole thing generously with salt—since ground meat tends to be pretty fatty, you’ll need to use a couple of good pinches to make it sing. That will give you the flavor, texture, and juice factor that will take you straight to the top of the ground beef game.

Now it’s time to actually use the technique. Ground meat is extremely versatile, shining in salads, tacos, lettuce wraps, casseroles, and just about everything else. Well, maybe not smoothies. Here are a few dishes that benefit from perfectly browned ground meat:

Lamb Larb

We’re also big fans of this weeknight chicken larb.

Beef, Black Bean, and Corn Tacos

Yup. The classic ground beef application. Getting those crispy edges really will change you as a person. They bring a whole new meaning to the word “Taco Tuesday.”

Crispy Thai Pork with Cucumber Salad

This Thai inspired salad highlights the crispy fatty pork with clean cucumbers and lettuce. Basically, it’s a way to tell you’re body that eating all of this ground meat is actually healthy. Maybe.

Makes 4 servings


1 lb ground turkey
Taco seasoning packet or 2 Tablespoons of the make your own recipe
Salad greens and toppings of your choice (tomatoes, avocado, cheese, sour cream, salsa, black beans, corn…whatever)
1. Place ground turkey in the bottom of your slow cooker. (I put mine in totally frozen)

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Comments

This has been such an eye opener, I had no idea i could throw frozen ground turkey in the crock pot. Thank you all for the recipes. Life just got easier.

Yes! This was exactly the question I had and you answered it. You gave me confidence to stick the raw ground turkey in the slow cooker. Thank you. And I like adding my own seasonings as well.

I agree with Jenette as I hate to have to cook it before I start! Thank you for this!

This is great! I was just wishing that I didn’t have to brown my ground meat before putting in my crockpot—I totally hate having to wash another pan.

She threw in the raw ground meat into the slow cooker and let it brown for 2-5 hrs on LOW.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Ipatenco

Ground turkey is a healthy alternative to ground beef that is usually lower in fat and calories, but supplies just as much protein. Often ground turkey is browned in a skillet before adding to recipes or formed into patties to make a turkey burger. But your slow cooker can create a tender and juicy pot of ground turkey that can be added to any number of recipes. A few seasonings and several hours of cooking are all it takes to successfully prepare ground turkey in your slow cooker.

Step 1

Spray the interior of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2

Place your ground turkey in the slow cooker, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper..

Step 3

Add the dried parsley, garlic powder and dried oregano.

Step 4

Cover the slow cooker tightly with the lid, cook it on low heat for three to four hours.

Step 5

Take the lid off the slow cooker, and gently stir the ground turkey to break it up into bite-sized pieces.

Step 6

Re-cover the cooker, and cook the ground turkey for three to four more hours.

Step 7

Remove the ground turkey with a slotted spoon.

Things You’ll Need

Nonstick cooking spray

2 lbs. ground turkey

Salt and pepper

2 tsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. dried oregano

Make a ground turkey meatloaf in your slow cooker. Combine the turkey with diced onion, minced garlic, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Place it in the slow cooker and form it into a meatloaf shape. Bake for six to seven hours, and serve with potatoes and vegetables. The same method can be used to make slow cooker turkey burgers. Instead of forming into a meatloaf shape, form into several patty shapes.

Season your ground turkey with other spices, if you desire. Basil, dill, ground mustard or paprika all create flavorful ground turkey.

Add slow-cooked ground turkey instead of ground beef to your favorite recipes, such as stuffed bell peppers, pasta sauces, soup, stew or chili.

Combine ground turkey with barbecue sauce to make a barbecued meat sandwich.

Warning

The cooking juices can get very hot, so be careful not to splash them on you when taking the turkey out of the slow cooker.

5 from 4 reviews

Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef or turkey thawed in your electric pressure cooker in minutes. Then use in any recipes with ground beef or ground turkey.

No more “forgot to thaw meat” at 4 PM!

How to Cook Frozen Ground Beef in Instant Pot

I can’t tell you how many times Instant Pot frozen ground beef or turkey has saved the dinner! I don’t have enough fingers to tell you how many times at 4PM my brilliant healthy dinner idea was ruined by “Crap, forgot to thaw the meat”.

Sounds familiar? Aha.

Cooking frozen ground beef in Instant Pot in 20 minutes is one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes or even hacks to be correct. We do not own a microwave by choice. Thawing frozen meat in hot water or boiling it takes forever and overcooks the outside. That’s why I love my Instant Pot so-so-so much!

Are you still on a fence about the whole Instant Pot movement? I was too. Huge mistake. Now, if you are thinking of getting one see which one is for you – there are many.

Can I Use Ground Turkey or Chicken?

Yes, you can cook any frozen ground meat like turkey, chicken, pork, venison, lamb etc.

To cook any ground meat from frozen in your pressure cooker, you only need 2 ingredients:

• Frozen meat and
• Water.

And use different cooking times:

• Red meat – 15 minutes for thawed and 25 minutes for fully cooked.
• Poultry – 7 minutes for thawed and 15 minutes for fully cooked.

How Long to Cook for Thawed Ground Beef?

If you are new to whole pressure cooking thing, I highly recommend you check out my Instant Pot guide. Great for beginners.

There are 2 types of frozen ground beef in Instant Pot you can make:

1. Thawed
2. Fully cooked

For thawed ground beef, cook frozen meat for 15 minutes and do Quick Release. When you open the pot, meat will look cooked and brown outside. But once you remove it into the bowl and start breaking with a fork or meat claws, you will see that it is red/pink inside.

15 minutes is great if you just need to thaw the meat and proceed with any other recipe like ground chicken tacos or lazy enchiladas, for example.

How Long to Cook for Fully Cooked Ground Beef?

For fully cooked ground beef, cook frozen meat for 25 minutes and do Quick Release. Then remove onto a plate, break into pieces and season with any combination of spices like salt, pepper, taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder etc.

And use in tacos, taco salad, lasagna and casseroles. So convenient!

What Amount Can I Cook at Once?

I tested a pack of organic 85% ground beef and conventional extra lean ground turkey. Both from Costco. And both weighing 1.3 lbs.

You can cook up to 2.5 lbs at a time. So 2 Costco size packs.

What Does It Taste Like?

Is it rubbery? Is it dry? I will be completely honest.

Meat doesn’t come out dry because of the whole pressure cooking process where steam doesn’t escape the pot. If meat is a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of liquid from the bottom of the pot.

Cooked from frozen meat in one hunk is a bit hard to separate into crumbles. It feels rubbery. That’s my only complain but I can get over it.

It doesn’t taste that rubbery or dry though. Especially once you incorporate it into next recipe – you won’t notice the difference.

Can I Cook Without the Trivet?

Unfortunately not. You have to use the trivet for cooking frozen ground meat. It usually comes with your Instant Pot. With handles or not, depends on a model.

3 reasons I don’t recommend to cook ground meat without a trivet:

1. Meat will not cook uniform
2. It will be soaked in liquid
3. It might also cause “Burn”.

What Do I Do with a Liquid at the Bottom?

If you are cooking frozen ground beef, a lot of fat drains into the water. I discard it for health reasons.

When cooking lean poultry, cooking water stays quite bland because meat is sitting on the trivet. I discard it as well.

Can I Brown Frozen Ground Beef?

Unfortunately not. Meat will stay frozen inside and become overcooked outside. It is a big “no-no”.

How to Peel Off the Pad from Frozen Meat?

When you buy fresh ground meat in a tray, it is usually lined with plastic or paper pad.

To remove plastic pad, run frozen meat where pad is attached under warm water for a few seconds until you can peel it off easily. With paper one, I just cook meat with it and then it peels so easy from cooked meat.

Recipes for Thawed Ground Beef or Turkey

OK, I thawed ground beef this particular time for the Korean ground beef rice bowls recipe that is coming next.

I also thaw ground beef or turkey to use in another Instant Pot recipe. It is not super fast but completely hands off cooking that makes healthy dinner easy.

Did you know we have entire Youtube channel dedicated to healthy Instant Pot recipes and tips? My goal is to help you become confident with your Instant Pot by demonstrating each delicious foolproof recipe in step-by-step videos.

Make sure to subscribe and hit the Bell icon not to miss new videos.

Like most foods, meat is best when it’s served fresh. And while no one wants to be wasteful, no one should risk getting sick from tainted or spoiled meat. When that beef, pork or poultry is ground up, however, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if it’s actually gone bad.

Since best by, sell by and use by dates can be pretty confusing, culinary professionals recommend that home cooks perform their own assessment of any meat products before cooking them. The first test? Take a look. In general, ground meat should be a varied shade of red or pink. Slight discoloration is natural but the product package itself may also indicate spoilage. “From a visual perspective, if you have a piece of meat that’s in a bag or vacuum-sealed pouch [and] if it has blown up like a balloon, it’s going to be really rotten, so much so, you should not even open the bag,” butcher James Peisker, co-founder of Porter Road, told TODAY Food.

If the ground meat passes the visual test, the next step is to touch it. “If the meat is sticky or super slimy, throw it away. Wet and juicy is OK, but you never want your meat to be slimy to the touch,” advised Peisker.

After passing the look and touch tests, then it’s time to use your nose. “Different meat has different smells,” said Peisker but, generally, rotten meat actually smells slightly sweet. Like other products that have spoiled, ground meat will be especially pungent. Like fresh fish, fresh meat shouldn’t really be smelly at all.

Here are some top tips for how to assess the freshness of specific types of meat.

Ground beef

“All beef, including ground beef, is a deep purple until it hits oxygen,” Peisker told TODAY. “If it’s a deep purple, it was cut and then taken away from oxygen instantly. As the meat hits oxygen, it blooms to a bright red.”

Beef actually has the longest shelf life of most ground meats and, assuming it wasn’t purchased past its use-by date and is freshly ground, should stay fresh in the fridge for five to seven days.

“The meat should always have a nice sheen to it and not [be] gray. The grind should be a coarse grind where you can see the meat,” Josh Capon, executive chef and partner at Lure Fishbar and Bowery Meat Company told TODAY.

When raw beef starts to turn brown or gray (even if it’s just a small portion of the package), it’s time to perform the smell and touch tests right away. Graying is a natural process that occurs as beef continues to oxidize but if there is any sticky residue or it smells funky, toss it. If you’re still within that five day window and the beef is only a little gray on the outside, but otherwise seems fine, it’s OK to consume it. However, if the meat is showing signs of gray or brown coloration throughout, it’s time to say goodbye.

It’s also important to keep in mind that ground meat can still go rotten in the freezer. “Large ice crystals [on ground beef] indicate it could be bad, and it could make you sick,” said Peisker. “Also with frozen meat, if there is discoloration — be careful — it’s always better to air on the side of safety.”

Ground poultry

“Ground poultry is the most difficult to see [if it’s fresh] visually. It could go bad before it even browns, so that’s why you need to eat it immediately,” said Peisker. Ground chicken and turkey usually last just two to three days in the fridge.

Freshly ground chicken or turkey will have a light pink hue and virtually no smell. Like raw beef, raw poultry may get slightly gray or brown as it ages but the contrast may not be as obvious, so it’s important to sniff it and thoroughly look for any slick or slimy residue before you use it any recipe.

Ground pork and ground sausage

Ground pork will stay fresh up to five days but around day three, you should definitely check the package. “With grocery store ground pork, it will start to turn brown, but it doesn’t have the oxidation like beef does,” Peisker said. “Ground pork is often considered the ‘other white meat’ but . if you get it from a reputable, high-quality purveyor, it will automatically look darker than what you would see in the grocery store.”

When it comes to fresh sausages like bratwurst (which often have dairy in them), they will go bad pretty quickly. “Anything in a natural casing will also go bad faster,” said Peisker, adding that “anything that has a starch in it [potato, rice] will go bad faster, because bacteria loves starches and turns them into sugars — which will increase the growth of bacteria, good and bad.” How long sausage lasts will vary by the type of meat in it, but most sausages will last two to three days in the fridge, and about a month in the freezer.

Of course, with various spices and additives like onions or garlic, fresh sausage can be pretty pungent right off the bat. Chef Justin Burdett of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, told TODAY that “pre-wrapped meats have an odor to them immediately after being opened that will go away after the meat is allowed to breathe a little. However, if the meat still smells after some time out of the packaging, it’s likely gone bad.”

Sausages also vary in color but like any other ground meat product, once they start to turn a different color, it’s likely time to toss it. Touching the sausage, said Burdett, is probably the best way to assess whether it’s fresh: “If the ground sausage feels sticky or has a gummy texture, it’s past its time and shouldn’t be used.”

Cooked ground meat

Meal prepping is becoming more and more popular, but if you’re cooking up a big batch of ground meat, be prepared to use it up pretty quickly. “Cooked ground [meat], if it’s really fresh and not filled with stabilizers and preservatives, it will only last a day or two. But again, utilize the tests above — for anything pre-cooked in a store, use your senses to guide you to a decision,” said Peisker.

When you’re cooking ground meat, it’s important to keep internal cooking temperatures in mind. For ground beef or pork, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends cooking it to 160 degrees. For ground poultry, it’s 165 degrees.

All tainted meat, whether it’s beef, pork, chicken or veal, gets a slimy residue on it when it has gone bad — even highly processed proteins like bacon and deli meats. “Ever open a pack of hot dogs and find a sticky, slimy translucent goo that stretches as you pull your hot dogs apart?” Vincent Olivieri, chef de cuisine at Fairway Market and Fairway Café and Steakhouse, told TODAY. Anything with that sticky, unattractive slime should definitely be tossed out, even if it is filled with preservatives.

The golden rule? When it doubt, throw it out!

Trust all of your available senses, the experts said, but smell is probably the best indicator of spoilage or freshness. Said Olivieri, “Your nose is the most powerful tool when it comes to scoping out bad meat. If it’s got a funk it’s probably ready to go in the trash.”

• How to Brown Meat So It’s Actually, You Know, Brown
• 3 Surefire Methods of Cooking Delicious Ground Turkey
• 3 Best Recipes on Cooking Delicious Ground Turkey
• How to Cook Ground Turkey on the Stove

How to Brown Meat So It’s Actually, You Know, Brown

If you’re trying to eat more lean meats, cook with ground turkey. Simply You could also remove the ground turkey from its packaging and place it in a microwave-safe dish. It will just take more time to brown and be more difficult to stir.

If you’re trying to eat more lean meats, cook with ground turkey. Simply brown it in a skillet on the stove or heat it in a microwave until it’s at food safe temperature degrees F or 70 degrees C. If there’s any grease, just drain it before using the meat. You can use the cooked ground turkey in any of your favorite recipes that call for ground meat. To brown ground turkey on the stovetop, place it into a hot skillet and use a spoon to break up the turkey into small pieces.

Whether cooking is a joy or necessity for you, the more recipe ideas you have and the more ingredients you can work with, making it more fun and more varied. So, today we are focusing on an ingredient you may not have cooked extensively with, or may have sometimes overlooked � ground turkey. In this article, Grills Forever team will take you through the three most popular ways of cooking ground turkey; in a pan, baked, grilled, as well as some tips and watch out warnings.
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Susan Lundman began writing about her passions of cooking, gardening, entertaining and recreation after working for a nonprofit agency, writing grants and researching child development issues. She has written professionally for six years since then. Lundman received her M. You can limit your red meat consumption, and still enjoy your favorite hamburger comfort foods by opting for ground turkey instead. Ground turkey cooks in much the same way as hamburger, but because it contains only about 3 percent fat, compared to 10 percent for ground round, it needs added moisture or fat from vegetables or oil.

3 Surefire Methods of Cooking Delicious Ground Turkey

For the record, when you brown ground meat in a pan, it should be, well, brown and crispy. Those are just the facts.

3 Best Recipes on Cooking Delicious Ground Turkey

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By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy , Privacy Policy , and our Terms of Service. Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for professional and amateur chefs. It only takes a minute to sign up. I was wondering how long it exactly takes to cook ground meat in a skillet on the stove on medium heat for these meats? Please clarify your specific problem or add additional details to highlight exactly what you need. See the How to Ask page for help clarifying this question. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center , please edit the question.

I’ve been experimenting with one of my new favorite proteins – ground turkey. Usually the words ‘juicy’ and ‘ground turkey’ are not often put together, but I found the secret ingredient for seriously juicy ground turkey! And it’s so delicious. Another bonus, this juicy ground turkey recipe tastes like beef! I never would have thought a ground turkey recipe could taste this good.

While shopping at the grocery store, this lean protein seemed to always take the back shelf, never quite making its way into my basket. Recently I decided to switch up my proteins and give ground turkey a try. On its own, I found ground turkey to be a little dry and plain, so I took to the kitchen tinkering with the best way to prepare, season, and serve ground turkey. My ‘beef’ with ground turkey is that its low fat qualities can work against itself, turning this healthy, lean protein into a dry dish if not properly prepared.

After a few taste tests, I found the secret accompanying ingredient for seriously tender ground turkey. Mushrooms! Ground mushrooms to be exact. Trust me, with this juicy recipe, you will fall head over heels in love with ground turkey. Mushrooms add moisture, mouthfeel, and umami (beefy) flavor to the otherwise dry ground turkey. When mushrooms are chopped up into little bits, they easily and evenly mix with ground turkey making the protein so tender and flavorful while also giving the dish a veggie boost. And we all love that!

I love the flavors in this healthy ingredient combo and decided to create a really quick recipe, taking this mushroom and ground turkey recipe to the next level. Adding thyme helps to intensify the meatiness to the mushrooms, and garlic is the perfect complimenting ingredient. Use the secret ingredient juicy ground turkey recipe below for taco fillings, nacho toppings, accompanying a pasta dish, or sprinkled on top of a salad. Honestly though, the combinations are endless!

You can also play around with the mushroom to turkey ratio depending on the desired moisture level. The Mushroom Council says you can go up to an 80% mushroom, 20% turkey blend! And that sounds delicious.

Pro Tip: Portabella and crimini mushrooms have a stronger, meatier flavor while button mushrooms tend to be a little less bold and are a better color match for ground turkey or chicken. I am using button mushrooms for this recipe, but feel free to adjust the mushroom type depending on where your cravings are taking you.

Juicy Ground Turkey Recipe

How will you include this juicy ground turkey recipe into your meals? I would love to hear how you use it! I whipped up some juicy ground turkey meatballs using the same ground mushroom and turkey technique. Take your ground turkey skills to the next level and try my turkey meatball recipe by clicking here!

Healthy & Juicy Ground Turkey

5 from 2 reviews

Ground turkey on its own can be a little dry. Give ground turkey a veggie boost with this delicious recipe and never have dry, boring ground turkey again! Serve this versatile ground turkey recipe as a taco fillings, nacho toppings, with pasta, or sprinkled on top of a salad. Using ground mushrooms in this recipe will make your turkey taste like beef and will add lots of moisture.

• Author:Michele Sidorenkov, RDN
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 3 1/2 cups 1 x
• Category: Protein
• Method: Sautée
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 12 medium button mushrooms, cleaned and whole
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound 99% lean ground turkey, raw
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Add mushrooms and garlic cloves to a food processor and pulse until the mixture turns to a ground beef consistency.
2. In a medium bowl combine the ground mushroom and garlic mixture, raw ground turkey, chopped thyme, and salt. Mix all ingredients together until throughly combined.
3. Heat a medium-sized skillet, setting the stove temperature to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil to the skillet, evenly coating the skillet surface. Add the raw turkey, mushroom mixture to the hot oiled skillet, using a spatula to occasionally stir and break up mixture into smaller pieces.
4. Once the mixture is cooked all the way through and is a ground consistency, you can enjoy immediately or cool and store for later use.

Notes

• If you don’t have a food processor, chop the mushroom and garlic cloves into fine pieces using a knife and cutting board
• Each 1 cup of this recipe is equal to 1 serving of vegetables and 3 1/2 oz protein

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 heaping cup
• Calories: 233
• Sugar: 0g
• Sodium: 475mg
• Fat: 7g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 3g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 36g
• Cholesterol: 93mg

Keywords: healthy ground turkey, moist ground turkey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Lohrey

Whatever you can cook in your oven using ground beef you can also cook using ground turkey. Just as when you use ground beef, the leaner the meat, the greater the health benefits, but the more care you must take to avoid a dry and tasteless meal. This is especially true if you use ground turkey breast, which is about 99 percent lean. Ground turkey has a finer texture than ground beef and a taste of its own, making a meal such as turkey meatloaf or turkey burgers a nice change of pace.

Step 1

Heat the olive or canola in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrot and garlic and saute the vegetables until they soften.

Step 2

Add the sauteed vegetables, ground turkey, parsley, bread crumbs, eggs or egg substitute and pepper to a mixing bowl and stir well to combine the ingredients.

Step 3

Spray a loaf pan with a light coating of vegetable-oil spray and spoon the turkey mixture into the loaf pan. Pat the meat with spoon to pack it into the pan. Run the spoon around the edges of the pan to create a space between the pan and the meatloaf.

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake the turkey meatloaf for about 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the center of the meatloaf, making sure that the temperature is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5

Remove the pan from your oven and let it sit for about five minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the meatloaf to a serving platter.

Things You’ll Need

1/ 2 to 1 tbsp. olive or canola oil

1/4 to 1/2 cup diced onions

1/4 to 1/3 cup shredded carrots

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

3 lbs. ground turkey

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. chopped parsley

1/2 cup plain or flavored bread crumbs

3 eggs or egg substitute

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Vegetable oil spray

To avoid extremes of greasy meat from too much fat or overly dry meat from not enough, choose ground turkey that is 92 to 96 percent lean for oven cooking.

Vary the flavor of your ground turkey by adding 1 tsp. each of Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and oregano and ¼ tsp. paprika.

A final handful of cilantro brightens the dish and then it’s done! – See more at:

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Ingredients

1. • 1 cup Brown Rice
   • 2.5 cups chicken stock
   • 1 pound ground turkey
   • 1 medium red and white onion
   • 1 bunch of scallions
   • 1 red bell pepper
   • 1 yellow bell pepper
   • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
   • 1/3 cup chopped onion
   • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
   • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
   • garlic salt
   • cilantro
   • broccoli

Preparation

1. 1. Bring 2 1/2 cup of chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan, and stir in the brown rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Set the rice aside. Dice red and white onion, finely chop cloves of garlic, and slice scallions stir in green bell pepper, onion. Cook vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey into a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the turkey until the meat gives up some of its fat, 2 to 3 minutes; Cook and stir until the turkey is crumbly and no longer pink and the vegetables are tender, 5 to 8 more minutes. Stir in the cooked brown rice Stir in half a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped. Stir in cooked brown rice and adjust seasonings to taste. A final handful of cilantro brightens the dish and then it’s done!

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Ground Turkey
Cooked to fine texture

When making tacos, chili, lasagna or spaghetti, I like the texture of the meat to be small, itzy bitzy, fine pieces. I truly dislike having large chunks of meat in a sauce. If you like small pieces as well but, don’t know how to accomplish it, here’s how.

For years I cooked the meat then, while it was draining in the colander I used forks to cut or mash it into smaller pieces to get the texture I wanted.

Cooking Ground Turkey in water

I noticed my mother-in-law always had the tiny pieces of meat in her homemade chili and spaghetti sauce like I wanted but never seemed to accomplish. So years ago I asked her how she got the pieces so small and she shared her “secret” with me. I have been doing that ever since, but through the years I have learned that a lot of people do not know this little “secret”. I think it’s one of those little tricks of old that just didn’t get passed along because it was such a common practice our moms didn’t think it was worth sharing.

Well here it is: The little “secret” to getting the tiny meat pieces texture to your ground turkey or ground beef.

Water. That’s all it is, just water.

When you put your ground turkey or ground beef in the pot or pan you just need to add a couple of cups of water and mix it all in. Hands work well for this mixing and squishing.

Draining the water and grease from ground turkey

Then, as the meat cooks it actually boils in the water. Drain the water and grease from the meat and put it back in the pan and continue your recipe.

Can you believe it’s that easy. I know it sounds so easy that I’m almost embarrassed to make a post for it, but just last week I was talking to someone who had no idea that cooking the ground meat in water would turn it into this fine texture.

Oh, by the way, never pour that grease down the drain. That’s another thing that I have found out that a lot of the younger generation doesn’t know. Grease poured down the drain causes a lot of problems with pipes later on. Just pour into an empty can after it has cooled and trash it, or if you live out like we do you can pour it on the ground in a wooded area or back of the lot, just make sure it is far away from where people will walk.

If you have any of those old-time favorite “secrets” please share them here. I will try them too.

Thanks to Jessica over at Jebbica’s World for the link up.
Join her at for some really good information and inspiration on Food and Fitness.

At Thanksgiving, everyone complains about the white-meat turkey. “So dry,” they lament. “So flavorless. No wonder we only eat this once a year.” But open your eyes, grasshopper. You are eating it the rest of the year. Or, at least you are if you’re one of those well-meaning but misguided souls who cook with ground turkey breast.

It starts out innocently enough, as most insidious things do. You’re in a rush at the supermarket, ready to make your favorite chili recipe, so you grab a package of a familiar-looking package, filled with a rectangular length of extruded meat, and head for the express-lane checkout. It’s only when the onions are already sizzling in the pan and your paring knife has already slashed through the plastic packaging that the truth emerges. You’ve accidentally bought ground turkey breast instead of dark meat.

Maybe this isn’t a disaster for you. Maybe you even meant to do it. Turkey breast is healthier than the dark meat, right? Alas, no. Thankfully, the reign of the low-fat, anti-saturated-fat diet appears to be at its end; researchers, nutritionists, and everyday eaters have all discovered that fat, in a moderate amount, makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise (or, you know, two out of those three). So the only possible justification for ground turkey breasts’ continued existence as a fixture on supermarket shelves is. flavor?

I’ll just let you take that in for just a second. In the immortal words of Agent Cooper, this world is a place both wonderful and strange.

Go ahead. Cook some ground turkey breast in a pan and watch what happens. Watch how it collapses from near-transparent pale pink into a slightly crumbly version of hard-cooked egg white, devoid of flavor. It’s so bland that it’s jealous of tofu.

Odds are, any recipe that calls for ground turkey breast can be redeemed by simply swapping in regular ground turkey in its place, as many Epi reviewers noted in their comments on the recipe below. Regular ground turkey includes both dark and white meat, and that dark meat is what helps the ground stuff actually taste like turkey—a slightly richer, more savory version of chicken. I can hear a turkey chili bubbling on the stove already.

So the next time you’re rushing at the supermarket, take a breath, open your eyes, and choose your ground turkey wisely. Or do what I do: Hope that one fine day those packages of pink cotton disappear from the meat aisle entirely.

We usually cook our turkey in a roaster oven but it never turns brown, do you guys know how we can do that?

7 Answers

A roaster, when covered, actually steams the turkey rather than roasts it. For your turkey to brown, you need to expose the skin to the heat of the oven. Try cooking the turkey 50-75% through with the lid on your roaster, and then put it in the oven. Or just cook it in the oven to begin with, tenting it with foil for most of the cooking time. Or you could even put the roaster oven cooked turkey under the broiler for a little bit to brown the skin.

How To Brown A Turkey

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How do you make a turkey brown?

We usually cook our turkey in a roaster oven but it never turns brown, do you guys know how we can do that?

Your question first refers to a general query on how to brown a turkey and your comment seems more specific in referring to a roaster oven, so I’ll answer both to help anyone cooking the turkey in either roaster or traditional oven.

Browning Turkey in the Countertop Roaster Oven:

Using this oven frees up the traditional oven for making other holiday dishes, so it’s a desirable appliance for entertaining. Thanks for reminding us of the possibilities here. However, these ovens do have a reputation for steaming not browning and that may be why you never get that good looking bird. But glitzy golden turkey here we come for your Thanksgiving dinner this holiday!

The trick is to sort of sear the turkey first by initially cooking in the roaster at a high temperature — 450⁰. Place the turkey onto the appliance rack and brush generously with melted butter or olive oil – under the wings, inside the thighs and sprinkle with a salt-and-dried herb-mix of choice. Also, tuck some butter pats under the skin along with some fresh herb stems such as sage and rosemary. (By the way, you can also brine the turkey first – see my direction in yesterday’s Yahoo Answers but this turkey cooking method needs no basting as it self-bastes).

Cook for 30 minutes at this temperature and then turn the heat down to the traditional oven cooking time for turkey at 325⁰ and cook according to the allotted time and weight of the turkey. (One caution: don’t lift the lid on the roaster or you will lose heat fast and that may be another reason why your turkey is looking like pale.)

Also, during the last 20 minutes of cooking, you can baste the turkey with this easy glaze for added browning and flavor: The citrus and the honey will help caramelize the sugars and thus brown the skin even more. Combine and simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes in a small non-stick saucepan: 1 cup cranberry juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon grainy mustard, and 1 tablespoon mix of dried sage and ground rosemary. Brush over the turkey and finish cooking.

In addition to these tips, be sure to consult your oven manual for proper cooking times and any other specific roaster-cooking directions.

Browning Turkey in a Traditional Oven:

For those who don’t have a roaster oven, here’s a way to ensure a proud looking bird, but what do we really mean by a browned turkey? The color of brownies? Brown as in a beaver’s fur? Brown as in crayon colors: dirt, copper penny, shadow, antique brass, chestnut? We don’t really want turkey to brown when we talk cookery; we want it go shimmery in deep auburn shades that reflect golden highlights. The caramelizing of sugars from your preparation of the turkey and basting will create this intense color, and that’s just for starters.

If you like, you can brine the turkey as I suggested in yesterday’s Yahoo Answers, then be sure your pan is the right size. Too big and the juices will burn because the liquid is dispersed too much but not too small that it’s cramped.

I suggest a heavy non-stick baking pan for most ovens and there are some really great ones out there with two handles and a roasting rack. (If the pan is too big, coarsely chop a few onions and sprinkle it around the base of the turkey to act as anti-heat shield, absorbing the heat instead of reflecting it onto the meat and thus burning it.)

Place your turkey (let’s say the average 10-12-pounder) in the pan (I recommend you let it come to room temperature first about 45 minutes; no more.) Position the pan with the legs toward the back of the oven if you have room in the roaster oven. After 2 hours, turn the turkey over using paper towels to keep your hands from burning.

Baste the bird with pan drippings every 30 to 45 minutes (use butter or oil at first if necessary until pan drippings are produced.) Once the turkey reaches 150⁰ (about another hour) generously brush on the citrus glaze (every 10 minutes or so until the turkey is cooked) and watch the color get buttery red-brown. When the meat reaches 160-165⁰, remove it from the oven and tent it with foil; let rest for 25 minutes before carving.

TURKEY, GROUND – FRESH, RAW

• How long does raw ground turkey last in the fridge or freezer? The exact answer to that question depends to a large extent on storage conditions – keep ground turkey refrigerated at all times.
• How long does raw ground turkey last after the sell-by date? After ground turkey is purchased, it may be refrigerated for 1 to 2 days – the “sell-by” date on the package may expire during that storage period, but the ground turkey will remain safe to use after the sell by date if it has been properly stored.
• Unopened raw ground turkey may be kept in its original store packaging when refrigerating; to maximize the shelf life of ground turkey, do not open the package until ready to use.
• How long can raw ground turkey be left at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; ground turkey should be discarded if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
• To further extend the shelf life of raw ground turkey, freeze; when freezing, place ground turkey in the freezer before the number of days shown for refrigerator storage has elapsed.
• You can maximize the shelf life of ground turkey in the freezer by overwrapping the original store packaging with airtight heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper or place the package inside a heavy-duty freezer bag in order to prevent freezer burn.
• How long does raw ground turkey last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 3 to 4 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.
• The freezer time shown is for best quality only – ground turkey that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely.
• How long does raw ground turkey last after being frozen and thawed? Ground turkey that has been defrosted in the fridge can be kept for an additional 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator before cooking; ground turkey that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be cooked immediately.
• How long does ground turkey last in the fridge once it is cooked? Cooked ground turkey will usually stay good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 4 months in the freezer.
• How to tell if raw ground turkey is bad? The best way is to smell and look at the ground turkey: signs of bad ground turkey are a sour smell, dull color and slimy texture; discard any ground turkey with an off smell or appearance.

Sources: For details about data sources used for food storage information, please click here

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Keeping thawed ground beef

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Ingredients (8)

• 1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh onion
• 1 tablespoon shredded fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 32 ounces vegetable or chicken broth
• 16 ounces edamame, shelled
• 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice
• 10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup (preferably low sodium, low-fat)

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I grew up loving all the “meal helper’ products that were first introduced in the 70’s. And after college when I was responsible for making my own meals, I realized that some of the “cheesy powders” and other pre-mixed ingredients probably weren’t the healthiest things to eat – especially because I couldn’t tell what was really in them.

But it wasn’t just the taste that I loved, it was also the convenience of cooking everything in one skillet. After learning how to cook with whole or less-processed ingredients, I started to create my own homemade version of a “helper” dish which has become my go-to main dish to make any day of the week.

It’s hearty, satisfying and filled with ingredients that everybody in the family loves – even kids!

How to Cook Pork & Oats Dog Food

Making your own dog food is easy, inexpensive and no harder than cooking your own dinner. There are no mysterious ingredients or complicated techniques. It’s healthy. Your dog will love you. Don’t tell your family it’s dog food, and they’ll enjoy it too.

Step 1

Place the pot or skillet over medium heat. Add the oil when warm. When it starts to ripple, add the ground turkey. Break up the meat with the spoon and sauté just until it loses all pink color.

Step 2

Add the rice, water and bullion cube. Stir until the cube dissolves.

Step 3

Add the frozen vegetables and chopped sweet potato.

Step 4

Put on the lid, turn the heat to low and steam for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is thoroughly cooked and has absorbed all the water, and the vegetables are soft. Add more water if necessary, or remove the lid to get rid of any excess.

Step 5

Pour the beans and their liquid into the bowl. Puree the beans using the blender or food processor. Add the two eggs, shells and all, to the beans and blend until smooth.

Step 6

Add the applesauce to the pureed beans and mix until combined.

Step 7

Fluff the rice-meat-vegetable mixture with a fork, add the beans and applesauce and mix until well blended.

Step 8

Place the mixture into containers and refrigerate or freeze. Warm to room temperature before feeding.

Step 9

OPTION: Pack the mixture into small loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until firm. Refrigerate or wrap and freeze. Thaw to room temperature before serving. This slices and dices well.

Warnings

Feeding raw meat to dogs carries the risk of disease and parasite transmission, but light cooking to 160 degrees will destroy these without impairing the meat’s nutritional content. This also makes the dog’s food safe for kids and midnight icebox raids.

Store raw brown rice in the refrigerator or freezer, as it goes rancid faster than white rice.

Add one and a half 500 mg tablets of calcium carbonate (antacid tablets, like Tums) per 10 pounds of your dog’s body weight daily to be sure he gets enough calcium, unless you’re feeding bones.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Claudia Thompson, PhD, RD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Magdalena Slapik

If you are looking for a meat substitute for your favorite recipes that incorporate ground beef, tofu is a tasty and inexpensive option. There are three easy tricks to cooking delicious tofu “ground beef”: freeze your tofu before cooking, crumble once thawed and add plenty of spice.

If cooking tofu recipes is new to you, don’t be intimidated. The soy product is extremely versatile and soaks up flavor like a sponge. You can fry, bake, saute, steam, broil or grill it and flavor to your liking by testing out various spices, herbs and marinades. It’s also cheaper than meat and packed with protein. Not only that, tofu is a great source of calcium, iron, manganese, selenium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1, according to a November 2018 study published in the journal Medicine.

Tofu “Ground Beef” Freeze Trick

To cook tofu “ground beef,” you will need three main ingredients: firm tofu, oil and spices. You could prepare this dish with either frozen or raw tofu. However, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, freezing tofu changes its texture to a more meat-like consistency. The Soyfoods Association of America describes the consistency of tofu that has previously been frozen as “chewy, spongy, and beige-colored.” So, if you want your tofu “ground beef” to taste as close to the real thing as possible, freeze your tofu before cooking.

To freeze tofu, place the whole, unopened container of firm tofu in the freezer. If you are freezing previously opened tofu, the Soyfoods Association of America recommends first draining all of the water from the tofu container, wrapping the tofu in plastic wrap or foil and placing in the freezer. You can keep unopened tofu in the freezer for up to six months and previously opened tofu for up to five months.

Once you’re ready to cook your tofu “ground beef,” thaw tofu in the refrigerator. Once defrosted, remove the tofu from the package and discard any water left in the container. Remove any additional water by pressing or squeezing the tofu between paper towels.

Crumbling and Spicing Tofu

Next, it’s time to make your tofu mince. You can crumble or shred the thawed tofu into a bowl with your hands, or use a fork, ricer or potato masher to create small crumbled pieces that resemble ground beef in size. At this point, you can choose to go the simple route and just add salt and pepper to your tofu mince before frying in a pan. If you choose to make this simple version, coat a frying pan with the oil of your choice and cook the tofu mince until browned, about five minutes.

If you’re spicing your tofu so it resembles taco meat, try this “Tofu Tacos” recipe from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. In this recipe, you build flavor by using vegetable stock, onion and red bell pepper as the base in which the tofu is fried. Apart from this base, the crumbled tofu is also spiced with chili powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, cumin, oregano and soy sauce, and fried for three minutes.

No longer only popular at Thanksgiving, turkey’s made a strong comeback in recent years. The lean, protein-packed meat provides nutrients such as iron, potassium, B vitamins and zinc – and it’s more affordable than ground beef or pork. The tasty dishes that use this meat give you a great reason to keep some frozen turkey on hand. By adhering to the U.S. Department of Agriculture safe thawing practices, your ground turkey will be ready to cook and delicious in any dish.

Thawing Ground Turkey in the Refrigerator

The best method is thawing ground turkey in the fridge. This is because it results in the least amount of moisture loss, and it’s the most hands-off method, since you don’t have to keep checking the poultry while defrosting it. Also, you can hang on to the turkey in the fridge for up to two days before using it, and you can refreeze it within this time without cooking it first.

Refrigerator thawing is an overnight endeavor, requiring about 24 hours to thaw a pound of the meat. So, it just isn’t the best option if you’re in a hurry. But as long as you do have the time, go with this method for a finished dish with as much juiciness, flavor and proper texture as possible.

Defrosting Ground Turkey in Cold Water

If you only have a few hours to thaw the ground turkey, use a cold-water bath defrosting process. Add cold water to a stopped sink or a container large enough to submerge the package of frozen ground turkey. Place the turkey in a waterproof bag if it isn’t already in one and soak it.

Refresh the water every half hour to keep it cold, until the turkey is thawed. For a pound or less of ground turkey, expect about an hour of thawing time, then add an extra half hour for each half-pound or so after that.

Because of the time spent within the temperature “danger zone,” which is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, ground turkey defrosted in this manner must be cooked right away. It also shouldn’t be refrozen without cooking it first.

Thawing Ground Turkey in the Microwave

To quickly defrost ground turkey, do it in the microwave. Use the defrost setting and input the weight of your ground turkey. If you don’t always get such great results with your microwave’s defrost function, you can also thaw by heating it at 50 percent power. Either way, check it frequently and remove thawed portions as you go.

While this is the fastest safe way to thaw, it also negatively affects the quality of the food more than the other methods. Microwave defrosting starts to cook the poultry, which means you’re likely to end up with some unevenly cooking and overcooked portions. Also, microwave cooking tends to make ground meat a bit dried out and rubbery.

If you defrost ground turkey in the microwave, cook it immediately after thawing. This includes before refreezing. Meat thawed this way is at high risk for rapid bacteria growth, even to the point where it won’t become safe with thorough cooking.

Cooking Frozen Ground Turkey

Ground turkey, whether cooked or uncooked, can be reheated or cooked straight from the freezer. You’ll need to increase the cooking time by 50 percent if you choose this method. For example, one hour of cooking time becomes 1.5 hours.

While this isn’t always practical – like when you’re sauteing the meat – it’s fine when you’re doing something like cooking it in the oven or adding the ground turkey to a slow cooker. It’s faster than thawing in the fridge or cold water, and won’t cause the same loss of quality as defrosting in the microwave (the only faster option).

One Pot Ground Turkey, Rice and Beans recipe. A healthy and naturally Gluten-free dish, made in one pot, with ground turkey, rice and beans and spiced with bell peppers and cumin.

I’m a huge fan of this One Pot Ground Turkey, Rice and Beans recipe. So much so that I’ve made it three times in the last two weeks!

I love how the rice cooks in chicken broth along with the ground turkey, bell peppers, beans and spices in a pot. It results in the coziest tastiest dish. Perfect for nights where you want comfort food, but still want it to be healthy too.

This One Pot Ground Turkey, Rice and Beans recipe kind of tastes like the inside of a stuffed pepper. It’s just so flavorful and comforting!

This recipe came to be because I didn’t know what to make for dinner the other day, and I had a few limitations.

1) I had to use ground turkey because that was all that was left.

2) I couldn’t use a tomato sauce base because it can be too acidic for my husband.

3) I wanted to use beans because my toddler loves them and has been quite picky lately.

So, I looked up “rice, beans and ground turkey” on google to get some inspiration.

This Cuban Style Rice Beans and Turkey by Clean Eating Mag came up and became the inspiration for this One Pot Ground Turkey, Rice and Beans (GF) recipe.

Ingredients needed:

The ingredients needed to make this One Pot Ground Turkey, Rice and Beans recipe are pretty simple.

• olive oil
• ground turkey
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• ground cumin
• dried oregano
• black pepper
• salt
• bell peppers
• tomato paste
• apple cider vinegar
• red kidney beans
• chicken broth
• jasmine rice

It’s all stuff that I tend to have at my house, even when I need to grocery shop.

How to make this One Pot Ground Turkey, Rice and Beans:

And making this recipe is pretty simple as well!

You start off by browning the ground turkey ( with spices ). Then, you add in the diced bell peppers.

Next, you add the tomato paste and apple cider vinegar.

And lastly, you add in the chicken stock, rice, and beans and let everything cook together until the rice is done.

Seriously so simple, and yet the result is so incredibly flavorful and comforting.

It’s a crowd pleaser for sure. My husband and toddler loved it. And even my mother loved it… and it’s not her usual type of dish.

This has become part of my regular meal rotation and I hope it becomes part of yours!

I seriously never get tired of super easy stir fry dinners! I mean, what’s not to love? Only a few ingredients, you can work in a TON of vegetables, and they’re super fast! Using ground meat makes them even easier, because there’s no cutting or slicing raw meat (not a fan of this task). This Ground Turkey Stir Fry is especially great because it’s so versatile. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, make it spicy or mild, serve it with rice, noodles, or with shredded cabbage for a low carb option. Scroll down for more deets on those options!

Ground Turkey Stir Fry

This Ground Turkey Stir Fry is another meal inspired by those “macro-friendly” meal delivery services that deliver individual, ready-to-reheat meals to your door. While those services are super convenient, they’re also super expensive and I know I can make similar meals at home for a fraction of the price. 🙂 You can easily adjust the macros in this meal by increasing, decreasing, or eliminating any of these elements: turkey, vegetables, rice, or nuts. Unfortunately, I don’t have the specific macro nutrient information for this meal, and you can read why in my FAQs.

Customize your Ground Turkey Stir Fry

• Reduce the recipe cost by increasing the vegetables and decreasing the amount of ground turkey
• Use ground beef, pork, chicken, or crumbled tofu or tempeh in place of the ground turkey
• Other vegetable options: mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, snap peas, green beans, water chestnuts
• Top with cashews or sesame seeds in place of the peanuts
• Make it spicy by stirring a tablespoon (or TWO 🔥) of sriracha or chili garlic sauce into the stir fry sauce
• Add fresh some fresh grated ginger to the stir fry sauce for extra zing
• Add cooked noodles to the stir fry at the end instead of serving over rice
• Add a bag of coleslaw mix to the stir fry to bulk it up without adding carbs, similar to my Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry, instead of serving with rice or noodles.

How to Store Ground Turkey Stir Fry

This recipe works great for meal prep, but I suggest only storing in the refrigerator rather than the freezer. Freezing will cause the vegetables to soften further and seep more water. This dish will stay good in the refrigerator for about four days.

Ground Turkey Stir Fry

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

Stir Fry Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce ($0.24)
• 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.16)
• 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.02)
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional) ($0.02)
• 1 Tbsp water ($0.00)

Stir Fry

• 2 bell peppers ($2.00)
• 4 green onions ($0.22)
• 2 oz. spinach (two large handfuls, or 1/4 of an 8oz. bag) ($0.30)
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil of choice ($0.08)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
• 19 oz. ground turkey* ($3.49)

For Serving

• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts ($0.12)
• 2.5 cups cooked brown rice ($0.60)

Instructions

Notes

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Nutrition

Equipment

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

How to Make Ground Turkey Stir Fry – Step by Step Photos

First, make the stir fry sauce so it’s ready to go. Stir together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and 1 Tbsp water. Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved. BTW, I’ve really grown to love the Whole Food’s 365 brand Shoyu soy sauce. It’s very affordable and has great *flavor*, rather than just being salty.

Next prepare the vegetables. Dice two bell peppers (I used red and yellow for more color), and slice four green onions. I am also using about 2 oz. fresh spinach (2 large handfuls or about 1/4 of an 8oz. bag). No preparation needed for the spinach.

Add 2 Tbsp of your favorite cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add 19oz. ground turkey and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Stir and cook until the turkey is cooked through and all of the moisture has evaporated out of the skillet. Soupy stir fry is not good. 🙂

Add the diced bell peppers and green onions to the skillet. Continue to stir and cook just until they begin to soften (about 2 minutes). Don’t let them cook too much because they will continue to cook over the next few minutes as more ingredients are added. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes more, or until the spinach is about half wilted, like in the photo.

Finally, pour in the stir fry sauce. If your brown sugar wasn’t completely dissolved and some remains on the bottom of the bowl, make sure to scrape that into the skillet. Stir and cook everything for 1-2 minutes more, or until everything is coated in sauce and heated though.

And that’s it! It’s literally that easy.

Serve about 1 cup of the ground turkey stir fry with 1/2 cup cooked rice and some chopped peanuts over top. Enjoy!

Post by dylanrusso » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:23 pm

Re: Boiled ground turkey?

Post by Sabine » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:38 pm

Yes you can certainly feed that. You don’t even really have to boil it, just simmer it gently until it’s cooked through, or if you are using ground turkey, brown it in a pan. That way you destroy less nutrients.

Turkey isn’t particularly high in tryptophan, that’s an urban legend. Just as an example, 100 grams (about 3 1/2 ounces) of raw, skinless turkey breast contain 242 mg tryptophan, the same amount of raw, skinless chicken breast contain 270 mg.

In regards to calming properties, tryptophan supplements have to be taken on an empty stomach and in fairly large quantities to be truly effective, so it’s unlikely that you’d see any real effect from emphasizing food sources that contain high amounts of tryptophan.

Re: Boiled ground turkey?

Post by dylanrusso » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:52 pm

Thanks! My husband is FREAKING out that it will be bad for him. and give him ‘turkey farts. ‘ I told him to ‘relax!’

This may sound like a ‘dumb question’. but nutritionally speaking, what would be better, beef or turkey? Both very lean of course? I am trying to get away from chicken for now.

What about ground lamb?? Any experience or advice?

Re: Boiled ground turkey?

Post by UpwardDog » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:53 pm

Re: Boiled ground turkey?

Post by Sabine » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:58 pm

Which type of meat is best really depends on the individual dog. Some do better on non-poultry sources such as beef or lamb, for others it doesn’t matter at all.

One thing you need to keep in mind when feeding homemade food is that you need to make sure the diet is balanced, including a proper calcium/phosphorus ratio. Feeding just one meat item and one carb source is likely to result in an unbalanced diet, especially if you only feed boneless meat.

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Tip: Make Ground Turkey Taste Like Beef

We all know ground turkey or chicken is healthier then beef. But what if you miss that beef flavor? I have come up with a way to make turkey or chicken burgers, loaf, or pretty much any recipe you swap ground turkey or chicken for beef, taste like you DID use beef! It’s easy:

Take the chicken or turkey, and mix in (for 1 pound of meat)

• 1 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp of ground coriander

Then cook your meat, whether it’s a meat loaf or just hamburger helper! Add your regular seasonings once you’ve added your “beef” flavoring. It really does taste so much beefier!

6 More Solutions

Share on ThriftyFun This page contains the following solutions. Have something to add? Please share your solution!

Tip: Brown Ground Turkey For “Faux” Hamburger

The economy is tough, so we are eating more ground turkey instead of ground hamburger. It is always difficult for me to get the turkey to taste less like turkey and to get brown.

Tip: Degreasing Ground Turkey

When cooking with ground turkey, make sure to drain all the grease off by browning it, then placing in a colander and letting the grease drip out.

Tip: Substitute Ground Turkey for Ground Beef

Substitute frozen ground turkey bought at a discount grocery store such as Aldi or Save-a-Lot. It is about $1 a pound in any recipe that calls for hamburger. I never buy ground beef unless it is on sale for .99 a pound.

Questions

Ask a Question Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.

Question: Cooking With Ground Turkey?

How do you crumble ground turkey finely?

Answers

If you need to brown the turkey, do so over low heat and mash with a fork while stirring steadily. If you just need it cooked, cook in a saucepan in a cup of water, stirring constantly until the meat is no longer pink. Drain and use in your recipe. If you make homemade soup, save the water to add to the next pot. Hope this helps.

I use turkey for every thing. You do it exactly like ground red meat, it just has so much less fat. Doesnt brown the same color as red meat either. Cook until not pink. I use a spatula over medium to low heat,stirring until done. You’ll notice there isn’t any fat, if you have any just drain as you would with red meat.

You can take turkey breasts if have food processor (great blender like I do) it will grind into ground meat. Substitute turkey for any recipe that calls for ground meat. Sorry, I don’t use water to cook mine, here are 2 ways sure one will work great for you.
Good luck, I love using turkey sure you will, too !

I use a good old fashioned potato masher to break down ground beef and ground turkey, when cooking.

Question: How Long Do I Need to Cook Ground Turkey in a Crockpot?

My new stove just went out, hmmm? I am cooking ground turkey in my crockpot, on high. Does anyone know how long it needs to cook, for it to be food safe? Any help would be much greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answers

My crockpot chilli is cooked with ground turkey instead of ground beef. It takes 2-21/2 hours for the turkey to get done on high

Archives

ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.

Archive: “Faux” Hamburger

Fool your finicky eaters with low-fat ground turkey. The trick, add some browning sauce to mixture as you are frying it.