25 Simple and Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes

Ground turkey is a versatile and nutritious choice for your weight loss journey. Packed with protein and perfect for various dishes like burgers, meatballs and tacos, it easily adapts to different flavors. Compared to ground beef, ground turkey offers similar versatility with fewer calories and less fat.

Looking to incorporate healthy ground turkey into your meals? Explore our collection of over two dozen delicious ground turkey recipes, from classic favorites to inventive creations. These recipes will tantalize your taste buds while supporting your health goals.

1. Ground Turkey Chili

Chili is always a satisfying meal because it’s bursting with flavor and high in fiber and protein, so you stay full for hours. Make it with ground turkey so you get plenty of protein, while onions, peppers and spices bring in the savory flavor you love. With this recipe you add servings of spinach and celery, though you’ll hardly notice them while getting two of your four daily servings of vegetables.

Get the Ground Turkey Chili recipe.

2. Turkey Meatloaf with Oatmeal

Meatloaf has long been a staple of family dinners because it’s easy, filling and simply delicious. We use ground turkey and season it with garlic, onions, black pepper and crushed pepper flakes, so it has a zesty taste. The oatmeal helps to create the perfect texture while adding nutrients and fiber.

Get the Turkey Meatloaf with Oatmeal recipe.

3. Italian Turkey and Mozzarella Burger

Want a fresh way to enjoy a burger that has more flavor and less fat than the ordinary version? These patties include seasonings like red onion, garlic and a bit of basil. They’re topped with tangy marinara sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese to create a sandwich that’s moist, melty and delicious.

Get the Italian Turkey and Mozzarella Burger recipe.

4. Crunchy Turkey Taco Wrap

Keep Taco Tuesday on your calendar with this healthier version of the fast-food favorite. Along with the seasoned turkey, you get reduced fat cheese and sour cream, plus a crunchy tostada in the center. Enjoy it with all the salsa or hot sauce you like. They’re Free foods and unlimited when you’re losing weight with Nutrisystem.

Get the Crunchy Turkey Taco Wrap recipe.

5. Baked Spaghetti

If you thought there’s no way to improve on an ordinary spaghetti dinner, this recipe is for you. It has plenty of whole wheat pasta and rich marinara sauce, while the meaty ground turkey and mozzarella and ricotta cheeses add protein and flavor. Don’t be surprised when the whole family asks you to make it again and again.

Get the Baked Spaghetti recipe.

6. Turkey Pierogies

Yes, you can enjoy pierogies and stay on track with a weight loss plan. Make the dumplings with whole wheat flour and fill them with seasoned ground turkey and onions. They’ll come out soft and chewy on the outside, savory and fragrant on the inside.

Get the Turkey Pierogies recipe. 

7. Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

Here are two favorite party snacks in one. You’ve got bite-size turkey meatballs that are seasoned and baked until tender. They’re tossed with a creamy buffalo sauce that can be as spicy as you and your guests like it.

Get the Buffalo Turkey Meatballs recipe. 

8. Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

A healthy meal can be simple and satisfying when you make this dish. The base is naturally sweet, super-nutritious acorn squash. It’s filled with a mix of ground turkey, onions, garlic, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach and basil. Chunks of mozzarella make it all rich and creamy.

Get the Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe.

9. Healthy Stuffed Cabbage

Cabbage rolls are a favorite of many families, so we’ve developed this healthy version that you can enjoy while you’re losing weight. The crisp cabbage leaves are filled with a savory mix of ground turkey and shredded potato. After rolling, they’re bathed in tangy tomato sauce and simmered until they’re tender and fragrant.

Get the Healthy Stuffed Cabbage Recipe.

10. Easy Lasagna Soup

This soup is the quickest and simplest way to enjoy the flavors of homemade lasagna. It has a rich tomato base for the broth along with browned ground turkey, whole grain lasagna noodles, and nutritious spinach leaves. Each bowl is topped with a blend of ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, so every spoonful gives you all the flavors and textures that make this dish so irresistible.

Get the Easy Lasagna Soup recipe.

11. Turkey Burger Patty Melt

Patty melts bring together the pleasures of burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. We make ours with a ground turkey patty and top it with sauteed onions and mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. They’re all heated together on whole grain sourdough bread until the cheese melts and the bread turns crispy.

Get the Turkey Burger Patty Melt recipe.

12. Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

These egg rolls are easy to make, fun to eat, and certain to delight your family or guests. The egg roll wrappers are filled with seasoned ground turkey and cheddar cheese and then baked until they’re crisp on the outside and warm and gooey inside. This recipe makes 10 servings, so you can share them at a party or keep the leftovers in the freezer to reheat whenever you’re craving a cheeseburger.

Get the Cheeseburger Egg Roll recipe.

13. Homemade Pasta Sauce: Chunky Veggie and Turkey

If you and your family like pasta sauce that’s meaty and thick, try this simple, low-calorie version. It has ground turkey for protein and savory flavor, plus peppers, onions and lots of tomatoes. Make extra to store in your freezer and pull out anytime you’re making pasta for dinner.

Get the Ground Turkey Pasta Sauce recipe. 

14. Ground Turkey and Potato Hash Skillet

A hot and hearty breakfast fuels you up for a busy day, and this dish is packed with all the nutrition you need and the flavor you want! It features ground turkey, shredded potatoes and an egg, plus shaved Brussels sprouts that become tender and sweet as they cook. The whole meal is made in one skillet for easy clean-up on a hectic morning.

Get the Ground Turkey and Potato Hash Skillet recipe.

15. Dutch Oven Lasagna

With this recipe, you get everything you love about the hearty pasta dish but with fewer calories and fat than the conventional version. There are all the layers you expect, including thick and wavy noodles, tangy tomato sauce, creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and meaty ground turkey. When you make it in a Dutch oven, it comes out perfectly baked and ready for slicing.

Get the Dutch Oven Lasagna recipe.

16. Cauliflower Stuffed Tomatoes

Tomatoes can be a handy and healthy vehicle for a complete meal. For this dish, we scoop out the insides of big beefsteak tomatoes and stuff them with seasoned ground turkey mixed with fresh spinach and low-carb cauliflower rice, which you can find in the produce or frozen food sections of many supermarkets. Parmesan cheese inside and  on top adds a salty flavor and melty texture.

Get the Cauliflower Stuffed Tomatoes recipe.

17. Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

You can give cocktail meatballs extra flavor and keep the saturated fats to a minimum with this tasty variation. To make them, ground turkey is mixed with breadcrumbs, chopped spinach, and herbs and spices. While they bake, whip up the zesty dipping sauce with Greek yogurt, chili powder, cilantro and honey for a touch of sweetness.

Get the Chipotle Turkey Meatballs  recipe.

18. Instant Pot Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Classic comfort meals like this can fit into your weight loss plan with a few substitutions to the standard ingredients. Our version has ground turkey and a creamy sweet potato topping, so you get lots of healthy nutrients as you fill up on this hearty dinner. Make it in an Instant Pot and the cooking is easy and the clean-up will be quick.

Get the Instant Pot Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie recipe.

19. Skinny Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Dip

Chili cheese dip may sound like a treat you’ll have to pass on when you’re trying to shed excess pounds, but our healthy eating experts created this version so you can join in the fun. It has lots of beans and fire-roasted green chili peppers for the taste you love. Ground turkey, nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced fat cheddar cheese make this dip filling and creamy. Enjoy it with celery sticks or Air Fryer Tortilla Chips .

Get the Skinny Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Dip recipe.

20. Ground Turkey and Veggie Curry with Brown Rice

When you need to refuel with a nourishing meal that you can put on the table in minutes, this recipe makes it easy. Ground turkey, onions and garlic, carrots and zucchini all are cooked together with juicy crushed tomatoes until tender. Curry powder, cumin, red pepper flakes and other spices punch up the flavor.

Get the Ground Turkey and Veggie Curry recipe. 

21. One-Pot Curried Turkey

Enjoy an easy dinner time with this simple, yet complete meal. It has ground turkey for protein, chickpeas for fiber, and carrots, peppers and zucchini for essential nutrients. Coconut milk and spices such as ginger, cinnamon and curry powder take the flavor to the next level.

 Get the One-Pot Curried Turkey recipe.

22. Healthy Baked Penne Pasta

If you want to feed a hungry crowd, pull this hearty meal out of the oven. They’ll rave about the rich, full flavor and they’ll ask for seconds. Only you have to know it’s made with healthy ingredients like ground turkey, whole grain penne and mild-tasting, extra-nutritious Swiss chard.

Get the Healthy Baked Penne Pasta recipe.

23. Honey Sriracha Meatballs

Get ready for a brand-new party favorite with these flavorful bites. The ground turkey meatballs are tender and just the right size for snacking. Everyone will love dipping them in the tongue-tingling sriracha sauce you can make in minutes with just a few ingredients.

Get the Honey Sriracha Meatballs recipe.

24. Air Fryer Mexican Pizza

With this recipe, you get the pleasures of eating pizza and the tempting flavors of Mexican cuisine in one meal. The crust is whole wheat tortillas and they’re topped with seasoned ground turkey, cheese, spinach, avocado and plenty of salsa. The air fryer ensures the crust is crisp while the cheese melts.

Get the Air Fryer Mexican Pizza recipe.

25. 4-Ingredient Stuffed Buffalo Zucchini Boats

Large zucchinis make sturdy vessels for stuffing with other tasty ingredients. We like to fill them with a simple blend of turkey, mozzarella and chopped zucchini, all tossed with buffalo sauce. You can prepare this meal in minutes on a busy day and each boat provides you with two of your daily servings of non-starchy vegetables.

Get the Stuffed Buffalo Zucchini Boats recipe.

Looking for more easy meals? Nutrisystem delivers breakfasts, lunches and dinners directly to your door! (We’ve even got tasty options featuring turkey.) Get started with Nutrisystem today!

The post 25 Simple and Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes appeared first on The Leaf.

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Progress

Hey,

I'm so happy withy postpartum weight loss and I can't really share it anywhere so I'm posting here. 😃

F36 SW: 103 kg/206 lbs CW: 85kg/170 lbs

I gained a lot during pregnancy, now I'm 14months PP. my weight was stagnant in the first 6months.

I've started with low impact walking workouts on youtube and brisk walks outside with my baby.

Now I'm doing intermediate walking workouts with weight training at home. I don't have a GW, I'm just going by the mirror, only stepping on the scale to check the direction I'm going.

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Struggling with Weight Loss Despite Calorie Deficit

Hello there. I just wanted to share a bit about myself—I’m a 22-year-old male, standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 245 pounds. Lately, I’ve been diligently adhering to a calorie deficit diet plan while also faithfully following a PPL Split workout routine for approximately a month now. It’s worth noting that I’ve been consuming roughly 500 to 1000 calories less than what my trusty fitness pal app recommends. Interestingly, I’ve started to notice some visible muscle gains across my body, which is definitely encouraging. However, despite these positive changes, I’ve yet to see any significant weight loss on the scale. I’m wondering if this is a normal occurrence or if I should consider tweaking my approach. Should I continue with my current routine, or do you have any suggestions or advice to share? Your insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time and assistance!

Sorry for the obvious ai writing, but I had to inflate my post with chatcpt because I didn’t meet some minimum word requirement.

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I'm finally ready to do it

All my life I've had a sweet tooth. I've always loved sweets, and often indulged, sometimes binging (every few months I'd have six donuts for dinner, for example).

But I was young-ish, my metabolism was fast, and it was okay. I'm a 5'9"F and held steady at 150 lbs for years.

I've gone through periods of trying to give up sugar, and so long as sweets aren't in the house, I am okay, but I have one weakness:

I like my Earl Grey sweetened, and I drink several cups of it a day.

And I've always had a reason to allow myself that treat:

I was in grad school.

I was defending my dissertation.

I was job hunting.

I was moving.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

All reasons that I "deserved" this treat.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was told not to lose weight because of radiation and possibly chemo. Then I had my ovaries removed because of a gene mutation, sending me into instant menopause. Then I decided to have autologous tissue reconstruction (DIEP flap, for those wondering), and my surgeon told me to gain as much weight as I could over a six month period to make the surgery easier. I ate anything and everything: donuts, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, sweetened cereal, you name it.

Then I had to job hunt again.

Then I moved again.

All through this, I've still gone back and forth with sugar, but ALWAYS having sugar in my tea (1 Splenda, 1 tablespoon of sugar in a 16 oz cup).

I tried to stop sugar for a month, but the first morning, when I realized I couldn't have sugar in my tea, I didn't even want to get out of bed.

For reference, I shot up speed for seven years and stopped cold turkey, but I can't do it with sugar.

I weigh more than I ever have: 5'9" F at 180 lbs. For many years I was 145-150. A lot of it is menopause and a much slower metabolism.

More of this is my disordered relationship with sugar.

I told my therapist this morning that I'm ready to finally tackle this.

I've never told anyone about my relationship with sugar, and how much mental work it is not to buy it, to look away at the grocery store, not to give in, but still justify my sweetened tea.

I know I can't go cold turkey, but I'm going to start slowly tapering down.

I'm not ready to put a timeframe on it, yet, but this is just one part of my beginning weight loss.

I just wanted to put this down and create some accountability, even if it is anonymous, since I've pretended for years that everything is fine - it's just a bit of a sweet tooth.

If you got this far, thanks for reading.

And thanks to all of you for creating a supportive place.

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Is it normal to feel like you're losing weight but you look awful when you look in the mirror

I've been losing weight since January and I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job. My stomach is perfectly flush with my belt and it looks like the fat from my face is going away too. But every time I look in the mirror with my shirt off, it looks like I'm not making any progress at all. Thankfully doing that hasn't given me the urge to give up and binge again but it's still kind of a downer. I try to remind myself that weight loss is a slow progress; it doesn't happen overnight. Is this a normal thing?

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Sometimes you need a change - A Tale of 2 Dieticians

So first, a bit of context. I have always been a fan of fitness and working out, but have always loved food, cooking, and have struggled with weight and weight loss. I went through years of weight cycling caused by uninformed dieting, and eventually got to the point I was having mental health issues, stress, anxiety and not losing anything. I decided to take advantage of my health insurance coverage and start working with a dietician. I gave it two months working with an anti-diet dietician and was gaining and gaining weight, eventually up over 10 lbs. I was expressing my discomfort with the anxiety i was feeling, and though I was heard, nothing changed. I was told to stop weighing myself and just keep leaning into the anti diet, intuitive eating mentality. When I expressed my concerns and goals, there was much more of a focus on convincing me to not think that way than trying to help me.

Finally, I decided to call the practice, present my concerns and see what they could do. They paired me with a new Dietician who put me on a data driven fueling schedule, active monitoring of changes and what I eat. Most importantly, I feel heard and like my priorities and desires are much more the focus of what the plan is. I am already down 1.5% bodyfat and have more energy, feel great about myself and my anxiety is GONE, all while eating more than I have in 5 years. Sometimes you have to find the right fit for you, and focus on what strategy makes you feel proud of yourself. Most importantly, be okay to admit that not all dieticians have the same objective approach and the same philosophy. I believe in myself, have hope and see my goals on the horizon

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New to the journey

In Jan, I went to the doctor for the first time in too long. They ordered blood work and scheduled me for a follow up after two weeks. At that time, I was told I had high cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, and was diabetic. They wanted to put me on something for each. I agreed to go on it all for 6 months while I worked on weight loss and eating healthy to combat the diagnosis.

It has been 61 days. 61 days ago, I weighed 245lb. I set a goal to lose 45lb. 58 days ago I joined a gym in support of that goal. I have been going 5-6 times per week for cardio and weight training. I average about 1h15m at the gym each day. Yesterday, I weighed in at 218#. I have 18# left to hit my initial goal. I'm going to maintain there for a bit before deciding if I want to cut further.

45m, 245 SW, 218 CW, 200 GW #1

When I met with my provider the first time after the diagnosis I told them that I didn't think the way I was eating was sustainable. That has been 33 days and I now am very confident in my ability to maintain this lifestyle. My daily calorie average over the past 58 days since I started tracking has been ~2000. My daily expenditure average has been ~3300.

Keep up the work everyone.

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