35 Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes for Dinner

Updated February 04, 2021

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Make a filling and flavorful meal with these healthy ground turkey recipes. Turkey is a versatile protein that can be used in chilis, stuffed peppers and more. From Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats to Turkey & Brown Rice Chili, these turkey recipes are delicious and the perfect option for tonight’s menu.

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Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats

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Spaghetti squash stuffed with ground turkey taco filling, pico de gallo and chopped avocado is a fun alternative on family taco night. This recipe is sure to please the kids (omit the spices if your children are sensitive to spices) and perfect for a family dinner.

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Quick Turkey Meat Sauce

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This lean Bolognese is made with ground turkey instead of ground beef and the result is just as delicious! Plus, finely chopped mushrooms are incorporated into the sauce (undetected!) for an easy way to eat more vegetables. Serve this healthy, hearty sauce with your favorite pasta, or over polenta with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

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Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki

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Creamy tzatziki and crisp sliced cucumber add a refreshing twist to this easy Greek-inspired burger recipe loaded with feta, spinach and Mediterranean spices. No tzatziki? No problem! Make your own at home by combining plain Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon, dill and finely chopped cucumber.

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Turkey & Brown Rice Chili

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This hearty turkey chili recipe takes just 35 minutes to prep. While it's cooking, you'll have time to throw together a green salad and warm up some crusty bread to complete the meal.

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Stuffed Yellow Peppers

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A turkey, vegetable and rice filling with a bread crumb topping make these peppers a satisfying, low-calorie meal.

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Honey-Mustard Turkey Burgers

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Burgers made with ground turkey are a lean alternative to beef burgers, providing you choose turkey ground from the breast. Regular ground turkey, which is a mixture of light and dark meat and some skin, contains almost as much fat as lean ground beef. A honey-mustard mixture keeps these low-fat patties moist and succulent.

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Italian Turkey Meatballs

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In this healthy turkey meatball recipe, a base of sautéed mushrooms, celery and garlic adds flavor and helps keep calories in check and portions hearty. Serve these meatballs with marinara as an appetizer, on top of spaghetti or on a roll for a healthy meatball sub.

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Five-Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps

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Based on a popular Chinese dish, these fun wraps also make appealing appetizers for entertaining. Make it a meal: Serve with chile-garlic sauce and rice vinegar for extra zip; toss diced mango and strawberries with lime juice for a quick dessert.

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Zucchini Noodles with Quick Turkey Bolognese

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Forgo regular pasta (and most of the carbs) for spiralized zucchini "noodles" in these make-ahead meals. The zoodles quickly turn tender-crisp as the veggie-packed Bolognese warms in the microwave.

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Taco Meat Loaf

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This recipe takes your grandmother's 1950's meat loaf and brings it into the modern era! It's made with ground turkey, peppers, green onions, reduced-sodium taco seasoning and jalapeño pepper. Taco sauce is baked right onto the top of the loaf.

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Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Relish

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Savory turkey burgers get a Mediterranean twist with spinach, feta cheese, and a tangy cucumber relish.

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Greek Meatball Mezze Bowls

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With a variety of flavors and textures (and a whopping 30 grams of protein!), these Mediterranean-inspired meal-prep bowls will keep you fueled all afternoon. The turkey meatballs are adapted from Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki by Hilary Meyer. Look for premade tzatziki near the specialty cheeses and dips at your grocery store or make your own (see Associated Recipes).

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Caprese Turkey Burgers

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If you're a fan of caprese salads, you'll love this healthy turkey burger recipe. The patties are seasoned with Italian spices, then topped with juicy tomatoes drizzled with balsamic, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. We've doubled down on the basil in this recipe by mixing it into the mayo and using whole leaves to top the burger, but if you prefer less basil flavor, you can swap out the basil leaves for spinach or arugula. Serve this summery burger with a simple side salad for a healthy dinner that's full of fresh flavors.

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Mushroom-Swiss Turkey Burgers

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In this gluten-free turkey burger recipe, lean ground turkey stands in for ground beef, and portobello mushrooms produce a juicy, flavorful alternative to the traditional bun. Melted Swiss cheese, sliced tomato and arugula top off this delicious low-carb dinner!

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White Turkey Chili

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This healthy white turkey chili recipe is gorgeous, with flecks of green from zucchini, oregano and green chiles. To keep the saturated fat low, we use one pound of ground turkey and add whole-grain bulgur to boost the volume and fiber in this chili recipe. After all the ingredients are added to the pot, we like to slowly simmer our chili for close to an hour to develop the best flavor, but if you're in a hurry, reduce the liquid by half and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

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Sloppy Joe Casserole

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Like sloppy Joes? Then you'll love this sloppy Joe casserole recipe. This kid-friendly dinner has the classic sloppy Joe flavors kids love, while parents will like all the veggies that are packed in to make it a healthy meal.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Butternut Squash

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The sweetness of the butternut squash tames the kick from cayenne in this healthy turkey chili, making this easy crock pot chili just right for kids and adults alike, whether for weeknight dinners or tailgating parties. For those who prefer a spicier chili, just pass hot sauce at the table. This chili also freezes well, so save leftovers for hearty and healthy dinners and lunches for weeks to come.

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Turkey Enchilada Poblano Peppers

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In this healthy take on a turkey enchilada recipe, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell rather than tortillas to pack an extra serving of veggies into this meal. If you can't find poblano peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers instead.

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Swedish Meatballs

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These Swedish meatballs are made with a combination of lean ground turkey breast and ground pork, flavored with nutmeg and cardamom and simmered in a creamy mushroom sauce. Serve over a brown rice pilaf spiked with almonds and currants or whole-wheat egg noodles.

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Air-Fryer Greek Turkey Burgers

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Sharp raw garlic, fresh herbs and tangy feta cheese superbly flavor these turkey burgers. Since the patties are air-fried with very little oil, there's room to add a bit of olive oil to the meat to keep the patties from drying out. Serve with air-fried zucchini fries (see associated recipe).

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Chipotle Cauliflower & Turkey Chili

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Lean ground turkey and cauliflower soak up the bold flavors in this easy chili. Using cauliflower stems along with the florets adds a meatier texture—just be sure to leave off the tough bottom inch or so of the stem. Make a double batch and eat it for lunch the next day, or freeze the extras for another night. We love the smoky heat from the chipotle peppers, but use less if you prefer a milder chili.

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Cornmeal-Topped Turkey Chili Pie

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Use your slow cooker to make hearty, slightly spicy chili pot pie. You can substitute any no-salt-added beans for the black beans. Serve with a crisp, green salad, if desired.

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Greek Turkey Burgers with Portobello "Buns"

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This low-carb burger replaces the typical bun with roasted portobello mushroom caps. Creamy tzatziki and crisp sliced red onion add texture and flavor to this easy Greek-inspired burger recipe.

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Italian-Style Turkey & Penne Skillet

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This delicious one-skillet pasta meal-for-two is ready in just 35 minutes! Turkey--seasoned with a spicy Italian-seasoning blend--is served with tomato sauce and wilted spinach over multi-grain pasta.

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Turkey Meatballs with Linguine & Fresh Tomato Sauce

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For this healthy turkey meatball recipe, lean ground turkey is mixed with fresh mushrooms, oats, garlic, spices and a little Parmesan cheese for a meatball that's moist, delicious and has more fiber and less saturated fat than a traditional beef and pork version. Serve these tasty meatballs over whole-grain pasta with fresh tomato sauce for a satisfying take on spaghetti and meatballs, and save the leftovers to stuff into sandwiches.

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California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

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Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.

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Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves with Broccolini

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Adding cooked veggies to these mini meatloaves helps the lean turkey stay juicy.

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Turkey Albondigas Soup

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Albondigas, Spanish for “meatballs,” star in the traditional broth-based Mexican soup. Our version uses turkey rather than beef or pork for the meatballs, and we've pumped up the volume of fresh vegetables in the mix.

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Turkey Ma Po Tofu

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Ma Po Tofu is a traditional Chinese recipe usually made with ground pork. This delicious, healthy version uses ground turkey to cut saturated fat and calories and adds mushrooms for extra veggies. Serve with brown rice and make it extra special with a drizzle of sesame oil just before serving.

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Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili

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This healthy turkey chili has a nice balance of flavors thanks to sweet potatoes and smoky chipotle chiles. We like to garnish it with creamy avocado, but melted cheese, chopped scallion and a dollop of sour cream will work well too.

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Turkey & Bean Enchiladas

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A lively salsa made from fresh or canned tomatillos tops this simple casserole. You can substitute tomatoes for tomatillos, but they don't have the same tangy bite.

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Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf

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This healthy meatloaf recipe uses ground turkey--which has a higher percentage of healthy unsaturated fat compared to ground beef--and it's loaded with colorful vegetables. You'll also love this recipe because it makes two loaves. That means you can eat one the night you bake it and save the other for the next day to enjoy as sandwiches (hot or cold, your choice) or set atop a salad of vinaigrette-dressed mixed greens (your own homey version of a country pâté).

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Turkey Meatballs with Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes

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The flavor of the turkey meatballs is enhanced by the Asiago and prosciutto. We love keeping this turkey meatball recipe on hand for meal prep, since meatballs can be used in sandwiches, salads, pasta and more.

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Turkey & Ricotta Stuffed Shells

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This crowd-pleasing, make-ahead pasta dish uses lean ground turkey instead of ground beef and sneaks in zucchini, which helps you eat more vegetables and helps keep the filling moist. Assemble the shells and then freeze to bake off on a busy day for easy, healthy meal prep at its best.

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Baked Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Red Peppers & Polenta

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These healthy turkey meatballs take a little more time, but the recipe yields enough extra meatballs and polenta for three other meals (see Associated Recipes).

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