What Else Can I Make with Ground Turkey?

[Euonymous]

It was two packages for the price of one at the local market, so I got a lot. I have made meatballs, meatloaf, sloppy joes, tomato sauce with turkey, and am running out of ideas. I'm tempted to try chili but am not sure the kids would like it.

Any bright ideas out there?

[Evilbanana11]

Just throwing out ideas, never actually tried these:

-moussaka
-shepherd's pie
-breakfast sausage patties
-kafta kebabs
-Italian wedding soup
-quebecois tourtiere

[FoodChic]

Turkey kibbeh.

[FoodChic]

I make ground turkey gyro patties, make a quick tzatziki sauce, add lettuce, tomoato, onion and pita. Pretty good for a quick night dinner.

[jencounter]

I make a burrito mix with ground turkey breast with chorizo and potatoes. SImple, delicious and my family inhales it at high rates of speed.

Brown up some mexican chorizo. After it's cooked and starting to brown, add one chopped onion and some minced garlic (I use several cloves, use it to taste) . Once the onions have softened a bit, add the ground turkey. Add some salt and cumin. Once the turkey's cooked, add in cubed potatoes (I cut them rather small since it's for burritos). More salt if needed. Cook, covered, until done.

Top with your favorite salsa. It's great for tacos, tostadas, burritos, etc.

[Davwud]

Because of the diet I've been on for the last 6 months I quite often cut extra lean ground beef with ground turkey and for the most part, you can't tell the difference.

DT

[cookkevin]

Skip her sides, these turkey burgers are the BEST burgers ever !!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ra...

[scubadoo97]

I've used ground turkey for the filling of Chinese dumplings. It worked really well and with the assertive flavors of ginger, green onions and sesame oil in the filling you would not know it was turkey.

[Euonymous]

Thanks for all your great replies, ChowHounds! I ended up making the ground turkey into tacos, not particularly inspired, but easy, delicious, and popular (there are no leftovers). I'll keep all your other suggestions in mind for the next time.

[tullius]

I use it everywhere instead of ground beef. I don't like to add the extra fat it needs to brown so I just simmer it in a little beef stock & keep adding it as it cooks away. You get the browned flavor from the stock that way.

To keep meatloaf moist I use lots of veggies. Grated carrots, diced mushrooms & all the other usual suspects sauteed until soft.

[therealdoctorlew]

Lasagna.

[Emme]

meat-za crust... or in this case, poult-izza crust... saute some onions, garlic, and brown the turkey, add desired herbs. press into a deep dish pan, top with pizza sauce (so many options here), toppings and cheeses, then bake til golden and gooey.

or use as crust for mini frittatas or quiches. brown just a tad with garlic and onions, then press into mini muffin tins. whisk up your favorite eggy filling (use skim and egg whites if desired) along with sauteed mushrooms or tomato or fire-roasted corn or broccoli or cheese, etc. bake til set.

use it to stuff cabbage.

or shepherd's pie

[4Snisl]

I make Thai-inspired patties by mixing the ground turkey with a panade of bread soaked in coconut milk, a spoonful of peanut butter, grated ginger, minced lemongrass, few squirts of Sriracha, chopped chili peppers, lots of minced cilantro and a few healthy shakes of fish sauce.

It's definitely some thing "different" to do with ground turkey, and works well with turkey breast because you're adding in fat in the the form of coconut and peanut butter, plus getting moistness from the chopped cilantro.

[sweetpotato]

I occasionally use ground turkey instead of chopped meat in my lasagna.
The family can't even tell !!

[boyzoma]

How about a ground turkey casserole? Its fast and easy and the kids should like it.
http://www.grouprecipes.com/81536/ground-turkey-and-stuffing-casserole.html

Or a Turkey Noodle Casserole:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ra...

[Mag454]

I make mabo tofu with ground turkey, versus ground pork. It's delish!

[LA Buckeye Fan]

I flavor it with soy, sriacha, and a little hoisin. And add it to a ramen soup mix along with green onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

[karrill]

Brown the ground turkey, add some taco seasoning and use for tacos, or as a filling for enchiladas or quesadillas. I love to use turkey in everyday cooking - its such a versitile meat.

[LukesBride]

Seconded. i LOVE turkey for tacos!

[mojoeater]

I use ground turkey for chili all the time. We like both chunks and ground, so the chunks are usually sirloin or some other beef. Adds some fat but the overall dish is healthier.

Saute ground turkey with garlic, jalapeno, onion, cumin, and whatever other spices you choose. Use the mixture in burritos, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, etc. Also good in an omelet with cheddar, pepper jack, etc.

Turkey burgers with rosemary, garlic, dijon and a little red wine vinegar. I've also used tarragon instead of the rosemary.

[valerie]

I make this turkey chili and my kids really like it (scroll down to Chunky Turkey Chili)...

http://dinnersforayear.blogspot.com/search/label/Turkey

I also make this "hamburger buddy" with ground turkey breast. It's has a different flavor than sloppy joe (not tomato-y). My kids love it.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/hamburger_buddy.html

And I just made this "szechuan beef pasta" but used ground turkey instead of beef. Another hit. Can serve with brown rice or noodles...

http://www.thewickednoodle.com/2010/0...

[wicked noodle]

I have to attest to the szechuan beef pasta being quite delicious ;-)

[kattyeyes]

That is too funny! Do you two know each other in real life, or did you just bump into each other here? In any case, I just clipped the Szechuan beef pasta and will try it sometime soon. Thank you!

Truly, the hamburger buddy sounds good, too, even if the name reminds me of that annoying singing Hamburger Helper hand! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsx-ft...

[valerie]

No, just a coincidence, and a funny one! I am forever looking for new things to make for my kids and came across the blog and recipe through Serious Eats (Photograzing). My kids are good eaters, but seriously, my daughter has requested the szechuan beef pasta more than once!

Regarding the hamburger buddy, I omit the sour cream (son can't really do dairy) and it tastes good without it.

[wicked noodle]

That is too funny!! I actually saw the links coming into my site so I followed it back here. I have to say, it's so gratifying when someone makes one of my dishes and enjoys it (and even more so when one of their kids enjoy it)! Very cool :-)

[Val]

WN, very nice blog...do you have any suggestions for leftover pork steak? Thanks!

[soupkitten]

kofta balls

[armagnac]

Cook's Illustrated has a delicious recipe for miso turkey burgers:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recip...

To make 4 burgers, thin 2 tsp of miso (type not specified) with 2 tsp of water and blend into the ground turkey along with 1/2 tsp table salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.

[goodhealthgourmet]

many ideas here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/703672

you can pretty much use it anywhere you'd normally use ground beef, pork or lamb - you just might have to play around with the herbs, spices and fat to account for the difference.

[maplesugar]

These turkey empanaditas are fantastic - they're not traditional sure, but I was able to put them together with three kids and their friends running about - and you can bake from frozen so they make a great last minute meal - and I'm sure you could use whatever combo of cheese, herbs and spices you like.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

[c oliver]

It's hard to describe how wonderful these burgers are. Ask kattyeyes. They're a real keeper.

http://www.oprah.com/food/Mar-a-Lago-...

[kattyeyes]

Truly, they are! Thanks for the reminder. I haven't Mar-a-Lago'd in a while! :)

P.S. I like turkey tacos, too.

[Russel Shank]

Turkey Chili is good.

This is also good, and uses a lot of turkey (its essentially just spiced garnished ground meat.) However, it is Thai/Laosian/Cambodian, can be spicy depending how you prepare, and thus may not be a hit with kids. That said, it is total fun food eaten with the hands, taco style with a piece of lettuce. It can be made kid friendlier by having a variety of sauces on hand to apply -- duck sauce, thai sweet chili sauce, hoisin, anything at the asian store that looks good, etc.

Larb -- http://thaifoodtonight.com/thaifoodto...

I make it with ground turkey (as they suggest), and its great. If you make it w/ sweet/sticky rice, it'll go over even better. I make a few pounds at a time, and stretch it out over the week.

[The Professor]

I favor beef and pork for chili, but the truth is with all the seasoning your kids probably wouldn't know the difference. I say spring it on 'em.

Also...Take some of the meat and add a good dose of sage, a bit of savory if you have it, plenty of black pepper, some salt, and just a small pinch of sugar...and you' have some very nice breakfast style sausage for patties or links.

[Antilope]

Homemade Mexican Chorizo

Ingredients

1 lb ground lean pork, ground turkey can be substituted
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Combine chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cloves and black pepper in mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Add cider vinegar and stir until dry ingredients are moistened.

Add ground meat and knead until spice mixture is well incorporated into the meat.

You can use the chorizo immediately, but for best flavor development, place chorizo mixture in an airtight container and store overnight in fridge.

Form chrizo meat into small patties or just scramble and fry the meat in a skillet until done.

[Veggo]

I like the concept here and all the flavorings, but usually when I use chorizo I am counting on some fat content. Would the addition of lard or bacon fat take away from your recipe?

[Antilope]

I've never tried adding extra fat, but it couldn't hurt.

[Davwud]

You could add one of those fats but what would be the point?? If you're gonna make chorizo, use pork. If you use turkey it's gonna be for the healthier option so adding a fat like that would counter it.
Perhaps olive oil.
Most often I use plain water. Turkey is too dense for sausage as is IMHO.

DT