29 Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes You Can Make Any Night of the Week

Ground turkey is a lean and versatile ingredient that deserves a place in your healthy weeknight dinner roundup. Whether you form it into burgers, brown it for tacos or make mini meatballs, there’s no shortage of ways to use this healthy protein.

When making healthy meatballs, swap out the ground beef for ground turkey like in this simple recipe. Basil, parsley, thyme and rosemary add herbal flavor, while ground pepper and adobo add a fiery kick. Ready in less than an hour, this flavor-packed recipe is nourishing and filling.

If you love hamburgers but would like a way to lighten them up a little bit, you need to delicious turkey burger recipe in your weekly rotation. This recipe is easy and adaptable, so you’ll never get tired of whipping up lightened-up turkey burgers. Slather on the homemade Meyer lemon-honey mustard for extra flavor, and add your favorite toppings like lettuce and tomato.

Slow-cooked with lean turkey and plenty of veggies, this healthy meatloaf is a lighter take on the comfort food classic.

This hearty chili is packed with lean protein thanks to the ground white turkey base. Ground coriander and cumin add depth of flavor, while poblano peppers add fiery heat. White beans and hominy make it extra nourishing and filling.

This recipe is part stir-fry, part enchilada. Boasting enchilada flavors—like enchilada sauce, black beans and cilantro—but it’s prepared in a stir-fry style to make it extra easy to whip up. Skip the tortillas and cheese for an extra healthy, super-lean dinner that’s packed with vegetables like broccoli and butternut squash.

Turkey and cranberries is a match made in heaven—the tangy sweetness of the cranberries completely cuts through the any fatty richness in the meat. This healthy take on traditional meatloaf swaps ground turkey for the traditional ground beef base and employs antioxidant-rich cranberries as the centerpiece of a tangy glaze.

Ready in just 25 minutes, this super-healthy recipe couldn’t get any easier. Lean ground turkey gets sautéed with scallions, garlic, mushrooms, soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar to create a tangy and hearty filling for the crisp lettuce cups. A homemade drizzling sauce adds sweet and savory flavor, while shredded carrot and bean sprouts add crunchy texture. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

This super simple recipe is healthy and nourishing. Better yet, it’s easy to prepare in advance and store in your freezer. That means it’s a great option for weekly meal preps and can help you get through long, busy work nights or holidays without the need to order takeout. Quinoa spaghetti is an extra-healthy swap that helps this recipe stay free of gluten.

When you’re looking for a light and heartwarming dinner, soup is the way to go. This light and flavorful soup is packed with hearty ingredients like kale, brown rice, bell peppers, carrots and tomatoes. Lean ground turkey acts as the protein-rich base, giving this soup a texture similar chili but with a lighter mouthfeel. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

A nod to the Indian technique of making korma, ground turkey gets transformed into this fragrant curry stew thickened with yogurt and aromatics. Ginger and curry powder add bright, vibrant, and spicy flavor, while low-fat yogurt helps balance out the heat with a tangy creaminess. Serve with brown rice for even more nutrients.

Meatloaf is a dinnertime staple in households across the country, and we love that this recipe takes a healthier spin on the classic dish. Instead of the traditional ground beef, this recipe uses light and healthy ground turkey mixed with oats, onions, bell peppers, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Simply bake for one hour then serve with roasted vegetables or egg noodles.

When cutting bread from your diet, try opting for thick and hearty vegetables as a healthier swap. In this recipe, thick-cut sweet potatoes stand in for hamburger buns in these jerk-inspired turkey burgers. Mango chutney and crunchy coleslaw add sweet, tangy flavor and cream texture, so every bite is packed with vibrant flavor. Adding yogurt to the ground turkey mix helps keep the burgers moist.

This turkey chili is packed with bright, spicy flavor thanks to hot sauce, cumin, grilling blend and dark chili powder. Ground turkey acts as the filling, protein-rich base, while beer, tomato sauce and barbecue sauce make up the rich and hearty broth. Serve this tangy chili with a variety of “dippers,” like tortilla chips, pretzel rods or pita chips.

Standard turkey burgers are delicious on their own, but stuffing them roasted red peppers and mozzarella makes them even more irresistible. Ready in just 20 minutes, this hearty and flavorful dinner couldn’t get any easier. Simply season the meat and divide it into eight patties, then top with peppers and cheese. Stack two patties on top of each other (like a sandwich) and seal the turkey meat with your fingers. Grill or sear until cooked through and serve!

Stuffed peppers are a versatile meal that can be adapted with a variety of different ingredients. In this recipe, ground turkey gets tossed with mozzarella, feta, brown rice, walnuts and chopped herbs and garlic. Next, the peppers get stuffed with the turkey mixture and simmered in sauce for about an hour. The result is a hearty yet healthy meal that’s packed with complex flavors.

Meatballs are always a comfort food, and we love that this recipe uses ground turkey to make them just a bit healthier. Use this recipe to make meatballs them on their own and serve as a mini appetizer or add them to your favorite pasta recipe. For moister, more flavorful meatballs, be sure to use ground turkey, not ground turkey breast.

Though this turkey burger recipe uses ground turkey as the base, it gets bulked up with chopped mushrooms, shallots and parsley. Once formed, sear or grill the patties until thoroughly cooked, then top with your favorite cheese and serve on crispy English muffins. Dijon mustard mayonnaise or sliced avocado make fantastic toppings.

Sweet potatoes are perfect for stuffing with hearty ingredients. The natural boat shape means they can hold a ton of toppings like ground turkey, black beans, corn and avocado. This turkey-stuffed sweet potato taco is an irresistible way to make taco Tuesday a little healthier. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s the perfect recipe to make on a busy weeknight.

These elevated turkey burgers are the perfect solution when you need a midweek pick-me-up. Packed with sweet and tangy hoisin flavor and garlic, ginger, scallions and cilantro, the light and bright meal is bursting with flavor. Top with home-pickled vegetables and a chili garlic yogurt sauce.

This stir fry recipe takes inspiration from Chinese green beans with ground pork but swaps in ground turkey for a lighter, healthier option. The broiled green beans are crispy and crunchy, and the half-sour pickles are reminiscent of sui mi ya cai (Chinese preserved vegetables). Thirty minutes is all you need to whip up this tasty dish.

Everyone knows that chili is one of the heartiest comfort foods you can make, but if you’d like to lighten it up a little bit, try swapping out ground beef for ground turkey. The lighter, leaner meat tastes just as delicious but yields less fatty flavor than traditional ground beef. In this recipe, a touch of unsweetened cocoa powder gives this hearty chili a wonderful depth of flavor.

This vindaloo-inspired dish is perfect for people who enjoy vibrant flavor but can’t handle the fiery heat of traditional vindaloo. It packs a few spicy flavors—like hot Madras curry powder—so you won’t miss out on any vibrant and complex flavors. The ground turkey meatballs are a healthy protein option that perfectly absorb the flavors they’re cooked in serve with a heaping pile of white rice.

Loaded with protein from ground turkey and veggies like cucumber and carrot, these Southeast Asian-inspired sliders are perfect for a crowd. They’re easy to prep and even easier to enjoy, but be sure to opt for regular ground turkey, not lean—the combination of dark and white meats adds more flavor and moisture to the mix. For easy preparation, make the meat mixture on the cookie sheet a few hours ahead, refrigerate and cook just before serving.

Turkey meatballs are super versatile and adaptable, so making them is an easy way to cram in extra vegetables and nutrients. For example, this recipe uses a full bunch of green kale in the meat mixture, and subs in oats instead of breadcrumbs. It’s a hearty and healthy meal that’s loaded with protein and fiber.

If you’re looking for a quick burger recipe to add variety to your weekly menu, these tasty burgers are a fun spin on the traditional. Packed with healthy add-ins like spinach, feta and dill, the hearty burgers get seared then topped with a homemade yogurt sauce. They’re juicy, satisfying and easy to whip up in just 35 minutes.

Stuffed lettuce cups are a light and flavorful recipe that’s great for any time of year. Whether you serve them at a summer barbecue or for a busy weeknight dinner, these are refreshing and filling at the same time. Chopped cilantro and mint add extra flavor, while chopped cashews add the perfect amount of crunch.

These mini meatloaves are specifically designed to make busy weeknight meals even easier. Though the recipe calls for a combination of pork and turkey, you can absolutely opt for all turkey if you’d prefer to keep them as lean as possible. Top with a mix of mustard and ketchup for sweet, tangy and perfectly spicy flavor.

Jerk seasoning is the key to kicking up these hearty burgers with deep, complex flavor. A combination of sugar, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and hot chili peppers make up the backbone of these savory burgers, and ground turkey makes for a healthier alternative to ground beef. A homemade slaw tossed with mango chutney and mayonnaise makes for a creamy, crunchy topping.