Meal prepping with ground turkey makes it easy to create a variety of healthy, delicious meals for the whole family with just one recipe. This ground turkey meal is low fat, high protein, and loaded with flavor while combining zucchini and spinach all in one pan.
A good meal prep recipe is a game-changer for family dinners. Ground turkey recipes are particularly good for meal prepping because it's a versatile protein source that can be used in place of beef in any recipe, allowing you to make healthy versions of your favorite recipes, from turkey meatballs to these air fryer turkey burgers.
This ground turkey skillet meal prep is delicious and versatile. It can be used to make ground turkey chili, turkey tacos, loaded turkey bowls, or even turkey lettuce wraps. I love to create this for the week's lunches, or even post work out meals when combined with jasmine rice or brown rice! Looking for even lower calories, just add quinoa.
Because you're meal prepping, you'll need good storage. Plastic meal prep containers are a great way to store your food for less money. However, for the longest-lasting freshness, I prefer glass meal prep containers. Either of these options will work for the refrigerator or freezer.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Meal Prepping with Ground Turkey
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations
- How to Make This Healthy Ground Turkey Meal
- Hint
- Storage for meal Prepping with Ground Turkey
- What to Serve with This Healthy Ground Turkey Recipe
- Tips
- More Easy Meal Prep Recipes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love Meal Prepping with Ground Turkey
- Convenient: This ground turkey meal lasts for up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer, making meal prep easy.
- Versatile: This dish can be served over rice, pasta, or lettuce or as a sandwich filling.
- Customizable: You can add your favorite vegetables to the dish for even more flavor, texture, and health benefits.
- Flavorful: Although this recipe is healthy, it's not bland, and everyone will love its bold flavor.
- Easy: This recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together in just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- Ground Turkey Breast: Ground turkey breast is low-fat, high-protein, and has a mild flavor that pairs well with a variety of seasonings.
- Chili Olive Oil and Jalapeno Olive Oil: Chili olive oil and jalapeno olive oil work together to add bold flavor and heat to the meal. I prefer Costabile olive oil for its quality, purity, and flavor. Use Code: 15GOLDENGK for 15% off.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds tanginess and slight sweetness to the dish.
- Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce adds color and flavor.
- Zucchini and Spinach: Zucchini and spinach add color, flavor, and healthy vitamins and minerals.
- Seasoning: Cumin, chili powder, and a few other seasonings make this ground turkey recipe anything but dull.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact quantities.
Flavor Variations
- Add your favorite vegetables: Add your favorite vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, or almost anything else to suit your tastes.
- Make it mild: Use regular olive oil for a version of this recipe with less heat.
- Make it hotter: For even more heat, add red pepper flakes.
- Sweetness: For a little sweetness, toss in a sprinkle of brown sugar.
How to Make This Healthy Ground Turkey Meal
1: Add both olive oils to a large skillet and cook the ground turkey in them until it begins to brown. Drain and set aside.
2: Add the zucchini to the same pan and cook for a few minutes, then add the spinach.
3: Add the ground turkey, tomato sauce, dry seasonings, and tapioca flour and cook just long enough to sweat the vegetables and bring the flavors together.
4: Add the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar, cover the skillet with a lid, and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Hint
Stop cooking the ground turkey breast as soon as it begins to brown. It will finish cooking to perfection later in the recipe when simmering.
Place your ground turkey into meal prep containers as soon as you are done cooking to get yourself set up for the week.
Storage for meal Prepping with Ground Turkey
You can refrigerate this easy one pan ground turkey meal for up to 4 days in an air-tight container or freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
To reheat this dish, cook over medium-low heat in a skillet until heated through, then serve it with your favorite sides.
What to Serve with This Healthy Ground Turkey Recipe
Serve this dish over rice or pasta with a healthy salad or vegetables like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, green beans, or your other favorites on the side.
For a sweet finish to your meal, try this bright lemon drizzle cake, rich Nutella brownie cheesecake, or fun, hand-held salted caramel cookies sandwiches.
Tips
- It's important to cook ground turkey breasts with plenty of oil because their low fat content makes it more likely for the meat to stick to the pan.
- Slightly undercook your ground turkey. It will finish cooking while the dish simmers.
- Simmer the dish on low and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Cook the spinach and zucchini just long enough to sweat them a bit. You don't want them turning to mush while the dish simmers.
More Easy Meal Prep Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Just like almost any protein, ground turkey can be as bland or as flavorful as you make. Use seasonings and flavorful liquids to kick up the flavor of your ground turkey to make it as delicious as it is healthy.
Ground turkey can be used in place of any ground meat in any recipe. Substitute it for ground beef, pork, or even lamb in your favorite recipes.
The key to a flavorful ground turkey dish is to use enough seasonings. Salt, pepper, garlic, onions, bold spices like cumin, vegetables, and sauces can all give your ground turkey meal a big flavor boost.
Ground turkey can become rubbery for a few reasons. If you handle the turkey to much, it can compact the meat and make a tough texture. If the turkey is cooked too long, it will dry out and become rubbery. Finally, cooking ground turkey without adequate moisture will result in a dry, rubbery finished product.
Portion your meals into either single servings or portions large enough to feed your family in one meal. It's best to freeze the protein portion, and vegetables if you like, in their own containers, then cook rice, pasta, or potatoes when you make the meal.
Related
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below! I would love to hear back from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for more delicious recipes.
📖 Recipe
Meal Prepping with Ground Turkey Meal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 1 tablespoon Costabile chili olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Costabile jalapeno olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 3 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ tbsp chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 zucchini large, diced
- 1 teaspoon tapioca flour
- ¼ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the chili olive oil and jalapeno olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, cook the ground turkey breast until it begins to brown. Drain and set aside.
- Add the zucchini to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the spinach, tomato sauce, all the dry seasonings, and tapioca flour. Stir well and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the ground turkey breast, chicken broth, and apple cider vinegar. Cover the skillet, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- To reheat, defrost overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then, cook over medium-low heat until warmed through or microwave at 1-minute intervals.
- This recipe is simmered after the ground turkey is added. Undercook the turkey just a bit so it doesn't become rubbery from overcooking.
- Use plenty of oil when cooking your ground turkey. The meat is very lean, making it easy for the meat to dry out and/or stick to the pan.
Sonja says
Such a quick and easy meal prep option for summer! I added some fresh cherry tomatoes at the end and everyone loved it.
Elizabeth says
I loved this! I am starting to meal prep for my husband and he really loved this recipe, too. Thanks for sharing!
Oscar says
I prepared this ground turkey meal, and it’s perfect for meal prep! Loaded with flavor, it’s a healthy option with zucchini and spinach, all cooked in one pan.
DK says
I'm definitely going to bookmark this recipe for after thanksgiving! I'm going to ground up the leftover turkey we have and use that for this delicious ground turkey meal!
NKendrick says
Love that idea!