40 Delicious Ground Turkey Recipes For When You're Bored Of Beef

We love our turkey burger for one simple reason: We let it be. We don't try to cover up the fact that it's turkey. Instead, we embrace it. Turkey burgers tend to be drier, so we add an egg to ours to help it hold together and give it moisture. Pro tip: Use 94 percent lean ground turkey so the patties easily stay together.

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Having a big bowl of chili ready at dinner with very minimal effort (and dishes) is what winter is all about. This turkey chili is both comforting and healthy. So grab your slow cooker and cozy on up.

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When the weather outside is frightful, nothing satisfies our craving for comfort food quite like a good shepherd's pie. A traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb or beef, but this turkey version is surprisingly light and SO easy to make. If you'd like to bulk it up with more veggies, frozen corn, and/or frozen peas are a great addition!

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Ground turkey recipes have a bad rep for being bland and boring. But this meatloaf is LOADED with flavor. How? Worcestershire garlic, rosemary, and thyme. We love rosemary and thyme, but you can feel free to add herb any you like (sage would be awesome in this recipe). And not only is the glaze totally delicious, but it's also only two ingredients: ketchup and brown sugar.

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When you need a quick, healthy weeknight dinner option, stuffed peppers—and the endless ways to make them—are here for you. Swap ground turkey into our cheesesteak stuffed peppers next!

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With ground turkey swapped in for beef and an Italian flair, these sloppy joes are anything but basic. For more sloppy eats, try ground turkey in our sloppy grilled cheese next!

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You have no excuse to not make this stupid-easy ragù: Made with ground turkey, white wine, and crushed tomatoes, it's a flavor bomb.

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We love ground beef with all our heart, but every now and then, we need a break. Enter: this beautifully cheesy ground turkey recipe. It's got everything you love about a traditional lasagna, only you'll feel a little better after destroying a big slice.

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We love how you can stuff sweet potatoes with pretty much anything. We took these into Tex-Mex territory with a combo of ground turkey, onion, carrots, tomatoes, and taco seasoning.

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These meatballs don't have any bread crumbs but instead are held together with ricotta and Parmesan. They're light and airy with tons of flavor, and the sauce brings it all together! Letting the meatballs simmer in the sauce for just 10 minutes after baking them will help make them get extra tender and flavorful.

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These juicy turkey burgers are packed with flavor, thanks to soy sauce, garlic, scallions, and shallot. Baking the burgers removes the guesswork of knowing whether they're fully cooked. You can top these however you like, but we love adding some richness to the lean turkey burger with some avocado and onion.

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There is nothing quite as comforting as a baked pasta dish. The sides get a little crispy and topping of melty cheese is to die for. Here we changed up the classic penne alla vodka a little bit and added in ground turkey. The result is a creamy pasta that satisfies every carb craving possible with a little extra boost of protein.

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No bread? No problem. Doubling up on romaine leaves ensures a mess-free lunch, sans the carbs. If you're looking for more lettuce cup recipes, try these easy Thai chicken lettuce cups next!

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Making chili healthier might seem boring—who doesn't want some beef—but we found a way to make ground turkey taste ultra flavorful with garlic, jalapeño, cumin, and chili powder. Once you've mastered this recipe, check out all the chilis you can make all winter.

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Simmering in tomato sauce (we use jarred tomato sauce as a shortcut), these cheesy, super flavorful ground turkey meatballs are comfort in a skillet. Top your noodles with these or eat simply with some homemade focaccia!

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These turkey meatballs are the perfect dinner to get you back on track after a long string of late-night takeout. They're light, fresh, and full of flavor. Try them over rice noodles, a bed of greens, or some brown rice.

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Craving a turkey burger that's anything but boring? This is the one for you. We took all of the classic flavors of a banh mi sandwich (pickled vegetables, spicy mayo, cilantro) and combined into one exciting burger.

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This southern-style meatloaf is one of Chef Millie Peartree's favorite dishes at her NYC restaurant. The simple BBQ-ketchup glaze caramelizes the tops and edges beautifully. The best pairing? Her Southern macaroni & cheese + low country collared greens, of course.

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Garlicky, tender, and NOT boring, these turkey meatballs are some of our all-time favorites. Try them with zoodles for a lighter take on an Italian fave.

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You know those Italian sausage-and-pepper sandwiches that always seem to be at outdoor festivals? This is our version of the classic sandwich, but in saucy burger form.

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The best part about this mini meatloaf is the umami-ized mashed potatoes slathered on top. It's Thanksgiving in a muffin tin.

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Garlicky, tender, and definitely NOT boring, these cheesy meatballs go amazingly well on top of buttery spaghetti squash.

Get the Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs recipe.

Spice up your condiment game with these tender, juicy turkey burgers. Don't be afraid of the heat, the cheese and avocado will help temper a lot of that spice.

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In our unscientific opinion, tiny food just somehow tastes better? While we love our spinach-stuffed shells, there's just something even more delicious about stuffing them with mini homemade turkey meatballs.

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The fun of a Juicy Lucy is that the burger is stuffed with loads of gooey cheese. Feel free to use any of your favorites (like cheddar, Havarti, or even brie) for an indulgent melt, and top the burger with a refreshingly crunchy slaw.

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Add some heat to your ground turkey game with spicy ground turkey sausage. This Italian-inspired chili is packed with sausage and leafy kale for a tomato-y chili that goes great with garlic bread.

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Bring out your inner Italian grandma and make the (lighter) Bolognese of your dreams. A hearty pasta like this deserves a thicker noodle like tagliatelle or pappardelle. If you need a weekend project, pair it with homemade pasta.

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In this take on the Tex-Mex casserole, salsa gets an added boost of melty Velveeta goodness, which the hungry mouths sitting around the table will enjoy on its own. Serve a side of it with tortilla chips, it’s that good.

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We love a cheddar-stuffed Juicy Lucy burger like the rest of them, but burgers go well with so many other cheeses! Enter: this Greek-inspired feta-stuffed burger. You're so welcome.

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Move over, Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. We’ve taken the best flavors of Thanksgiving—tart cranberries, savory stuffing, and moist turkey—and combined them with pretzels for all the best of the holiday into an impressive little meatball. If you wanted to serve with gravy in addition to cranberry sauce, we wouldn’t tell anyone.

Get the Turkey & Stuffing Meatballs recipe.