30 Ground Turkey & Ground Beef Recipes and Ideas

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Ground meat is an awesome ingredient to keep in your fridge (and freezer), as it allows you to make easy meals that are delicious, nutritious, and packed with flavour. Today we’re going to take a look at recipes and ideas for ground turkey and ground beef.

I’m also going to be sharing recipes that are allergy friendly. When you’re following a medically restrictive diet (food allergies, medical condition, food intolerance, etc.), it’s easy to think you won’t have delicious food to enjoy. Fear not, because I’m going to show you how to have your (metaphorical) cake and eat it too.

Easy Ground Turkey Recipes to Try

These are four very easy recipes to try. If you’ve never cooked at home, or are teaching your child to cook, these are fantastic recipes to use. These are also great for those days where you don’t need anything fancy.

Easy Recipe Ideas Featuring Ground Turkey and Ground Beef

Ground Turkey Stir Fry (Cook your ground turkey and season it well, then set aside. Then, cook your stir-fry veg in a flavourful oil such as sesame oil or perilla seed oil to your preferred level of doneness. Combine and serve over rice, cauliflower rice, etc.)

Ground Beef Taco Bowls (Taco seasoned lean ground beef, black beans, cheddar cheese shreds, sour cream, and salsa all in a bowl.)

Turkey Meatloaf Topped with a Tangy Glaze (Use your regular meatloaf recipe, but top with a tangy glaze rather than the typical tomato glaze.)

Spicy Korean Ground Beef (Season your ground beef with salt, crushed red peppers, and garlic. Cook, and about 1/2 way though, add traditional Korean spices/sauces/paste to flavour your ground beef. Top with sliced green onions and serve over a carb of your choosing.)

Related: Dang! That’s Delicious: Easy Spicy Ground Beef Dinner

Great Turkey and Beef Recipes for Busy Weeknights

If you life a busy life, or are in need of a quick dinner idea, here are four ideas I think you’ll enjoy.

Ground Turkey & Beef Dinner Ideas

You can make so many delicious meals with ground turkey and ground beef. Here are just a few to add to your meal plan.

Lettuce Wrap Turkey Burger (you could use a turkey burger recipe like this one)
Ground Turkey Tacos
Beef & Bacon Ranch Wraps with Lettuce and Tomato
Creamy Eggplant & Turkey Served Over Rice
Beef + Diced Onions + Parmesan Cheese, Served Over Pasta
Beef & Garlic Meatballs + Steamed Broccoli

Fun Ground Meat Recipes

I think food should be fun at least twice a month, especially if you have kids. Here are some fun twists on classic recipes. Please note: my children honestly believe that Monstrocity was the best thing I ever invented and they would beg for that meal. A lot.

Pork and Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Sloppy Joe Pasta
Potato Lasagna (a fun take on lasagna packed with a meaty sauce)
Monstrocity (Quesadilla Meets Pizza)
Bacon Wrapped Turkey Meatballs (a family favorite around here)

Ground Beef & Ground Turkey Skillet Ideas

Here are some easy skillet meal ideas to use when you’d like to keep everything in one pan. Remember, these are just ideas. Mix things up, swap ingredients, and have fun with them.

Ground Turkey & Sweet Potato Skillet (meat + small dice sweet potato cubes + diced onion + balsamic vinegar + salt & seasonings)
Spicy Beef Breakfast Skillet (meat + spicy peppers + eggs + shredded cheese)
Mediterranean Beef Skillet (meat + eggplant + zucchini + onion + sumac)
Turkey & Potato Italian Skillet (meat + small dice sweet potato + onion + tomato + peppers + salt + Italian seasoning)
Sausage & Cabbage Skillet (shredded cabbage + sliced sausage or ground meat + onion + flavourful oil + salt + seasonings)
Mexican Skillet (meat + onion + taco seasoning + corn + salsa)

More Ground Turkey & Ground Beef Recipes

Before we take a look at tools and ingredients, here are a few more recipes I think you may enjoy.

Gluten & Dairy Free Enchiladas (made with this delicious enchilada sauce)
Faux Shepherd’s Pie Made with Sweet Potato (one of my kids’ favorite ground turkey recipes)
Meat Sauce Recipe (super versatile, you can eat it standalone or with your fave carb)
Turkey and Sweet Potato Stuffed Peppers (for Christmas you could use green and red bell pepper)

Great Tools to Keep on Hand

Here are several of my favourite tools to use when cooking ground meat. Whilst this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s a great starting point, especially if you’re new to cooking at home regularly.

Large Skillet/Frying Pan: This is going to be what you’ll probably use the most when cooking ground meat. I personally like having 8″, 10″, and 12″ stainless steel pans for cooking ground meat.

Large/Deep Pan for Cooking: You’ll want one of these if you plan on making meat sauces. Deep pans have taller sides, which prevents your food from spilling everywhere.

Meat Chopper: This is a special spatula that can help you break up ground meat. I used one once with a friend many years ago before they were popular and I loved the experience. It’s not necessary, but you may end up loving it.

Cooking Spoons: Make sure you have several good cooking spoons. I like to have wooden spoons, and usually purchase them in a set. I always get a set where at least one of the spoons is a straight “blade” which makes cooking ground meat much easier.

Splatter Guard: This is a large mesh circle that sits on top of your pan whilst cooking. It reduces the amount of oil splatter from the pan and can keep counters cleaner. I love mine so much I have two of them.

Colander or Sieve: If you plan on cooking fattier ground meat, having a colander is very helpful. You can easily strain off the excess fat from your ground meat using one.

Ingredients to Keep on Hand

I’d suggest keeping a range of carbs you enjoy on hand such as rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), dry pasta of different shapes, starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes, and tortillas. These types of ingredients will help you quickly round out just about any recipe you make with ground turkey or ground beef.

For those who are low/no carb, keep a plethora of your fave fruit and veg on hand to make sure you can easily round out a meal. When my kids were younger, I loved purchasing frozen cauliflower rice so I could quickly cook it up and season it to serve as part of a healthy dinner.

Salt and basic seasonings such as black pepper. Salt and pepper are the two most basic seasonings to keep on hand, but don’t stop there. Once you understand the importance of salt, branch out to other seasonings. If you don’t know where to start, look at spice blends such as Italian seasoning, BBQ seasoning, chili powder (usually a blend), and curry powder. These are pre-mixed for your convenience.

When working with salt, especially if you’re new to cooking, it’s important to know that salt can bring in so much flavour to your meals. Purchasing specialty salts such as smoked salt can take your dinners to the next level if you ask me. However, when you use salt is also important.

If you only salt your food at the end of cooking, the salt is on the outside and quickly fades away as you chew. Have you ever eaten food where once you’ve chewed a few times it starts to taste bland? This is one of the reasons that happens. To prevent that from happening, make sure you salt at different stages of cooking. With meat, it’s critical that you salt it at the start and finish of cooking. This will ensure that the meat has been flavoured throughout.

Aromatics such as yellow onion, red onion, garlic, and celery.

Tomato products such as tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and strained tomatoes can all be used to make ultra delish tomato sauces for your ground meat.

Umami ingredients such as mushroom powder, soy sauce, and other Asian sauces.

Individual seasonings such as thyme, rosemary, marjoram, turmeric, onion granules, garlic powder, paprika (derived from bell peppers), sumac, and many more. This allows you to create custom flavour profiles as you cook your ground beef and ground turkey.

Granulated and liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, date sugar, etc.

Sauces and condiments such as BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce. These can all help you add amazing flavour when making a quick dinner.

Frozen vegetables such as green peas, green beans, stir fry vegetables, etc. These can be steamed or roasted and easily folded into a recipe. You can also cook these alongside your ground meat.

Cooking oils such as avocado oil, olive oil, and tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut). You can also cook in tallow and other animal fats.

Types of Ground Meat

These are the most common types of meats you’ll see sold in grocery stores and online. If you have a proper butcher in your area, you may be able to order custom blends of proteins or grinds with a custom fat percentage. For reference, lean meats are usually 7% fat content or less.

Generally speaking, when you’re cooking these meats, they are interchangeable where function is concerned. Their overall flavours will be different, so keep that in mind. Also know that lean meats cook faster than their fattier counterparts, so be sure to adjust the cook time if you’re making a swap.

Lean Ground Turkey
Ground Turkey Thigh (not lean)
Lean Ground Chicken
Ground Chicken Thigh (not lean)
Ground Pork (this isn’t usually offered as lean and the fat content varies wildly)
Lean Ground Beef
Ground Beef (you can sometimes get this in several fat percentage options)

These days, you can also get exotic ground meats as well. I’ve noticed that co-ops and organic/natural grocery stores are more likely to carry these. I’ve seen wild boar, elk, bison, and other uncommon meats. If you really want to take a walk on the wild side, search online for ground game meats. You’ll find specialty shops that sell some of the most interesting ground meat, including ostrich.

Related: Ground Beef Recipes Without Pasta (Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly)

Answering Your Ground Turkey and Ground Beef Questions

Can I use ground pork in place of ground beef or ground turkey?

Usually, yes. The fat content of ground pork can vary wildly. If you happen to get an incredibly fatty blend, cook and season it separately, drain it off, then add it to the rest of the recipe (assuming you’re building a sauce etc.). Be sure to taste the meat after draining the liquid and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Would ground chicken work in place of ground beef or ground turkey in a recipe?

In terms of function, yes, you can make that swap. Now, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind when you do. First, ground chicken is usually sold as lean (unless you go out of your way to purchase ground chicken with a higher fat content). This means it can dry out quickly and have less flavour. To add flavour, cook your ground chicken in pork drippings or another animal fat.

Second, ground chicken is a quick cooking meat, and you may need to adjust the overall cook time, or add the ground meat later than what the recipe calls for. Third, and this is a big one, the taste will not be the same. Remember, I said function would work 🙂

If we were to compare the three meats, I’d say ground beef has a loud/bold flavour, ground turkey has a medium flavour, and ground chicken has a soft/light flavour. This means that you’ll need to make sure the meat is well seasoned along with the rest of the recipe so you don’t end up with something bland.

Is sesame oil a good cooking oil for most ground beef recipes?

Not necessarily, and that’s because of the flavour. Sesame oil is a wonderful oil to cook with, however, it can have a distinct taste. Let’s say you’re making a delicate (lightly flavoured) Italian dish. Cooked in sesame oil, that dish can taste off.

Sesame oil is usually used for cooking Asian meals, and as a finishing oil to add a pop of flavour. It can also be used (in part) to make vinaigrettes and other condiments.

Do you have any 15-minute meal ideas using ground beef or ground turkey?

The best suggestion I can give is ground meat + a store bought sauce you love. Whilst it sounds simple, it’s incredibly versatile. You could use pizza sauce, pasta sauce, BBQ sauce, pesto, cream sauce, pumpkin sauce, and so on.

You can serve this ground meat with a tortilla, wrap, toast, or other pre-made or leftover carb you have ready. Serve with a side of fruit and with that combination, you’ve got dinner in 15 minutes.

Will lean meat work in all recipes? I can’t have much fat.

Yes, it generally will. When it comes to meat, leaner options tend to cook up faster and can dry out easier. Keep that in mind and adjust the cooking time as needed. Since fat consumption is an issue for you, use a flavourful broth or stock as a cooking liquid when cooking your ground meat. Don’t use too much, or you’ll end up poaching the meat. Start with a few Tablespoons and use it the way someone would use a cooking oil.

I can’t have red meat or poultry. What would be the best ground meat alternative for me?

I would suggest starting with rabbit. Northstar Bison sells a ground rabbit that’s high quality and well priced. If you find you’re unable to eat that as well, try grinding swordfish at home. Swordfish is super meaty and you’d be able to give yourself the texture of ground meat. Know that the taste won’t be the same.

If none of that works, brands such as Rollin Greens sell plant-based ground “meats” that can help replace the meaty texture in recipes.

Which type of ground meat will have the best flavor?

This is going to really come down to personal preference. Some people grew up eating food that was generally bland and as adults they gravitate towards ground chicken or lean ground beef. Others grew up with fat and flavour and think ground pork is the only way to live life.

What I suggest doing: purchase 0.25 pound/4 ounces/112g of several different ground meats. Make meatballs or burger patties with each meat you purchase. Try to season them the same so you really know what the meat tastes like. From there, see what you like.

As a homeschooling parent, I did something like this once with my kids (they were learning about the Maillard reaction). They had to learn about 12 different cooking methods, then cook 100g of chicken each way, with salt only. They quickly learned which cooking method(s) produced flavours they personally enjoyed. In your case, you’re testing different meats rather than cooking methods. It’s really fun to explore ingredients like this, and I hope you give a try.

What are the best ways to cook ground meat?

There are a range of great ways to cook your ground meat, and the method you choose will have more to do with the recipe and instructions. For example, if you’re making juicy burgers, you’d cook on the grill or use an indoor grill pan. If you’re making a beef stir fry, you’d use a large skillet or a wok. When you’re making beef casserole dishes, you’d use your oven. For ground meat meatballs, you might experiment with your air fryer.

Overall, pretty much every cooking method is a good cooking method for ground meat, so long as your method supports the recipe and delivers the delicious end results you’re seeking.

How should I store leftover cooked meat?

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator. If you’re batch cooking and it’s a freezer friendly recipe, you’ll want to put your airtight container in the freezer instead.

Ground meat usually lasts in the refrigerator for five days, so keep that in mind. You’ll want to plan to eat your leftovers before then, or plan to freeze the leftovers.

Is it possible to meal prep with ground beef?

Oh my goodness yes! One of the best things you can do for yourself, in my humble opinion is meal prep and/or batch cook (and freeze). Batch cooking allows you to make the perfect meal with simple ingredients en masse to get ahead so future you can kick back and relax.

What’s so cool about ground meat is that you can season it simply (salt and pepper only), cook up quite a bit, then freeze just the ground meat. That’s one way to meal prep with it, then in the future, you’d grab a serving of the meat from your freezer, and add to it (maybe some crushed garlic cloves, a creamy sauce, and pair with pasta).

Another way to meal prep with ground meat is to cook up a pound or two on Sunday evening, then portion it into five containers for your lunches. This is a great way to save future you some time, especially on busy mornings. When my kids were younger, I did this with chicken. I’d pressure cook pounds of organic chicken thigh, but season it simply. Then, I’d divide it and add a different sauce to each portion. I left the portions in the refrigerator, in an airtight container.

Each day (my kids were homeschooled so they could do this, but it works outside the home as well) they would pick a container, heat it up, add some bread & fruit and call it a lunch. You can do the same thing with your beef and have something a little different each day because you’ll rotate thru the sauces.

How can I season my meat if I follow a low sodium diet?

When following a low sodium diet, first, use the amount of salt that you can use, if any. Even just a little can help. Next, think BIG bold flavors. Here’s a few examples:

Spicy Thai Curry Beef Noodles (ground beef + coconut milk + red pepper flakes + lemon grass + onion + curry powder + noodles)
Creamy Beef & Mushrooms (ground beef + sautéed mushrooms + balsamic vinegar + onions + cream)
Garlic & Cream Beef (ground beef, shredded carrots, chopped garlic + cream + fresh parsley + onion)

Each of these ideas is packed with so much flavor (and you can see that spice kick in the curry). The idea here is to create flavors so bold that you don’t miss the sodium as much. Now, a food critic would eat an under salted meal and call you out on it. On the flip side, going from bland meals that are under-salted to flavor bomb meals (that are still under-salted) will feel like an absolute upgrade to your taste buds.

Do I need an instant-read thermometer for ground meat?

No, you shouldn’t need an instant-read meat thermometer when cooking ground meat. The nice thing is that if you break a piece open, if it’s brown all the way through, it’s cooked all the way through.

Ground meat isn’t like steaks where you can leave it undercooked in the middle. Whilst some people like to walk on the wild side, food safety dictates that ground meats should be cooked all the way through, 100%. You can easily see this without an instant-read thermometer.

Now, if you plan on cooking whole cuts such as tenderloin or steak, absolutely have a thermometer on hand, especially if you don’t cook with these cuts often.

What are some easy veggies and carbohydrates that would pair well with ground beef?

The easiest veggies to pair with ground beef will be options like steamed carrots, steamed broccoli, or any other steamed veggies. Another great thing to serve with ground beef: frozen veggies that you oven roast. It’s so easy: cut open a bag of frozen veggies, pop them on a tray (you don’t even need a spray etc.) season with salt and whatever else you’d like, then put the tray in the oven and bake. You don’t even need to preheat the oven.

Whilst that’s heating, cook your ground beef on the stovetop. With most oven roasted veggies like this, they’re ready to serve by the time the beef is done cooking. My kids loved green beans, peas, and carrots cooked this way.

One thing to consider is prep time as you select veggies. It’s why my go-to is frozen organic veggies: no prep on my end. If you choose fresh produce, you’ll need to wash, possibly peel, and usually chop before you cook. In case you’ve heard rumors, know that frozen veggies are picked at peak ripeness and are incredibly nutritious (some think they’re subpar, but they aren’t).

In terms of carbohydrates, the easiest will be carbs you don’t have to cook (bread, tortillas, crackers, etc.). Carbohydrates such as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, and pasta all require some kind of prep and cook. Whilst they’re all delicious, they’re not the easiest in terms of effort.

I will say this though, if you’re a fan of rice, it’s a great option because you can use a rice cooker. Start your rice cooker, then cook your ground beef. To make the deal sweetener, many rice cookers have an insert/steaming basket. You could steam your veggies whilst the rice cooks, and still come out ahead with less dishes.

Plus, with this method, you could make extra rice and use the leftover rice for a future lunch or dinner. Even though there’s a little work with rice (compared to no work with a bagel) the ROI is pretty solid.