Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Food and Recipes
  3. Meat
  4. Turkey
  5. Our Favorite Ground Turkey Recipes

Our Favorite Ground Turkey Recipes

Patricia S York, Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living
By Patricia S York Updated June 01, 2021
Skip gallery slides
FB
Turkey Cheeseburgers with Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

It takes a lot of thought to create a delicious yet healthy meal, one that everyone in the family will enjoy. Lightening up the old Southern Classics is an obvious choice, but lean ground turkey, which contains less saturated fat and cholesterol than lean ground beef, is a smart choice when it comes to cooking the family favorites such as burgers, chili, and enchiladas. This selection of ground turkey recipes will enable you to enjoy a hearty and tasty dinner tonight without worrying about excessive fat and cholesterol. And while turkey has gotten a bad reputation over the years for being dry and tasteless, simply follow the easy recipe instructions and you will see how flavorful and juicy ground turkey can be. Shoppers note: Turkey breast is lean, but dark meat is not, and some packages of ground turkey contain both. Be sure to read the label so you can buy exactly what you need. Need more options for cutting back on fat and calories? Main Dish Salads are a great option for satisfying meals.

Start Slideshow

1 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

Cooking the meat, along with the onion, garlic, and spices before adding it to the slow-cooker helps to bring out the rich flavor of the dish.

1 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa

Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa Recipe
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa

Perfect for game-day festivities, let the slow cooker do the work while you enjoy the fun.

2 of 9

3 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Turkey Cheeseburgers With Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings

Turkey Cheeseburgers with Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Turkey Cheeseburgers With Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings

Dry turkey burgers are a thing of the past with this juicy, melt-in-your-mouth recipe. Want to know our secret? Grated butter that gets mixed right into the turkey before forming the burgers.

3 of 9

Advertisement

4 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf
Credit: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf

A combination of ground turkey and turkey sausage kicks up the flavor in our lightened-up turkey meatloaf, but we kept all the classic ingredients you love from your favorite ground-beef version.

4 of 9

5 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Turkey Meatballs

Skillet Turkey Meatballs
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Turkey Meatballs

A combination of both light and dark meat ground turkey creates the best flavor. Make it a double batch and freeze half for a quick, homemade dinner any night of the week. Complete step one, then place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze meatballs, then transfer to storage bags and place back into the freezer for later use.

5 of 9

6 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Healthy Turkey Lasagna

Lean Lasagna
Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen

Recipe: Healthy Turkey Lasagna

No one will know the difference when you serve up this lightened take on lasagna. We swapped in ground turkey and added a package of frozen spinach, but kept all the must-have flavors your crew won't want to do without—including lots of gooey cheese.

6 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Smoky Turkey-and-Sweet Potato Chili

Beef-and-Bean Chili
Credit: Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Smoky Turkey-and-Sweet Potato Chili

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, Mexican beer, and smoked paprika kick up the flavor and the intensity in this slow-cooker chili recipe.

7 of 9

8 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Turkey and Spinach Meatball Sandwiches

Turkey and Spinach Meatball Sandwiches
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Turkey and Spinach Meatball Sandwiches

Spicy Italian turkey sausage and ground turkey with dark meat create the ideal base for favorite meatball flavor mix-ins like Parmesan cheese, onion, and garlic. We even managed to sneak in a full package of fresh baby spinach.

8 of 9

9 of 9

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Ranch Turkey Burgers

Ranch Turkey Burgers
Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ranch Turkey Burgers

No, there's no ranch dressing in these tasty burgers. But we did call on a few essential ingredients for ranch-like flavor. Buttermilk, reduced-fat sour cream, mayo, dried dill, onion powder, and garlic powder knock these burgers out of the park. Don't miss the tangy dressing—it's like icing on the cake.

9 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Patricia S York

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 9 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
    2 of 9 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa
    3 of 9 Turkey Cheeseburgers With Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings
    4 of 9 Turkey Meatloaf
    5 of 9 Turkey Meatballs
    6 of 9 Healthy Turkey Lasagna
    7 of 9 Smoky Turkey-and-Sweet Potato Chili
    8 of 9 Turkey and Spinach Meatball Sandwiches
    9 of 9 Ranch Turkey Burgers

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Our Favorite Ground Turkey Recipes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.