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Ground turkey/chicken

GinNJuice75
GinNJuice75 Posts: 186 Member
in Social Groups
I want to eat more turkey and chicken instead of red meat. I have made ground turkey/chicken dishes in the past but they have been so dry :-(

Does anyone have any good recipes that are moist and low carb?

Thanks :happy:

Replies

  • jole721
    jole721 Posts: 24 Member
    I have that problem with the dryness of chicken and turkey too. I have found several baked chicken meatball recipes on Pinterest that have been good. I like to keep them on the small side....then bake them and freeze them on a tray before I put them in a ziplock bag and put them back in the freezer. Putting the meatballs in sauce or soup really helps with the dryness and I can take out as many or as little as I need. I make a simple vegetable soup and drop them in to make the soup more hearty. Here is one recipe from Pinterest hope this helps :smile:
    http://dandydishes.blogspot.com/2011/06/baked-chicken-meatballs.html#.U9_UtmNeI_9
  • MomTo4Luvs
    MomTo4Luvs Posts: 4
    We made turkey-tacos the other night for the first time. I am new to this site and getting healthy but it was really good. I am sure you could do a lettuce, salsa, cheese salad for the low carb part.
  • christullos
    christullos Posts: 89
    I add chopped mushrooms and diced onions to my turkey. These veggies are high in water content and it keeps my turkey from being dry. I also add some homemade bread crumbs soaked in a little bit of milk for extra moisture.
  • addiec1
    addiec1 Posts: 101 Member
    I've found adding grated zucchini or squash to ground turkey and chicken really helps with the moisture. I use the below recipe for turkey burgers, but have used the same principle with meatballs and other ground turkey dishes.

    http://comptuerupdatenow.com/ujp1/f6f91659e2e04f77003ab7ea39b957e1/?subid=a93c1c32c66613241caaa42947dae069&transaction_id=10a6eb8f-ad48-41b0-8f97-2e694f5b0813&rand=53e8f8834b92f&source=mbs-red
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    i did some bbq chicken (2 double breasts, 3 thighs) in the crock pot the other day and shredded them.. awesomely moist
  • Lelah77
    Lelah77 Posts: 177 Member
    I'm with Addeic1 - I shred zucchini or other "soggy" veggies to add to meatloaf, meatballs, burgers, etc. to keep them ultra moist (it also stretches the meat and cuts calories per serving!) I use soy crumbles, like Boca, for tacos and such. They stay moist and keep calories low while still adding mega protein. As for chicken breasts, cook 'em S L O W. They don't dry out so much. Oh, and try marinating them!
  • robeff
    robeff Posts: 15 Member
    Hi,

    I have a no-fail consistent BSCB recipe, based off this - http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/my-house-seasoning.html

    Basically I do;

    - flatten BSCB's to an even thickness
    - season both sides (can vary - salt+pepper, bbq seasoning, taco seasoning, add what you like)
    - heat pan to medium-high heat
    - spray with pam (or whatever you use for oil), add chicken breast for 1 minute to get a little browning (all steps need to be covered, very important)
    - flip, turn to low, cook for 10 min
    - turn off heat for 10 min

    I find them to be very consistently moist for adding to salads, eating alone with veggies, adding to wraps etc. It's easy to remember as the 1-10-10 method.

    For turkey, I tend to just make wraps (with 60cal corn tortillas). I usually will sautee some garlic/onions/mushrooms, put off to the side, get the turkey white (cook covered on medium), then add spicy taco mix, then add the veggies. It's a recipe that allows for several dinners or lunches or whatever.

    I also do things like shredded chicken with salsa in the slow cooker, or 3 bean chili with shredded chicken in slow cooker, there are tons of recipes, just google. My salsa chicken wraps;

    - add half a 16oz bottle of salsa to crockpot
    - add 2 BSCB's (frozen is fine)
    - add the rest of salsa
    - cook on low for 4 hours
    - take out chicken breasts, shred with fork, add back to crock pot
    - cook on high for 30 min (or low for 1h)

    You can add onions or any low cal veggies and it'll be great. I use goya corn tortillas for wraps, 60 cal each.

    Good luck!
  • bonnie_2014
    bonnie_2014 Posts: 3
    I substitute ground turkey for anything that would call for ground beef. I think it's even better because you don't have the issue of gristle (the yucky hard things that you can't chew and are super off putting). I LOVE ground turkey tacos and never miss the beef - just season them well with some chili powder, garlic, onion powder and cumin, or, if you don't mind the sodium, season with regular or low-sodium taco seasoning. Below is a recipe for Sriracha Turkey Burgers which, if you love spicy, are SO good! I make mine bun-less and skip the mayo topping, but I think even with those items it's still fairly healthy. I find that if you cook turkey and chicken correctly they shouldn't be too dry... If you need any tips let me know. I stopped eating red meat (for the most part - I can't avoid a nice juicy steak on a special occasion!) a long time ago so I've become somewhat of a turkey/chicken expert. :) Good luck!

    http://www.jennieo.com/recipes/835-Sriracha-Turkey-Burger
  • iceey
    iceey Posts: 354 Member
    I just made a nice ground chicken pasta sauce the other day. And I love ground turkey burgers. Allrecipes has some nice ideas.
  • kelerlee33
    kelerlee33 Posts: 13
    I made the switch just due to the cost of ground beef compared to ground turkey
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    Thanks Robeff, sounds good and thanks for the link!
  • DenaC3
    DenaC3 Posts: 22 Member
    There's a great burrito restaurant by my office that gave me an awesome idea for my ground turkey. I brown the turkey, add some black beans, season with sea salt and pepper. Spoon onto a spinach or tomato tortilla, add a few dried cranberries, spinach and raspberry poppyseed dressing (I make my own). It's fabulous!
  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
    I prefer chicken on the bone. Never dry.Easy to pick meat from bone,freeze in zip lock bags. So handy for a quick meal,sandwiches etc.Turkey needs seasoning.I make meatballs & freeze.Very quick meal with pasta etc.Meatball subs,in gravy with mashed potatoes,added to soup.Use ground turkey in most any dish in place of ground beef.
  • APRILPOTTS
    APRILPOTTS Posts: 1 Member
    I cook a whole package ground turkey in a bit of chicken broth and then add a can (with juice) of diced tomatoes (you can get all kinds of different flavors to spice it up) and mushrooms with a little bit of garlic salt. stew together until hot. You can eat alone like that or put over whole wheat noodles or spaghetti sauce. I eat it by itself (not all of it) all the time!
  • SHYGIRL8185
    SHYGIRL8185 Posts: 9 Member
    I know some people don't really care for soup, but we've been making turkey taco soup every week. My boyfriend loves it (and he hates ground turkey). It's really low calorie and high fiber....plus it tastes good. For a pound of turkey meat (extra lean works in this) you add a can of black beans, a can of dark red kidney beans, a can of corn, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of rotel, half an onion, a packet of taco seasoning, and two cans of water. I usually cook the turkey and onion together and then add everything and simmer for about 30 minutes. Like chili, it's better the longer it sits. We really like spicy food, so I usually add ground red pepper, garlic, cumin, and Mrs. Dash spicy seasoning. My boyfriend has high blood pressure, so to limit sodium I used reduced sodium taco seasoning and rinse/drain the beans and corn. I believe you can also buy reduced sodium tomatoes, too. If you're really trying to cut salt you can use dry beans (pre-soaked) and cook it longer. We usually top with a little hot sauce, reduced fat sour cream, and a touch of cheese. Even with the cheese, it usually comes to around 200 calories for just under a cup.
  • fifimustoe
    fifimustoe Posts: 2 Member
    We use ground turkey and chicken all the time. I just use a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to meat then it cooks more like red meat.
  • Tyffany76
    Tyffany76 Posts: 9 Member
    Have you made pasta sauce with it? I use zucchini or squash as my noodles. My son loves taco salads, as well. All very low carb and calorie friendly.
  • jke78
    jke78 Posts: 59 Member
    edited October 2014
    Last night I made some ground turkey into patties that I grilled(I have a George Foreman indoor/outdoor grill). When I flipped them I added one tbs of cream of mushroom to the top of each and continued cooking. Super yummy on a bed of brown rice and the cream of mushroom kept it moist. It was around 130 calories per patty and soup, of course I weighed mine. And one entire carb(not counting the rice)!
  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited October 2014
    The key to moist chicken breast is searing it in some oil, on both sides then lowering the heat to finish it. I also pound mine so that it is even in thickness and cooks evenly. I then top it with any number of things...flavored olive oil, blue cheese and Buffalo sauce, mushroom wine sauce, Caesar dressing, or I just make it with some Simply Organic Chicken seasoning and eat it.

    I make Buffalo Chicken burgers with ground chicken, cayenne, celery, onions, Cajun spice, egg and almond flour. I top it with Buffalo sauce and blue cheese. (If you weren't aware, Buffalo sauce is just butter and Red Hot or other hot sauce to taste with maybe some salt, pepper and garlic to taste as well.)

    I love simple ground turkey burgers, the ones with a little higher fat, 93% I believe, with a bit of chicken seasoning and BBQ sauce. I like them simple, or just plain.

    Chicken wings and legs are your friends! Very simple! Just season with salt, pepper, maybe some chicken seasoning and bake until crispy and delicious! You can add sauces of choice at this point, if you want.

    Low carb chicken nuggets: cut up chicken breast dipped in egg, breaded in parmesan cheese and almond flour with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Either fry or bake with generous spray of cooking spray on the pan and on top of the nuggets.

    Chicken legs (may work with other cuts, I haven't tried) marinated in coconut milk and your favorite spices...Mexican, Indian, Asian, BBQ, Cajun...The coconut milk serves to keep it moist and doesn't add much flavor if you use sparingly just to coat.

    I have more, and I can't think of them now!
  • Jtorres326
    Jtorres326 Posts: 157 Member
    edited October 2014
    I make killer turkey meatballs. My tip to keep ground chicken/turkey moist (like in burgers, patties, meatballs) is to saute chopped onions, garlic and lightly wilt some spinach, let it cool then add it to the ground meat with your other ingredients. I like using spinach because of the nutritional value and moisture content. Just add enough bread crumbs to just bind the ingredients. My second tip is to not cook it to death. You want to cook it through of course but don't overcook.
  • lucys1225
    lucys1225 Posts: 597 Member
    This is a staple in my house.

    Green Chili Turkey Burgers

    1 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
    1 pound ground turkey
    1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
    ½ cup onion, finely chopped
    2 teaspoons cumin
    1 teaspoon chili powder
    1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
    In a medium sized bowl mix diced chiles with turkey, cilantro, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt
    Form into burgers and grill

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