Ground Turkey -How do you eat it?

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Replies

  • snowstorme
    snowstorme Posts: 125 Member
    I use it all the time. I brown it up with Simply Organic All Purpose seasoning and Sea Salt. Tastes great that way.

    Some of my favorite ways:

    I mix the browned meat with salsa and put on taco salads (plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream of course)

    I mix it with steamed cabbage, DelAllo Fat Free Marinara and Low Fat cottage cheese for a Low Carb/Low Fat lasagne.

    I mix it with chili seasoning and stuff multi color bell peppers and bake it with a little cheese on top.
  • Bigaug
    Bigaug Posts: 395 Member
    I eat it with a fork.

    or a spoon if it's in a soup.
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
    My husband and son are "all in" when it comes to ME eating healthier - until it comes to me COOKING healthier. They don't like the taste of ground turkey either - because they're used to ground beef. So when I started cooking healthier, I had to get sneaky. I started by combining ground turkey with lean ground beef 50/50. Then I gradually added more and more turkey to what I cooked.

    Things I make with ground turkey:
    Chili - I will say it tastes different... lighter perhaps.
    Meatloaf - find a different recipe than the one you've always used... I like Hungry Girls Taco Meatloaf
    Turkey Burgers - by the time you add all the condiments - a little firmer texture is the only thing that you notice.
    Turkey meatballs - add onions, green peppers, Mrs. Dash, egg white and Quick Oats and simmer in your favorite pasta sauce for a few hours.


    But I think the best advice that I can give is... if after trying it a couple of times you still don't like it... don't eat it. What I'm learning is to be "frugal" with my calories... don't waste them on something that you don't love and that isn't good for you. If you like ground beef... buy the leanest ground beef you can find and use it sparingly. Good luck!
  • I'm also new to Ground Turkey so here's what I did with it so far..

    I mixed it with:
    black beans
    brown rice,
    8oz can of tomato sauce
    Onions
    Bell peppers (green & red)

    .. It tastes fine...My daughter made spaghetti with it and the taste was definitely different but still good.

    So new healthy foods are not always appealing to the palate but they are better for us...
  • sitstaygimmeeakiss
    sitstaygimmeeakiss Posts: 130 Member
    I have found that adding a beef bouillon cube or two while browning the turkey helps mask the turkey taste that seems to overpower some dishes to me. Of course, it will increase the sodium, so you'll want to cut back the salt in the rest of your recipe.

    Was going to suggest this - you beat me to it! I'd suggest, however, looking for the low-sodium versions in the grocery store. Those bouillon cubes have a whole day's worth of sodium in them!

    All the other suggestions about herbs & spices are right on, too. I used ground turkey just like I'd use hamburger in the past - usually add flavoring to it. Italian style bread crumbs have lots of flavor usually (yeah, and that sodium I'm trying to avoid...) so I use that when I make turkey meatballs. Burgers can take on so many styles - curry seasoning is good if you like that. I'm a sort of 'throw everything together' sort of cook, so I find lots of creations.

    Then again, once in a blue moon I end up with the horrible stuff I made yesterday (have to actually throw it out) but I think the meat I used actually had gone bad. So it's not my fault, haha -this time... :laugh:
  • sitstaygimmeeakiss
    sitstaygimmeeakiss Posts: 130 Member
    To get used to the taste of turkey meat, try buying the ground dark turkey meat instead of the breast. I get mine at Whole Foods. Family likes the taste better when cooking with it. We use it in burritos, spagehetti, meat loaf basically anytime you used ground beef.

    Except the dark meat has a lot more fat and cals in it. It's no better than buying regular ground beef. In fact 93% lean ground turkey is pretty similar to 93% lean ground beef in terms of fat and cals. I say as long as you're buying as lean as possible it doesn't matter if you're eating beef or turkey.

    Good observation!

    I used to get the higher fat one only because of the bargain price in one of our grocery stores. At $1.59 a pound, it became a staple in my house. But now I'm kind of out of the area of that store (fantastic local grocery chain here in the Boston area I miss SO much), so I don't use it anymore at all. Was in that area last wk & the boneless chicken breast was actually the same price - so I got that instead.

    Always read the labels for the not-expected fat & calories!
  • i substitue anything that you would put beef in with ground turkey or ground chicken.

    Meatballs or meat sauce
    meatloaf
    tacos
    chili
    hamburgers

    the list goes on and on and nom nom nom
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    I make Kefta with a bit of Morroccan seasoning blend. I also grind my own - it seems like there is always a recall on ground meat. However, turkey can be just as fatty as lean beef and sometimes nearly as expensive.
  • Stuffed cabbage rolls. We just made them and they were great. I never use ground beef anymore.
  • i like your entery, god bless!
  • pbl1966
    pbl1966 Posts: 207 Member
    My family loves turkey burgers with 1 pkg reduced fat feta, 2 tsp greek seasoning, 1/2 cup oatmeal, and 1/2 cup egg substiture mixed with 2 lbs of turkey, grill on the stove top as they are hard to manage on a traditional grill.
  • Stuffed cabbage rolls. We just made them and they were great. I never use ground beef anymore.

    if you dont mind i would love your receipe for cabbbage rolls anytime!
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    I use it for tacos. :D
  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
    Can you mix ground turkey with ground sirloin. My husband is not dieting with me, so I'd like to start using more ground turkey w/out him noticing and then gradually switch all the way over (this is how I got him to eat whole wheat pasta and turkey bacon, even though we recently switched back to pork due to his incessant begging. Luckily, we don't eat much bacon.)

    Have you every tried switching meats like this or did you just go "cold turkey" - hah! Food pun. /dorkiness
  • thats the key to eating better we are trained to only eat what taste good, after 5 weeks of eating different foods your palate hanges and you crave the good foods ! Has anyone tryed the RAW Foods Diet?
  • SouthernArt77
    SouthernArt77 Posts: 223 Member
    I should have mentioned this in my earlier post, but I have a new favorite ground turkey recipe:

    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/01/asian-turkey-meatballs-with-lime-sesame.html

    Try them - they're fantastic!!
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
    Can you mix ground turkey with ground sirloin. My husband is not dieting with me, so I'd like to start using more ground turkey w/out him noticing and then gradually switch all the way over (this is how I got him to eat whole wheat pasta and turkey bacon, even though we recently switched back to pork due to his incessant begging. Luckily, we don't eat much bacon.)

    Have you every tried switching meats like this or did you just go "cold turkey" - hah! Food pun. /dorkiness

    You absolutely can mix it in recipes. I do it all the time! My husband and son are..... resistant to change - so if I'm making something that I think they'll balk at - I mix the turkey and beef. On the whole wheat pasta thing - have you tried brown rice pasta? We've found that we enjoy the texture of it so much more than the whole wheat pasta.
  • turkey, feta, onion and spinach burgers

    NOMMMMM
  • csparon
    csparon Posts: 200 Member
    I like to brown it, add a full bell pepper, half an onion and 1 large can of sloppy joe sauce. Cook it in a crockpot all day on low and you have some delicious sloppy joes :)
  • corinneselene
    corinneselene Posts: 306 Member
    I use ground turkey for everything. I am super into chicken broth based soup and it makes great meatballs.
    ground turkey
    grated cheese
    garlic powder
    pepper
    chopped parsely
    Mix it all. Make little balls and drop it in the soup when the broth is hot.

    I also make crockpot chili with it. I always brown the meat first though and then add it to the pot.

    Lettuce wraps with ground turkey. Mix cooked turkey beat with some hoisin, red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped scallions, and shredded carrot and throw in a piece of boston lettuce
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,552 Member
    Turkey Chili

    1 lb ground turkey breast
    1 can tomatoes with chilis
    1 can red kidney beans
    1 can tomato sauce
    chili powder to taste
    1 onion

    Cook turkey and onion then drain. Add tomatos, tomato sauce, drained and rinsed kidney beans and chili powder.
    Simmer 20 minutes
    Freeze 2 cup servings for later.
  • t_elliot
    t_elliot Posts: 38 Member
    I often make and freeze turkey spinach burgers. Just add frozen chopped, drained spinach. a couple of egg whites and dry cottage cheese, pepper or whatever spices you like. form into burgers. Delicious and they freeze well!
  • nickyskins
    nickyskins Posts: 100 Member
    Iam going to try it brah.
  • shellrae1973
    shellrae1973 Posts: 66 Member
    Thanks for all the replies! I guess I wasn't expecting ground turkey to have such a strong flavor. I made sheppards pie tonight with a mixture of ground beef and ground turkey and spiced the he!! out of it! I couldn't taste the turkey. I think I will gradually work myself into it. I am definately going to make some meatballs with a ground turkey/beef mixture. Can't wait to experiment
  • We've made turkey burgers with worchestershire sauce yummmmmm
  • GrammyWhammy
    GrammyWhammy Posts: 484 Member
    I make a turkey meatloaf that tastes really good. The trick to using turkey is to SPICE the heck out of it. I also add some tabasco sauce (not a lot) to the meatloaf and it helps.

    Amen to the above. Increase most herbs and spices, etc, at least by half. Hope you're using ground turkey breast, which is leaner. Some might disagree and say the dark meat has more flavor, but it is fattier, too. Also, ground turkey tends to be drier, so add a little liquid to it--broth, wine or vegetable juice. It's a great sub for any beef, pork or poultry dish.
  • sreeves1429
    sreeves1429 Posts: 23 Member
    I am not a fan of ground turkey either but it actually tastes good in chili. Making it in chili will actually cover the gamey taste that turkey sometimes has.
  • bluecal822
    bluecal822 Posts: 21 Member
    Tacos!!!
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    turkey meatballs, turkeyloaf, turkey tacos, ground turkey lasagna! since i discovered ground turkey I rarely use ground beef!

    This.

    I also believe that you have to read the label and make sure you are getting healthier meat than the beef to be effective, and it also affects the taste. Some ground turkey packages have just as much and sometimes MORE fat and calories than its ground beef counterpart. That's why I didn't try it for a long time. I finally found one at Harris Teeter that is 99% fat free white breast meat.

    I season the meat more than what I would have seasoned the beef, so perhaps that would help with the taste for you. But just like this person, I have exchanged this healthy turkey in all my beef recipes because the saturated fat and the calories are lower, and the protein is actually higher, too which is very important for me. I've found that with the correct seasonings, you can't even really tell much of a difference at all in most of the recipes.
  • fragilegift
    fragilegift Posts: 347 Member
    this post is well placed. I bought some turkey mince the other day to try out and was having trouble thinking of what to do with it. Tacos sounds just the thing...or my curry cabbage rolls.

    FWIW, turkey drumsticks also make a wicked curry.
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