For most of us, the word “turkey” brings memories of a warm thanksgiving dinner with a well-roasted turkey and a sauce of our choice. But of course, there are more delicious ways to prepare turkey. In this article, we will be looking at everything to know when meal prepping with ground turkey. We will share our best tips on how to store, reheat, and prepare ground turkey. So, if you’re looking for a busy weeknight workaround or moderately length recipes involving a tad bit of effort, here’s everything about meal prepping with ground turkey.

Best ways to meal prep ground turkey

If you’re wondering what to do with ground turkey, here are some of the best ideas in store. Here’s some inspiration that you might want to use.

Meatballs

You say ground anything and the first thing that pops in our mind is meatballs. Tasty and easy to whip, this is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to prepare ground turkey. You can use bite-sized meatballs as a standalone dish. Alternatively, you might want to add them to spaghetti for a full spaghetti with meatball dinner. Follow the below steps to whip up your meatballs:

• Preheat the oven up to 350 degrees.
• Next, take the ground turkey in a bowl (approximately quarter-pound) and add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs, two large tablespoons of parmesan cheese, one whole cup of tomato sauce, a pinch of salt.
• Mix the entire thing really well and make sure all the ingredients as well blended.
• Roll out tiny or big meatballs according to your preference and then lay them on a baking tray that is already lined with Marinara sauce. We recommend using two cups of sauce for this recipe.
• Foil-wrap the baking tray and allow the whole thing to bake for up to 20 minutes.

Once you’re done, you can serve your meatballs independently as a party starter or add them to spaghetti for a delicious recipe of spaghetti and meatballs.

Ground turkey soup

When you think of soups, ground turkey is probably not the first preferable option. But trust us, a soup with turkey is unmatched and once you add the right veggies, it will be the dish of a lifetime. Here’s what you need to do to whip up a ground turkey soup:

• Take your slow cooker or any large pot to cook the turkey. It should take a few minutes to fully cook the turkey.
• Once you’re done with the first step, drain out the excess liquid (in case you have any).
• Put the stove to low and add one can of beans and one can of corn to the mix. You can also use fresh corn in case it’s available.
• Next, add one large cup of pureed tomato and season the entire thing with salt, any seasoning of your choice, and a tad bit of pepper.
• Cover and cook for half an hour and you’re ready to go.

In case you’re fond of more veggies, you might want to add them to your soup. We do not recommend adding any extra broth but if you want the soup really soupy, add vegetable or meat broth as you are adding your tomatoes to the turkey mix. Serve hot and enjoy!

Turkey dumplings

If you are particularly fond of dumplings and can’t seem to get enough of their pillowy goodness, ground turkey dumplings might just be your next best dinner starter recipe. Follow the below guidelines to whip up this recipe in a few minutes.

• Take a large bowl and add your ground turkey (approx. 1 lb.), along with finely cut spring onions, carrots, onions, and garlic. For that extra zing, you might also want to add some finely chopped chives. This adds an entirely new dimension to the dish.
• Next, add some soy sauce and a whole egg to the mix and blend the entire thing with your hands. This will ensure that all the ingredients stick well to each other.
• Now, get some pre-packaged wonton wraps and lay them on a flat surface.
• Take one large tablespoon of the turkey mix and place it right in the middle of your wonton sheet.
• Finally, wrap the edges and make the wontons in a shape of your choice. You might want to wet your hands or add some water along the edges for easier shape building.
• Once you’re done with the dumplings you can either pan sear or steam them.

You can also whip up a simple sauce to pair with your ground turkey dumplings. Just add one tablespoon of chili oil, one tablespoon of vinegar, and half a teaspoon of soy sauce. Because soy sauce and vinegar already contain salt, you won’t have to add salt. This is an excellent dipping sauce, and your turkey dumplings will taste extra delicious with this pairing.

How to package and store ground turkey

Now that you have some basic idea about meal prepping the ground turkey, you might be wondering how to package and store it. Typically, you should thaw and store your ground turkey in the fridge in case you plan to consume it in the next three days. Even before refrigerating the meat, make sure you thaw it just right and store it on the middle or lower shelves of your fridge.

If you are not thawing the turkey, you can directly store it in packaged for at least three to four months in the freezer. However, before preparing the turkey always check its color and consistency. If it has turned grey discard it.

How to reheat ground turkey

You can safely reheat ground turkey at a minimum temperature of 155 degrees F. Try to make sure that the turkey is reheated for a couple of seconds or a whole minute because that’s your primary purpose: to kill the residing bacteria through extreme heat.

In case you are planning to reheat the turkey in an oven, get a casserole or foil-wrap the turkey and reheat it in a preheated oven of 350-degrees F. Five to ten minutes should get the job done. However, this entirely depends on the size of the turkey and the power of your machine.

When it comes to reheating the turkey on a pot or pan, just make sure you reheat each side for three to five minutes. In case of the microwave, it may take two to five minutes with a gentle stir every minute.

Either way, regardless of the method you choose for reheating, do not just get the turkey out of the freezer and immediately get it in heat. Instead, allow it to thaw completely before finally reheating it.

Best recipes for meal prepping ground turkey

Meal prepping ground turkey may be easier than you thought. Here are some simple recipes to get you started.

Korean turkey bowl

If you fancy Korean meal prep, try this simple turkey rice recipe that can be refrigerated for up to four days.

• Prepare the sauce by adding equal amounts of soy sauce, chili oil, and sesame oil.
• If you crave sweetness, you might want to add sweet BBQ sauce or honey to the mix.
• Next, get your turkey pan-seared for eight to ten minutes (until fully cooked). When it’s almost cooked and starts assuming a pinkish hue, add some freshly chopped ginger, garlic, and scallions.
• Give the whole thing a good stir before finally adding the sauce.
• Serve with rice and pan fried or steamed veggies.

Turkey burrito meal prep

Burrito is one of the best meal prep options for turkey and thanks to this easy recipe, it’ll only take a few minutes.

• Start by heating oil in a large pan.
• Next, add diced onions, carrots, minced garlic, and a teaspoon of soy sauce to the mix.
• Now add two large tablespoons of taco seasoning.
• Add the turkey and cook with the veggies.
• Now add some tomato-based sauce and top it off with rice.
• Give the whole thing a good mix and cook it for 15-20 minutes.
• Spread the mix on your burrito wraps and wrap well.

You can refrigerate these burritos and reheat them as needed.

Ground turkey rolls

If you thought rolls were gluten-inducing think again. These are made from lettuce wraps. Here’s what you need to do:

• Prepare your ground turkey by reheating it for eight minutes (each side).
• Now use a spatula to make a hole in the middle- this is where you add one teaspoon of soy sauce, one tablespoon of hoisin sauce, two tablespoons of sriracha, and onion and garlic powder.
• For the mouth feel of ingredients, lightly toss some minced onions, garlic, and ginger for two to three minutes and transfer the concoction to your turkey mix.
• Spread the mix in the middle of a lettuce leaf, roll it up, and enjoy.

Tips and tricks for preparing ground turkey

Prep ground turkey more conveniently with these handy tips:

• If you are using lean ground turkey, make sure to add plenty of sauce to it. Alternatively, for dark meat, you would want to whip up meatballs or similar dry dishes.
• Even before you reheat the turkey, make sure you incorporate plenty of salt and pepper into your mix.
• You would want to store your ground turkey in glass storage containers or freezer bags for long shelf life.

Bottom line

Well, there you have it. This was everything to know when preparing, storing, and reheating ground turkey. With the number of easy ground turkey meal prep recipes, we are certain that you will find it rather convenient to whip up! Until then, happy cooking!