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What to Make With Ground Turkey and Rice: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners

Ground turkey and rice taste pale if you treat them like beef and hope. Turkey needs salt and an actual seasoning, earlier than you think. These three are a soy skillet, a one-pot tomato rice, and a lemon herb bowl. All of them stay under 30 minutes, and none of them rely on a jar of gravy. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.

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Quick picks: 3 dinners with ground turkey and rice in 30 minutes or less

Fastest option: a 20-minute dinner

20 min

Soy garlic turkey rice

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Ground turkey sears, then cold rice and soy sauce fry in the same skillet.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 2 cups cold cooked rice
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Brown the ground turkey with the salt in a skillet, breaking it small. Turkey releases water. Let that cook off.
  2. Add the garlic and soy sauce.
  3. Stir in the cold rice and press it so it fries.
  4. Taste. Turkey goes dull if the salt and soy are timid.

Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. Refry it so the rice crisps.

One-pan or sheet-pan option

28 min

One-pot turkey tomato rice

Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Raw rice cooks under a lid with browned turkey and tomato paste.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cups water

Steps

  1. Brown the ground turkey with salt until the liquid it releases has cooked away.
  2. Stir in the tomato paste for a minute.
  3. Add the rice and water. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
  4. Rest 5 minutes. Fluff. The turkey should be mixed through the rice, not pink anywhere.

Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. Loosen with water.

The other dinner

22 min

Lemon turkey rice bowl

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Ground turkey cooked with lemon and garlic, served on warm rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Brown the ground turkey with salt. Let the moisture cook off so it actually browns.
  2. Add the garlic, then the lemon juice and a splash of water. Scrape the pan.
  3. Warm the rice in the same skillet if it is cold, or scoop the turkey over rice you already have hot.
  4. Taste. Lemon and salt are doing the work that beef fat would have done.

Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. The lemon fades, so add a fresh squeeze later.

Make it with leftovers

Cooked turkey crumbles warm up in the soy skillet and the lemon bowl. The tomato pot wants the turkey browned before the rice goes in, so start with raw turkey there. Cold rice is right for the soy skillet. Raw rice is right for the pot.

More dinners from leftovers

Pantry staples you'll need

  • Salt
  • Oil
  • Soy sauce
  • Garlic
  • Tomato paste
  • Lemon

No rice: the soy turkey is fine over noodles. No turkey: ground beef takes the same cards, with less extra salt.

When there is nothing in the fridge

Picky-eater and healthy tweaks

The lemon bowl is the mild one if you leave the lemon on the side. The tomato rice looks like the beef taco rice kids already know. Skip soy sauce on a separate portion.

Turkey is lean, which is why it dries out and why it needs salt. Don't drown it in oil to fix that. A squeeze of lemon or a spoon of tomato does more.

More dinners in under 30 minutes

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Related dinners

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Questions

What can I make with ground turkey and rice in 20 minutes?

Soy garlic turkey rice takes 20 minutes, start to plate. Ground turkey sears, then cold rice and soy sauce fry in the same skillet.

What's the easiest dinner with ground turkey and rice?

Soy garlic turkey rice is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 20 minutes. Ground turkey sears, then cold rice and soy sauce fry in the same skillet.

Can I make this with leftover or cooked ground turkey?

Cooked turkey crumbles warm up in the soy skillet and the lemon bowl. The tomato pot wants the turkey browned before the rice goes in, so start with raw turkey there. Cold rice is right for the soy skillet. Raw rice is right for the pot.

What else can I add to ground turkey and rice for a full meal?

The cards already use ground turkey, cold cooked rice, soy sauce. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.

Is ground turkey and rice a healthy dinner?

Turkey is lean, which is why it dries out and why it needs salt. Don't drown it in oil to fix that. A squeeze of lemon or a spoon of tomato does more.

How do I make ground turkey and rice kid-friendly?

The lemon bowl is the mild one if you leave the lemon on the side. The tomato rice looks like the beef taco rice kids already know. Skip soy sauce on a separate portion.

Can I make ground turkey and rice in one pan or a sheet pan?

One-pot turkey tomato rice uses one pot and takes 28 minutes. Raw rice cooks under a lid with browned turkey and tomato paste.

What if I don't have rice?

No rice: the soy turkey is fine over noodles. No turkey: ground beef takes the same cards, with less extra salt.