This recipe has the easiest ground turkey spaghetti sauce you’ll find. It only needs 6 simple ingredients, like garlicky marinara sauce and ground turkey, to make a flavorful, almost effortless meal. It’s so easy, flavorful, and protein-packed that I’ve included instructions for cooking it on the stove in 30 minutes or in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Spaghetti and meat sauce is a dinner staple, but making traditional Bolognese or Sunday gravy takes hours of simmering. When you need satisfying pasta pronto, this easy ground turkey sauce using jarred marinara is the perfect shortcut.
This lightened-up combo of lean ground turkey, ready-made sauce, and a few flavor boosters can be on the table in 30 minutes flat. Keep reading for the simple recipe, helpful tips for flavorful turkey, and ideas to customize this basic blueprint into your new favorite weeknight meal.
An Overview of Ground Turkey Spaghetti
This streamlined recipe transforms humble ingredients into a hearty Italian-style dinner:
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1 pound 93% lean ground turkey provides protein and meaty flavor
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An 24-28 ounce jar of marinara lends rich. tomatoey taste
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Italian seasoning, garlic, and pepper spike the sauce
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Cooked spaghetti noodles make the perfect canvas
With just 20-30 minutes of active time, these pantry staples create a sauce that tastes like it simmered for hours. Now that’s amore!
Why Choose Ground Turkey?
Ground turkey offers some excellent benefits in pasta sauce:
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It’s much leaner than ground beef with less saturated fat and calories.
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Turkey provides plenty of protein, zinc, niacin and other nutrients.
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The mild flavor pairs perfectly with bold, herb-laced marinara.
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It costs less than ground beef or sausage making this budget-friendly.
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Kids love the familiar taste of turkey in a sauce they already enjoy.
Ground turkey is an ideal way to lighten up a heavy classic while pumping up the nutrition.
Cooking Turkey for the Best Flavor
Cooking ground turkey so it stays juicy and infused with flavor requires a few tricks:
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Choose 93% lean turkey. The higher fat keeps it tender.
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Brown the turkey well over medium heat to build flavor.
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Drain excess fat after cooking for a healthier dish.
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Season boldly with garlic, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper.
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Avoid overcooking once the sauce is added to prevent dry meat.
Taking the time to properly brown and season is key for maximum taste.
Why Use Jarred Spaghetti Sauce?
Jarred pasta sauce makes this recipe a cinch on busy weeknights:
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It saves hours of simmering tomatoes and tomatoes paste from scratch.
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No lengthy prep needed – just open and pour!
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Name brands like Rao’s offer authentic Italian flavor in a jar.
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Keep a few sauces on hand to throw dinner together anytime.
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Doctor it up with extras like mushrooms, carrots, or spinach.
With quality ready-made sauce, you can skip the work but keep the delicious taste.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for incredible ground turkey spaghetti in under 30 minutes:
Prep the ingredients:
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1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
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1 Tbsp olive oil
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3-4 garlic cloves, minced
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1 tsp Italian seasoning
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1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
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24 oz jarred marinara sauce
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12 oz spaghetti noodles
Cook the ground turkey:
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In a skillet, cook the turkey in oil over medium heat 5-7 minutes until browned.
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Season with garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Simmer the sauce:
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Add the marinara sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.
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Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes for flavors to meld.
Cook the noodles:
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Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti according to package directions.
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Drain noodles well and toss with the meat sauce to serve.
That’s all it takes to pull together a flavored-packed spaghetti dinner the whole family will love.
Customize It Your Way
The fun part about this easy recipe is customizing it to suit your tastes:
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For heat, add red pepper flakes or a dash of chili powder.
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For extra veg, sauté mushrooms, spinach or zucchini in the sauce.
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For texture, stir in shredded mozzarella cheese before serving.
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For bright flavor, mix in chopped fresh basil or parsley.
You can create so many tasty versions using your favorite jarred marinara as the base!
Cooking Shortcuts for Even Faster Results
To make this recipe even quicker on hectic nights, try these shortcuts:
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Use pre-minced garlic versus chopping fresh cloves.
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Look for pre-cooked turkey crumbles to skip browning meat.
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Microwave the spaghetti noodles to shorten boiling time.
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Opt for “ready to heat” marinara you just warm versus simmer.
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Add turkey straight to heated sauce instead of browning in batches.
With the right convenient ingredients, you can cut the active time down to just 10 minutes.
Meal Prep Tips
Make your weeknights simpler by preparing some components ahead:
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Cook a double batch of sauce and freeze half for later.
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Portion out measured ingredients in freezer bags to grab and go.
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Pre-cook the pasta 1-2 days ahead, toss in oil, and refrigerate.
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Assemble uncooked sauce ingredients in a bag to throw in the slow cooker.
With some easy make-ahead options, you can enjoy homemade ground turkey spaghetti any night stress-free.
The Verdict?
When you need a fast, family-friendly meal that doesn’t skimp on nutrition or flavor, ground turkey spaghetti sauce using a quality jarred marinara is a great go-to. In 30 minutes you can enjoy a hearty homemade dinner with lean protein, veggies, and mouthwatering Italian taste. This new staple is sure to earn a permanent place in your regular dinner rotation.
3 Cooking Method Options
This spaghetti with turkey meat can be cooked in three different ways, which I’ll list below so you can choose the one that works best for you and your schedule. The stove-top option is the quickest (comes together in 30 minutes), so it’s a perfect last-minute meal. This method is quick to put together, but the turkey isn’t as tender and the sauce doesn’t have as much flavor as the other ways.
The slow cooker method is probably my favorite because I don’t have to do anything and the sauce tastes great with the tender turkey. I also have a slow cooker spaghetti sauce if you’re looking for a spaghetti sauce with beef. The instant pot method is another hand-off choice that makes tender meat and tasty sauce. It also takes a little less time to put together than the slow cooker method. Just make sure to read the instructions carefully so as not to burn the sauce.
Easy Variations & Substitutions
- Low carb: Put zucchini or squash noodles on top of the spaghetti sauce to make this a low carb dinner.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free spaghetti or your favorite gluten-free noodle instead of the spaghetti.
- Turkey marinara sandwich: Put this hearty sauce on a sub and sprinkle fresh mozzarella on top.
- Add more vegetables: For picky eaters, sneak in some extra vegetables. This recipe works great with cauliflower rice, zucchini dice, carrot shreds, or mushroom dice.
- Stuffed shells: Use this lighter ground turkey sauce instead of beef sauce in my stuffed shells.
- You can use any ground meat you like instead of turkey. This recipe works well with ground turkey, but you can also use light ground beef or chicken.
- If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use granulated garlic instead. In the same way, if you don’t have Italian seasoning, mix dried basil, oregano, and parsley together.
EASY SPAGHETTI W/HOMEMADE MEAT SAUCE | GROUND TURKEY RECIPE
FAQ
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