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Elevate Your Ground Turkey: The Best Sauces to Take Your Dishes to the Next Level

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Ground turkey is an incredibly versatile and healthy ingredient. It’s lower in fat than beef or pork, packed with protein and takes well to a variety of cooking methods. However ground turkey can easily become bland and dry if not prepared properly. The secret weapon to take your ground turkey dishes to new heights of flavor? Sauce!

The right sauce paired with ground turkey can infuse it with delicious new dimensions of taste. Sauces inject moisture, complement the mild turkey flavor and meld ingredients together into a cohesive crave-worthy meal. If you’re looking to upgrade your ground turkey repertoire, read on for the best sauces to mix and match.

Tomato-Based Sauces

When most people think sauce, a tomato-based option likely comes to mind first. Tomato sauces are a classic pairing with ground turkey that can’t be beaten. The sweet tanginess of tomato balances beautifully with the neutral turkey flavor. Try these tasty tomato-sauce options:

Marinara

This Italian restaurant staple adds hearty flavor to turkey. Sauté onions and garlic then simmer with canned diced tomatoes basil, oregano, and red wine vinegar.

Bolognese

For a meaty, rich sauce, sauté ground turkey with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, beef stock, tomato paste, red wine, and herbs. Simmer until thickened.

Tomato Curry

Indian flavors transform ground turkey wonderfully. Sauté onions, garlic, and spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Add coconut milk, tomato sauce, and yogurt or cream.

Puttanesca

Olives, capers, and anchovies pack a flavor punch. Sauté them with onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, tomato paste, and white wine.

Arrabbiata

Spice it up with this fiery sauce. Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil, then add canned diced tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan.

Cream-Based Sauces

The richness of a cream sauce is another excellent match for mild ground turkey. The dairy smooths out the meat’s texture and introduces delicious new elements. Consider these creamy sauce ideas:

Alfredo

This garlicky Parmesan sauce is a surefire winner. Simmer heavy cream, butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then stir in grated Parmesan.

Paprika Sour Cream

For a quick sauce, combine sour cream, paprika, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Delicious heaped over turkey stuffed peppers or casseroles.

Green Chili and Cheddar

Southwestern flavors unite! Make a creamy base with chicken broth, sour cream, and flour. Fold in roasted green chiles and sharp cheddar cheese.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Cook sliced mushrooms and onions, then stir in beef broth, stone ground mustard, flour, and sour cream. Season with paprika, parsley, salt and pepper.

Cheese Sauce

Simply melt butter with flour to form a roux. Slowly whisk in milk, then stir in any cheese you like – cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella!

Global Flavor Sauces

Ethnic sauces from around the world can transform boring ground turkey into an exciting new dish. Branch out from the basics and try these full-flavored global sauces:

Thai Peanut

Asian peanut sauce is fantastic on turkey. Purée ginger, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, and coconut milk.

Chimichurri

This fresh Argentinian sauce packs a punch of herbs, garlic, vinegar, oil, and chili flakes. Let the mixture marinate into turkey for maximum flavor.

Tzatziki

Cool, creamy Greek tzatziki sauce utilizes yogurt and cucumber. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Jamaican Jerk

For Caribbean flavor, sauté onions, garlic, scotch bonnets, allspice, thyme, and ginger. Add brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and Maggi seasoning.

Tikka Masala

Blend diced tomatoes, yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Add cream or coconut milk for an Indian treat.

Quick Pan Sauces

You don’t need complex recipes to sauce up ground turkey. Quick pan sauces come together while the turkey browns for immediate flavor. Deglaze the pan with wine, broth, vinegar or juice and let reduce. Then stir in creative ingredients like:

  • Mustard and tarragon
  • Lemon and capers
  • Soy sauce and sesame oil
  • Balsamic vinegar and rosemary
  • Hoisin sauce and chili-garlic sauce

Get creative with combinations! The options for saucing ground turkey are infinite. With the right sauce, you can turn bland turkey into a masterpiece. Experiment with different flavors and find your new go-to combos. Just don’t serve up that ground turkey plain and naked – sauce it up!

sauce for ground turkey

This Korean Ground Turkey recipe is a fast, healthy, and convenient family weeknight dinner. With no prepping this meal comes together in only 20 minutes! Great served along with steamed vegetables, this is a meal you will come back to time and time again!

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So, this recipe is a total cheat; it’s based on Korean Beef that has been changed many times, so before anyone calls me out on it not being real, I know this. I wanted to make this popular dish in a way that was cheap, healthy, quick, and easy for anyone to make. Korean Turkey on the Ground

So why’d I do all these switches:

• I wanted to ditch the red meat and go with a leaner white meat option.

• Turkey breast where I live It may not be the same for everyone, but I’ve gotten used to choosing ground turkey over beef.

• You can use very low-fat ground turkey and it will still taste great. Ground turkey can be bland sometimes, but the sauce gives this recipe so much flavor that my husband said, “I didn’t know you could make ground turkey taste this good.”

• I made the sauce as simple as possible, but I used honey instead of brown sugar. When it comes to sweeteners, I try to keep my family away from refined sugars and only use natural ones when I have to. In this recipe my husband actually preferred the honey flavor over the brown sugar flavor!.

I hope you enjoy these Korean Ground Turkey in general.

How do I make Korean Ground Turkey?

With essentially no prep this meal comes together incredibly easy!

First, you should start cooking the rice. Depending on your method or the directions on the package, this could take longer than cooking the turkey, so do it first. It’s easy to cook rice on the stove. Just follow the directions on the package or check out my post on the subject.

To get the turkey going you will heat a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble and brown the ground turkey 8-10 minutes until fully cooked. Drain out grease if needed.

While turkey is cooking, make the sauce. Add garlic, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to a bowl. Mix together.

Once turkey is fully cooked add the sauce to the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens/absorbs into the turkey.

To serve fluff and scoop rice into bowls. Divide the turkey over the rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Serve immediately and enjoy! Goes great with steamed broccoli or carrots.

• For the rice: use whatever rice (or grain) you prefer. I think white rice tastes the best, but it might not be the best choice for you. For a healthier option, try brown rice or even cauliflower rice.

• This dish goes great with some steamed broccoli

• Remember to start your rice cooking before you start on the ground Turkey, it takes longer

People have told me many times that they love to double the sauce, so go ahead and do that!

Turkey Spaghetti That Your Grandma Would Be Proud Of!

FAQ

What can I add to ground turkey for taste?

There are plenty of easy ground turkey recipes out there. But, you will always need spices like olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. You can add minced garlic, and freshly chopped onions and peppers, for an extra edge.

How do you make ground turkey not taste bland?

Under-seasoning is one of the biggest mistakes people make with ground turkey. You’ll find the meat bland and flavorless if you don’t add a hefty serving of dried herbs and spices, as well as the unforgettable salt-and-pepper combo. The exact seasonings you should use for ground turkey depends on how it’s prepared.

How to make ground turkey taste like hamburger?

Whenever I made turkey burgers, I would dissolve some beef bouillon in a little water and add it to the turkey with a little canola oil, then season and form the patties. The bouillon gave it some flavor and the water and oil helped with moisture. Just make sure not to overcook.

How to caramelize ground turkey?

Season the meat with salt, pepper and seasonings of choice. Let the ground turkey cook over medium heat undisturbed for 5 minutes, until the bottom has browned and caramelized. Break the ground turkey into crumbles, using either a spatula or tongs. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more, until the meat is no more pink.

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