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Ground Turkey Meal Prep Recipe

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Wondering what to make with ground turkey? It’s a go-to for meal prep and weeknight dinners alike and for good reason – it cooks up in less than 10 minutes and is a great source of protein. This ground turkey meal prep pairs the turkey with cooked quinoa, broccolini, and a spicy peanut sauce for a big boost of flavor. This Trader Joe’s meal prep with ground turkey can be made in less than 20 minutes and you’ll have 4 meals to eat throughout the week!

When it comes to meal prep ideas, I have some criteria: FAST. EASY. HEALTHY. Because isn’t that the point of meal prep? To batch-cook meals that are made with nutritious ingredients so that you can nourish yourself well throughout the week when life is a bit busy.

I think that some of the pictures of meal prep that we see on the internet can be overwhelming. And so I want to remind you that there are many ways to make meal prep work for you. As with everything, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. You don’t have to spend hours on Sunday to feel like you got something accomplished.

Recipes like ground pork stir fry, Instant Pot Italian chicken stew, and Italian one pan sausage and veggies work well to prep ahead and enjoy easy lunches all week. Start your day with an acai bowl or chocolate peanut butter smoothie and finish your day with moo shu shrimp or chicken Parmesan pasta and you’re set for a full day of delicious and nutritious meals.

meal prep with ground turkey in meal prep containers

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

What You’ll Love About this Ground Turkey Meal Prep

  • Satisfying and nutritious (healthy!) meal
  • Delicious and flavorful
  • Nutritionally balanced
  • Easy to prep ahead
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • Just 5 minutes prep time
  • Just 20 minutes total time

Ingredients

  • Olive oil – Use your favorite high quality olive oil or a vegetable oil like avocado or canola if you prefer.
  • Ground turkey – My biggest advice for ground turkey is to be sure to NOT buy the 99% fat-free ground turkey. We want a bit of fat in the meat to keep it flavorful and from drying out. You could really use any ground meat – ground chicken, ground beef, or ground pork.
  • Garlic – Use fresh garlic, frozen garlic cubes, or even garlic powder if you want a quick shortcut.
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Quinoa – This meal prep recipe utilizes frozen quinoa for a quick shortcut, but you can make your own if you prefer. You can also use a different grain like white rice, brown rice, or pasta or an extra veggie like cauliflower rice, or roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes.
  • Broccolini – I love using baby broccoli as it cooks quickly and doesn’t require a lot of prep work, but you could also use regular broccoli, frozen broccoli, or another vegetable like green beans or sautéed greens.
  • Peanut sauce – Look for a prepared peanut sauce (unless you want to make your own), they are typically found in the Asian section. The Trader Joe’s Peanut Vinaigrette is in the refrigerated dressings and produce section.
  • Extra flavor – A few fresh garnishes go a long way and some fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, and/or a drizzle of sriracha will go a long way.
Ingredients to make ground turkey meal prep bowls

How to Make Meal Prep with Ground Turkey

This is an overview on how to make Trader Joe’s meal prep, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

Cook turkey. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until fully cooked, breaking up with a spatula or spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook broccolini. Using the same pan, heat the rest of the olive oil and cook broccoli until tender crisp. Brown lightly, then add a bit of water to the skillet and cover to steam.
Cook quinoa. Cook your quinoa or grain according to package instructions.
Divide and prep. Divide the ground turkey, cooked quinoa, and broccolini into four meal prep containers. Serve peanut sauce on the side and drizzle over meal right before serving.
ground turkey meal prep bowls in a container

Meal Prep Tips

If you want to meal prep for the week, here are the simple steps:

  1. Decide how many meal prep meals you’ll need for the week. Will you include breakfast, lunch, dinner – or a combination of the three?
  2. Get your ingredients. Gather your recipes, make your grocery list, and get everything you need. (Order reusable meal prep containers if you need them!)
  3. Make the meals. It’s probably easiest to cook all of your meals at the same time. This meal prep with ground turkey takes just 20 minutes, so you could get two different recipes done in less than an hour.
  4. Portion them out. Store in the refrigerator until it’s time to eat. For this ground turkey meal prep bowl recipe, I re-heat everything but the dressing and then drizzle the dressing on top once I’m ready to eat.
Two meal prep containers with ground turkey veggies and quinoa

FAQs

Is ground turkey meal prep healthy?

The “is it healthy” question is always a loaded one, but I would say yes as it has the components I look for from a nutrition standpoint – veggies, whole grains, proteins, flavor, and satisfaction!

The full estimated nutrition facts can be found below the recipe card.

How long does ground turkey last for meal prep?

The cooked ground turkey will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

Is ground meat good for meal prep?

Yes! I love using ground meat for meal prep (and let’s be real, weeknight dinners), because it cooks so quickly and easily and is so versatile to serve in many different ways.

Can I make this ground turkey and rice?

Absolutely! The recipe as written uses quinoa, but you can use your favorite grain – rice, farro, pasta, etc.

Storage Instructions

Store this easy ground turkey meal prep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to reheat

Reheat the whole meal prep container in the microwave for the easiest option, or in a hot skillet if you prefer.

Can you freeze ground turkey meal prep?

Yes! This is a great meal to freeze. Simply transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

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Trader Joe's meal prep in plastic container

More Ground Turkey Recipes

If you like this healthy ground turkey meal prep, you might also like some of these other easy ground turkey recipes:

Let me Meal Plan for you!

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healthy meal prep with ground turkey

Ground Turkey Meal Prep Recipe

  • Author: Emily Dingmann of myeverydaytable.com
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Meal Prep
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This ground turkey meal prep recipe is so EASY + HEALTHY and takes just 20 minutes to prep! It’s got protein, grains, vegetables, and flavor!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 16 oz. ground turkey (not extra lean)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic, divided
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt, divided
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper, divided
  • 16 oz. baby broccoli (broccolini)
  • 16 oz. frozen quinoa (fully cooked, microwavable)
  • spicy peanut vinaigrette

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey and garlic to pan. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, or until fully cooked, breaking up turkey with a spatula or back of a wooden spoon. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and a pinch of black pepper. 
  2. Transfer turkey to a bowl or plate and wipe out pan. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in same pan over high heat. Add baby broccoli and rest of the garlic to pan. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, until slightly brown. Carefully pour in 1/8 cup water into the pan and cover. Turn down heat to medium-high and cook for another 4-6 minutes, until broccoli is tender-crisp. 
  3. Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package instructions. 
  4. Divide quinoa, turkey, and baby broccoli into 4 containers. Serve with spicy peanut vinaigrette. (I used about 1-2 tablespoons per bowl.) 
  5. Store in the refrigerator, when ready to eat, heat in microwave until hot and drizzle with dressing.


Notes

  • You’ll need 4 3-cup meal prep containers. 

Keywords: ground turkey meal prep, meal prep with ground turkey, Trader Joe’s meal prep

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