This one-pan ground turkey recipe comes together in 30 minutes with fresh green beans, yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, and a rich homemade tomato sauce. I brown the turkey first in a hot skillet, then add the vegetables and let everything simmer together until the beans are tender and the sauce coats every bite. Simple ingredients, one pan, and a dinner the whole family loves.
Why This Ground Turkey Recipe Works
I’ve been cooking with extra-lean ground turkey since I started Primavera Kitchen over twelve years ago, and this skillet is one of the recipes that shows up on my table most often.
Ground turkey has a reputation for being dry and bland, and that reputation is earned when it’s undercooked, over-seasoned with dry spices alone, or cooked without enough moisture. This recipe avoids all of that.
What I love most about this ground turkey recipe is how reliable it is. The tomato sauce keeps the turkey moist and seasoned all the way through, which is the thing that makes or breaks a ground turkey dish.
I’ve made this for Pierre and Thomas more times than I can count, and it never disappoints.
Key Ingredients
Extra-lean ground turkey: I always buy extra-lean for this recipe. I find it’s the cleanest-tasting option, and when it’s cooked in olive oil and finished with tomato sauce, the leanness never reads as dry. If you use the 93/7 blend instead, it will be slightly richer and juicier. Just drain any excess fat before adding the sauce. Also, I look for packages that are bright pink with no gray patches, and I use it within a day or two of buying. If I’m working from frozen, I thaw it overnight in the fridge and never on the counter.
Fresh green beans: I use fresh green beans here, not frozen, and it makes a difference. Fresh beans hold their shape and keep a little snap even after they’ve been covered and steamed in the sauce. I look for pods that are firm and deep green, with no soft spots or wrinkling. You can use frozen green beans in a pinch, just skip the lid step or reduce the covered cook time, since frozen beans release more water and can turn soft faster.
Pro Tip: To trim green beans quickly, I line them up on a cutting board and cut both ends off all at once rather than snapping each one individually. That saves a few minutes when I’m already hungry.
Yellow bell pepper. I always reach for yellow here because it’s the sweetest of the bell peppers, and that mild sweetness balances the acidity in the tomato sauce. Orange works just as well. I’d skip green bell pepper in this recipe specifically since it leans bitter and can compete with the other flavors.
Homemade tomato sauce: This is what makes the recipe. I use my homemade tomato sauce, which I’ve been making for years and always keep a batch of in the fridge or freezer. It’s made with crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil, and it tastes like a sauce that’s been cooking for hours even though it takes about 20 minutes.
Pro Tip: If you use store-bought, choose a good-quality plain marinara and taste it before you add it to the pan. Some jarred sauces are quite salty, so you may need to hold back on the salt when seasoning the turkey.
Olive oil: I don’t skip this even with lean turkey. A couple of tablespoons in a hot skillet gives the turkey some color and prevents it from sticking and steaming in its own moisture. It also carries the flavor of the garlic into the whole dish.
Garlic and onion: I add these after the turkey is almost cooked through, not at the start. Garlic added too early to a hot dry pan can burn and turn bitter before the turkey is done. Adding it once the turkey is nearly cooked means it softens in the remaining moisture and fat without any risk of scorching.
How to Make Ground Turkey With Green Beans
Step 1: Heat the pan and cook the turkey. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the ground turkey. I break it up with a wooden spoon or a spatula into small, even pieces right from the start. I find that if you wait until the turkey starts to set before breaking it up, you end up with larger chunks that cook unevenly. Keep breaking and stirring for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the turkey is almost cooked through and the moisture from the meat has evaporated off the bottom of the pan. You want to see the meat starting to brown slightly, not steam.
Step 2: Add the onion and garlic. Once the turkey is nearly done, add the diced onion and minced garlic directly into the pan. Stir everything together and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion softens and turns a little golden. The garlic will be fragrant almost immediately. This is the moment the whole kitchen smells good.
Step 3: Add the vegetables and sauce. Add the yellow bell pepper, green beans, and tomato sauce to the pan. Stir everything together so the sauce coats the turkey and vegetables evenly. Season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
Step 4: Cover and cook. Place a lid on the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the green beans are tender but still have a little bite. I lift the lid once or twice during this time to stir and check the beans. If the sauce looks like it’s reducing too quickly, add a small splash of water.
Step 5: Taste and serve. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning before serving. I usually add a little more crushed red pepper at the end. Serve warm, straight from the skillet.
Olivia’s Best Tips to Make this Recipe
1. Swap the green beans for zucchini, broccoli florets, or chopped kale. Zucchini cooks in about half the time, so skip the lid and just stir it in for the last 4 to 5 minutes uncovered. Broccoli benefits from the covered steam method, similar to green beans.
2. Use a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet. A pan with more surface area lets the turkey brown rather than steam, which gives the dish much better flavor and texture. Cast iron works perfectly, and so does a good stainless steel skillet.
3. Don’t cover the pan in the first half of cooking. Let the moisture evaporate from the turkey before you add the vegetables and sauce. If you trap steam too early, the turkey ends up pale and soft.
4. Fresh herbs at the end make a difference. A handful of fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley scattered over the top just before serving adds brightness and makes the dish feel finished.
5. This recipe is excellent for meal prep. It keeps well in the fridge for up to four days and reheats beautifully in the microwave or in a skillet with a small splash of water to loosen the sauce.
More Ground Turkey Recipes:
Ground Turkey Recipe with Green Beans (One-Pan, 30 Minutes)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ cup onions diced
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper diced
- 1½ cup green beans chopped
- ¾ cup homemade tomato sauce or any other sauce of your preference
- Salt and ground fresh black pepper
- A pinch of crushed red pepper
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground turkey, and break it up until it’s in small pieces.
- Once the turkey is almost cooked through, add the onion and garlic. Stir occasionally, and cook until the onions are golden brown.
- Add yellow peppers, green beans, and homemade tomato sauce.
- Cover the skillet, and cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Do you love recipes with ground turkey? Here is a full list of other delicious ground turkey recipes. They are super easy and quick recipes for the entire family to enjoy!
- To store: Store the turkey skillet with green beans in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat this meal prep in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
Follow @primaverakitchen on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #primaverakitchen. We’d love to see your recreation.
Very tasty, thanks. I decided not to put crushed red pepper in and went instead for a pinch of crushed chillies to give it that bit extra boost of spice, Works really well!
The metric measurements are a bit too precise and onions are usually listed in whole or halves in British recipes but it’s near as damnit!
Crushed chillies work great for this recipe. Glad you liked it 😉
I really like this … it’s a lot like lasagne without the noodles. My 100 year -old mom, however, wanted more to it. First of all, I made my green beans too small so she could eat them … and she thought macaroni would go good with it so … I made up a cup of mac & cheese and added it and she thought it was great. Will add to my “need a quick dinner” folder.
That’s a very good idea. Happy to hear your mom enjoyed this recipe. I appreciate your feedback. Please, say hi to your mom for me 😉
I never leave comments but this one is worth replying to. I made this about two weeks ago for my two adult children (one is home from college and the other just hasn’t left home yet. I still feel the need to cook for them.) I struggle every day to try to think of what to cook for supper, something BOTH kids will like. After doing a Google search for what to cook, I found this recipe. It looked easy and good so I thought I would give it a try. A little different from what I usually make (meat, a starch and a veggie) and I NEVER cooked with turkey (except Thanksgiving). I did, though, boil a bag of Success Rice and add it to the turkey. My son is the pickier one of the two and I wasn’t sure if he would even try it. When I heard, “Mmmm, this is GOOOOD!!” coming from him I was impressed with the recipe. So, two weeks later (today) I asked my son what he wanted for supper. I said, “do you want me to make that turkey dish I made a couple weeks ago that you liked?” His face lit right up and with a big smile said, “YEAH!!!!”. So I had to go browsing online for the recipe again. I’m glad you decided to share this recipe with us. Thank you very much! (Sorry this is so long)
Michelle, than you so much for your comment. It literally made my day. So lovely 😉
i totally agree with you not commenting online cuz i don’t , but this was worth it.
Thank you so much!
Perfect weekday recipe. Delicious and kid approved 🙂
Totally, right? My kid loves it too 😉
i just want you to know that I make this all the time. I use Raos for the tomato sauce. it is INCREDIBLE with finely grated parmesan all over the top. You folks who post these recipes for us are saints. Thank you so much!
Oh wow your message made my day. Thank you so much 😉
I just tried this recipe, but i did it in a different way and it was amazing. Thanks. I am glad I ran into this. I used fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, a bulb of onion. for my seasonings, i used curry, parsley leaves (lots of parsley), garlic powder ( fresh ones went bad), and a little spicy pepper ( i love spicy). and within ten minutes, food was served. Oh, I used the frozen green peas and lean turkey.
Happy you liked it 😉
Easy to whip up. Strongly recommend switching up the order of the recipe: onion & bell peppers first for a few minutes, garlic for a minute until fragrant, then the green beans. Ground turkey last because lean ground meats can dry out really easily due to its low fat content.
Glad you liked it 😉
Wonderful recipe!
Thank you!
This dish was very good and enjoyed making it!
That’s awesome!
The kids really enjoyed it and each had two servings!
They don’t really like to eat new food but they loved this!
Highly recommend and will make again!
That’s amazing!! I’m happy to hear that your kids like it!
I’m on day 28 of a round of Whole30. I’ve been running out of ideas and came across this recipe. I had low expectations and was pleasantly surprised! I used a can of tomato sauce and loved it!
Super happy to hear that!
Surprisingly delicious. I added a large banana pepper that I had on hand, and tossed in about 2 cups of leftover cauliflower rice for the last 3 minutes of cooking.
Love that you added cauliflower rice in there 😉
I’ve made this 4 times now 3 times with the ground turkey and one time I tried with ground beef because we love ground beef and we actually prefer it with the turkey! Also used the homemade sauce you recommended my husband request this once every two weeks it’s that good!
That’s amazing!! You comment made my day. So happy you and your husband enjoys this recipe!
What is the homemade sauce? Please share
Absolutely! Here is my Tomato Sauce.
I’ve made this recipe several times, and I’ve enjoyed it (differently) each! While the original recipe is good on its own, it’s also really easy to ‘bulk this up’ and play around. I’ve added tomato paste, mushrooms, red/orange/yellow bell peppers, and spinach for an extra veggie punch. I’ve also seasoned the ground turkey (definitely recommend doing this — my favorites are smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and oregano/basil/parsley flakes). You can serve it on rice, mashing potatoes/cauliflower, with pasta, gnocchi, in tacos etc. It’s a very versatile recipe which I love! And no matter what, it always tastes good (even as originally written). I really love how quick and easy the recipe is, which makes it great for weeknights.
Family LOVED it! I sauted some cut up sausage and chose to use lean ground meat. At the end sprinkled a preshredded bag of asiago and Parm YUMMY!
Sounds yummy!
This was sooo good! The flavor Combo’s are spot on! I tripled the veggies and added a head of cauliflower that I broke down into bite sized pieces and I used 3 small cans of no salt added tomato sauce. It really is delicious! Thanks for sharing a really good recipe!
Happy you liked it!
This was delicious. I didn’t make homemade tomato sauce, but used canned, and added Italian seasoning and chili seasoning to the sauce… I paired it with jasmine rice on the side. Was the perfect meal.
Mm… so yummy!
We love this recipe. It’s delicious and it’s easy for during the week. Keep recipes like this coming.
Happy you liked it! Thank you so much 😉
I made this recipe tonight. I subbed the homemade tomato sauce with a can of stewed tomatoes and a small can of Italian season tomato paste with a can of water in the amount of the tomato paste can and added Italian seasoning to the recipe instead of using crushed red pepper. It was delicious and very easy to make .
Amazing! Happy to hear that!
I use salsa instead of sauce and love it!
Great!
I am a retired chef, now living in Tennessee.I followed your recipe exactly.It was delicious, I am putting this in my own file of recipes THANKS Jim
Awesome! So happy to hear that 😉