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.
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