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    Home » Recipes » Dinner & Main Dishes

    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet - One Pan Dinner

    Published Apr 1, 2021 · by Jacqueline Piper · 23 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    7374 shares
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    ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl with a text overlay for Pintereset
    ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl with a text overlay for Pintereset
    ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl with a text overlay for Pintereset

    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet - This veggie-packed and flavorful quinoa and ground turkey skillet is quick & easy to make - perfect for a weeknight dinner. I've recently updated this easy homemade dinner into an even easier one-pan ground turkey skillet - all the delicious flavors of a taco skillet with less cleaning up!

    ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl
    Jump to:
    • one-pan dish with turkey + quinoa = easy weeknight dinner
    • Ingredients
    • Recipe
    • How to Make a One-Pan Quinoa and Ground Turkey Skillet Dinner

    one-pan dish with turkey + quinoa = easy weeknight dinner

    This Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet is such a great dinner dish. It came about one night when I wanted something kind of like chili, but not chili, and also had some quinoa I wanted to use up. We ate this with my homemade tortillas and it was fantastic.

    I am updating this recipe because this recipe is still a favorite. It's been about 5 years since I posted this recipe though (August 2016) and it needed new photos and nutritional information.

    I've also simplified the method by cooking the quinoa in the dish instead of needing precooked quinoa. This makes the recipe a one-pan quinoa with ground turkey dinner marvel. Easy, delicious, healthy, homemade - everything I love.

    Taco skillet vibes, especially if you serve this dish with tortilla chips on the side or fried corn tortilla strips on top!

    ground turkey skillet dinner in a skillet

    Ingredients

    For this recipe you'll need:

    Quinoa: Quinoa is a healthy, whole-grain seed rich in protein, fiber, and B vitamins. Easy to cook.
    Ground Turkey: I prefer to use ground turkey or chicken in my recipes because I just don't eat much red meat, but I'm sure ground beef would work really well in this recipe - think taco quinoa skillet.
    Vegetables: Bell peppers - whichever ones you have or like, some garlic, onion, corn
    Tomato: A large can of diced tomatoes - a can of fire-roasted tomatoes would be great here if your grocery store has them.
    Spices: I use chili and cumin for this recipe because it makes it like a turkey taco quinoa skillet - like stovetop tacos!
    Other: Pickled jalapenos - I like the added spice but you can leave this out if you prefer. Black beans.
    Garnishes: I like to serve this with grated cheese, yogurt (sour cream would be fine), avocado, and cilantro.

    EXPERT TIP: This recipe is extremely versatile! Make whatever substitutions you want to for this turkey quinoa skillet recipe - just use the basic ratio and cooking method. If you're out of black beans, use whatever bean you have - I use pinto sometimes too like in these photos. Use whatever bell peppers you have on hand, feel free to skip the corn or replace it with something else like green beans. Find ground turkey too bland? Use ground beef!

    ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl

    Recipe

    ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl

    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet - One Pan Dinner

    Jacqueline Piper
    5 from 14 votes
    Veggie packed and flavorful, this one pan quinoa and ground turkey skillet is quick & easy to make - perfect for a weeknight dinner.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 large onion (diced)
    • 1 lb ground turkey
    • 1 green bell pepper (diced)
    • 1 red bell pepper (diced)
    • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
    • ½ 7 oz can of pickled jalapeno (diced, optional (adds a bit of heat. Could also use pre diced green chilies, or diced fresh jalapeno))
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 14 oz. can corn (drained)
    • 1 19 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)
    • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
    • salt and pepper (to taste)
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
    • Optional: diced avocado (shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, for serving)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Sauté onion in oil, over medium about 4-5 minutes.
    • Add turkey and season with salt and pepper. Cook until brown, about 5-7 minutes.
    • Add peppers, jalapenos and garlic, cook about 3 minutes.
    • Add corn, beans, tomatoes, water, and spices. Bring to boil.
    • Add quinoa and press into the liquid, making sure it's submerged. Add a lid, lower heat to about medium and simmer about 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked. Stir once, halfway, making sure quinoa stays submerged in liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Garnish with diced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.

    Notes

    Notes – I've changed the method so that the quinoa now cooks in the dish. You can still skip that part and add pre-cooked quinoa if you like.
     
    Substitutions – Substitute peppers for whichever color you have. Add mushrooms if you want. Use whatever pre-cooked bean you like, like kidney beans. Use ground chicken or beef instead of ground turkey.
     
    Storage – Store in the fridge in a covered container for about 3-4 days.
     
    Nutrition – Nutritional information is an estimate only, intended for informational purposes, and not to be used as medical or dietary advice. The estimate is based on a nutrition calculator and every recipe will vary slightly depending on the products you use in your home. This estimate is per serving. Your nutrition facts could vary.
     
    Changing the serving size on the recipe card may affect ingredient amounts, nutrition, prep time, and/or cook time.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 34gFat: 15gFiber: 12gSugar: 13g

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.

    Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
    Keyword ground turkey, one pan turkey and quinoa skillet
    Have you tried a recipe? Tag @pipercooksblog or tag #pipercooksblog!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

    This post was originally posted on March 15, 2017. Updated March 29, 2021, to provide clearer recipe information, nutritional information, ingredient information, and updated photography. The recipe has not changed.

    How to Make a One-Pan Quinoa and Ground Turkey Skillet Dinner

    Read the in-depth instructions below or watch the video tutorial.

    To make this dish, heat up a big dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion in oil until they're soft and then browned. Add some ground turkey and brown that too.

    Add the garlic, jalapeno, and bell pepper. Cook for only a minute or so to cook the garlic.

    • ingredients on a chopping board - bell peppers, corn, onion, quinoa, spices
      Ingredients
    • cooking ground turkey in a skillet
      Cook Ground Turkey
    • ground turkey, vegetables, tomatoes and quinoa cooking in a skillet
      Add everything else.

    Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices. (For a vegetarian dish, I would double up the beans in place of the turkey.) Add a cup of water and the quinoa. Bring to a simmer and add a lid. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked, stirring once to resubmerge the quinoa in the liquid. If you need more liquid, add another ¼ to ½ cup of water.

    Garnish with avocado, shredded cheese, and some yogurt or sour cream to balance the heat. And I like to serve it with tortilla chips.

    Enjoy this one pan quinoa with ground turkey for an easy, healthy homemade dinner.

    ground turkey skillet dinner in a skillet
    ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl with a text overlay for Pintereset

    A note on photography: I try to improve my photography with every photo I take. I like to see how far I've come also and what I've learned. The photo below was taken 5 years before the updated photos.

    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet | PiperCooks
    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet | PiperCooks
    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet | PiperCooks
    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet | PiperCooks
    Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet | PiperCooks

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    7374 shares

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    1. Genie

      September 01, 2016 at 6:51 pm

      YUMMM! Love quinoa!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        September 02, 2016 at 9:42 am

        Thanks for the comment Genie, Quinoa is great!

        Reply
      • Angie

        July 07, 2021 at 6:34 pm

        Hi does anyone use salt and pepper

        Reply
        • Jacqueline Piper

          July 07, 2021 at 9:42 pm

          Hi Angie,
          Somehow I forgot to add salt and pepper to the ingredients list. I season the turkey and vegetables while they are cooking and then the whole dish once it's done cooking. I've updated the recipe card to reflect this. I hope you try and enjoy this recipe 🙂

          Jacqueline

          Reply
    2. frugal hausfrau

      September 03, 2016 at 11:19 pm

      I can tell this isn't dull at all! Spicy and delish! Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday!

      Mollie

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        September 04, 2016 at 12:03 am

        Thanks for hosting!

        Reply
    3. Karly

      September 04, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      This looks so healthy and delicious! Thanks for linkin' up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!

      Reply
    4. Quinn Caudill

      September 07, 2016 at 6:35 am

      I am always looking for new ground turkey recipes. Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday! Pinned and shared!

      Reply
    5. Michelle

      September 17, 2016 at 9:08 am

      The avocado sold me!
      I need to give this a try. My husband is resisting a love for quinoa- maybe this version will change his mind!
      Thanks
      Michelle

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        September 18, 2016 at 8:28 am

        mm, avocado! Good luck with the recipe 🙂

        Reply
    6. KC

      May 23, 2021 at 11:21 am

      Thank you for the recipe. It was easy preparation with simple ingredients. Easy to cook and the quinoa cooked perfectly. Very delicious. Would not change a thing.

      Reply
    7. Jacqueline Piper

      May 25, 2021 at 1:20 pm

      I'm glad you liked it, thanks for commenting 🙂

      Reply
    8. Carrie

      June 19, 2021 at 8:19 pm

      Absolutely delicious and easy. Our family loves this recipe.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Piper

        June 25, 2021 at 9:58 am

        I'm glad your family loves this recipe, we love it too. Thank you for commenting!

        Reply
    9. Jacqueline Lambacher

      August 17, 2022 at 10:01 am

      I absolutely love this! I don't add jalapeno, corn, or avocado! I also put it on a tortilla with sour cream and cheese, and my son loved it! I make a batch, and have it for lunch all week! It's nommy hot or cold! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Piper

        August 17, 2022 at 10:49 am

        Thanks for the comment Jacqueline! I'm glad your family likes this recipe, and wrapping it in a tortilla is something I'll have to try 🙂

        Jacqueline

        Reply
    10. Brooke

      October 31, 2022 at 11:52 am

      I made this recipe and it turned out great! I doubled the amount of ground Turkey and it was great!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Piper

        October 31, 2022 at 4:15 pm

        That's great Brooke, I'm glad you liked it, good idea to double the protein 🙂 Thanks for commenting!

        Jacqueline

        Reply
    11. C W

      January 17, 2023 at 6:10 pm

      Delicious!
      I changed two things. I added the spices to the turkey as it cooked, and added the corn and beans near the end of the cooking time.
      Five star recipe.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Piper

        January 18, 2023 at 10:06 am

        Thank you for the notes and thanks for commenting, I'm glad you liked this recipe! 🙂

        Jacqueline

        Reply
    12. loki

      January 22, 2023 at 9:17 pm

      this recipe makes about 8 servings. I would cut the quinoa in half.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Piper

        January 22, 2023 at 9:41 pm

        Thanks for trying it out and commenting!

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips - Piper Cooks says:
      August 22, 2016 at 9:21 am

      […] baked tortilla chips are such a quick and easy appetizer or snack, and a great accompaniment to my Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet.  I also love them with my Turkey Chili,Tomato Salsa and Salsa Verde Recipes too.  I’ll […]

      Reply

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