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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet - One Pan Dinner

Modified: Mar 1, 2025 · Published Apr 1, 2021 · by Jacqueline Piper · 33 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. Read our privacy policy.

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

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

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

Recipe

ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl
5 from 29 votes

Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet - One Pan Dinner

Author : Jacqueline Piper
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Veggie packed and flavorful, this one pan quinoa and ground turkey skillet is quick & easy to make - perfect for a weeknight dinner.
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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
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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: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 15g | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 13g

Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.

Have you tried this recipe?Tag @pipercooksblog on Instagram so we can see it!
ground turkey skillet dinner in a bowl with a text overlay for Pintereset

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Comments

    5 from 29 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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  1. Genie says

    September 01, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    YUMMM! Love quinoa!

    Reply
    • pipercooks says

      September 02, 2016 at 9:42 am

      Thanks for the comment Genie, Quinoa is great!

      Reply
    • Angie says

      July 07, 2021 at 6:34 pm

      Hi does anyone use salt and pepper

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Piper says

        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 says

    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 says

      September 04, 2016 at 12:03 am

      Thanks for hosting!

      Reply
  3. Karly says

    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 says

    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 says

    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 says

      September 18, 2016 at 8:28 am

      mm, avocado! Good luck with the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  6. KC says

    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 says

    May 25, 2021 at 1:20 pm

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

    Reply
  8. Carrie says

    June 19, 2021 at 8:19 pm

    Absolutely delicious and easy. Our family loves this recipe.

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Piper says

      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 says

    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 says

      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 says

    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 says

      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 says

    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 says

      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 says

    January 22, 2023 at 9:17 pm

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

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Piper says

      January 22, 2023 at 9:41 pm

      Thanks for trying it out and commenting!

      Reply
  13. Julie says

    April 12, 2023 at 8:14 pm

    This was great, my husband even liked it!!! For the nutrition info, how much of it is 1 serving? It says it makes 4 servings but how much is 1 serving?

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Piper says

      April 19, 2023 at 8:39 am

      Hi Julie,

      I'm glad you both like the recipe! When I serve this I just divide it in 4 from the pan - the next time I make this I will measure out the servings and update this post!

      Thanks for commenting 🙂

      Jacqueline

      Reply
  14. Amy says

    August 13, 2023 at 6:49 pm

    I’ve made this twice now and love it. It’s a delicious, flexible recipe that is easy to follow. I have officially added this healthy, protein-packed dish to my meal prep toolbox. Thank you for sharing it!

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Piper says

      August 14, 2023 at 7:23 am

      That's great Amy! I love it when we can add something easy to our dinner plants 🙂 Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it!

      Reply
  15. SusieQ says

    September 17, 2023 at 9:02 pm

    I was all out of black beans so I substituted fruit cocktail. I would not recommend using this in the future.

    Reply
  16. Keri Evert says

    December 04, 2023 at 7:44 pm

    I did, but I changed it. I made it Mediterranean. I did the oil, turkey, onion, bell peppers, quinoa, water and tomatoes. Then I added garlic powder and Italian seasoning, kalamata olives and raw spinach. It was really delicious. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Piper says

      December 05, 2023 at 8:46 am

      Those additions sound great Keri, thanks for sharing, and thank you for commenting!

      Jacqueline

      Reply
  17. Cynthia says

    June 11, 2024 at 7:59 pm

    I didn't have black beans on hand so used dark kidney beans. I also used multi-colored peppers. I added taco sauce to mine and garnished with sour cream and shredded cheese. My husband added hot sauce to his. We both like this dish!

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Piper says

      June 11, 2024 at 10:01 pm

      Sounds great Cynthia, love your substitutions! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

      Jacqueline

      Reply
  18. Miriam says

    June 10, 2025 at 7:56 pm

    Loved this! And it makes a lot! Towards the end I needed to transfer it from my skillet to a Dutch oven. Fine with me! I’m thrilled to have the leftovers for lunches. It’s perfect for that. I hear what you’re saying about kinda like chili, but not. I think it’s a great summer alternative to chili.

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Piper says

      June 11, 2025 at 8:34 am

      Thank you for taking the time to comment, Miriam. I'm so happy you liked this recipe, it's a favorite here!

      Jacqueline

      Reply
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