These ground turkey meal prep bowls are a flavorful and simple recipe that are served over rice with vegetables and covered in a sweet and salty sauce inspired by teriyaki. Whip them up on a Sunday and you’ll have healthy meals ready to go for the week.
If you’ve never made ground turkey, you should definitely give it a try. Any way you cook it, this lean meat will provide a ton of satisfaction when combined with the right flavors and ingredients. Thus, try these ground turkey meal prep bowls with an Asian flair if you want to switch up your weekday meal prep routine.
Along with the main ingredients listed above, you’ll also need a few pantry staples, such as cornstarch (to thicken the sauce) and optional crushed red pepper flakes (to add a little heat). While it’s entirely optional, I also suggest topping the bowls with freshly chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and bit of sriracha would pair nicely too.
Ground turkey is a versatile and affordable protein that’s perfect for meal prep. It’s low in fat and calories, and it’s a good source of protein, iron, and other nutrients. When paired with rice, it makes a complete and satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy weekdays.
In this post, we’ll explore two delicious ground turkey rice meal prep recipes from popular food blogs: Sweet Peas and Saffron and Chelsea’s Messy Apron. We’ll also provide tips on how to customize these recipes to your liking and how to store and reheat them for easy lunches.
Sweet Peas and Saffron’s Ground Turkey Rice Meal Prep Recipes
Sweet Peas and Saffron offers a variety of ground turkey rice meal prep recipes, including:
- Low Carb Greek Turkey Meal Prep: This recipe features ground turkey seasoned with Greek spices, served over lemon cauliflower rice with Greek salad and tzatziki sauce. It’s a low-carb and gluten-free option that’s packed with flavor.
- Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls: These bowls are perfect for those who love Mexican food. They feature ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning, served over brown rice with corn, pico de gallo, and your favorite toppings.
- Honey Chipotle Meatball Meal Prep Bowls: These bowls are a flavorful and healthy option. They feature ground turkey meatballs seasoned with honey and chipotle, served over cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
- Korean-Inspired Turkey Meal Prep Bowls: These bowls are packed with flavor and under 400 calories per bowl. They feature ground turkey seasoned with Korean-inspired sauce, served over brown rice with your favorite vegetables.
- Taco-Stuffed Acorn Squash (Low Carb Meal Prep): This recipe is a fun and healthy twist on tacos. It features ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning, stuffed into acorn squash and served with your favorite toppings.
Chelsea’s Messy Apron’s Ground Turkey Meal Prep Recipe
Chelsea’s Messy Apron offers a simple and flavorful ground turkey rice meal prep recipe. This recipe features ground turkey seasoned with chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. It’s cooked with diced carrots and red bell pepper, then simmered in chicken broth for added flavor and moisture.
Tips for Customizing Your Ground Turkey Rice Meal Prep
- Use different types of rice: Brown rice, white rice, quinoa, and even cauliflower rice are all great options for this meal prep.
- Add different vegetables: Diced carrots, red bell pepper, onions, mushrooms, and spinach are all great additions to this meal prep.
- Change up the seasonings: Try different spices and herbs to create different flavor profiles.
- Add different toppings: Avocado, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and chopped cilantro are all great toppings for this meal prep.
How to Store and Reheat Your Ground Turkey Rice Meal Prep
- Store: Store your ground turkey rice meal prep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat your meal prep in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Ground turkey rice meal prep is a delicious, healthy, and affordable option for busy weekdays. With a little planning, you can have a delicious and nutritious lunch ready to go in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best type of ground turkey to use for meal prep?
I recommend using ground turkey that is 93/7 lean. This means that it is 93% lean meat and 7% fat. This will give you the best flavor and texture for your meal prep. - How long will ground turkey rice meal prep last in the refrigerator?
Ground turkey rice meal prep will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. - Can I freeze ground turkey rice meal prep?
Yes, you can freeze ground turkey rice meal prep. However, the texture of the rice may change slightly when it is reheated. - What are some other ways to use ground turkey?
Ground turkey can be used in a variety of dishes, such as tacos, burritos, chili, and pasta sauce.
Additional Resources
- Sweet Peas and Saffron: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/31-ground-turkey-meal-prep-recipe-ideas/
- Chelsea’s Messy Apron: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/ground-turkey-meal-prep/
How to Meal Prep Ground Turkey
Because ground turkey cooks quickly and has a neutral flavor, it’s a great ingredient to add flavor to meals. Once you’ve got the basics down, you’ll realize that the seasoning and flavor options are endless.
- Cook the rice. Rice should first be cooked in a pot or rice cooker.
- Brown the turkey. Grease a hot pan, add the ground turkey, and cook it until it’s browned and crumbled.
- Make the sauce. While the ground turkey is cooking, prepare the sauce.
- Add the veggies. After the turkey has finished cooking, add the vegetables and cook them until they are soft.
- Add the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cooked ground turkey and vegetables, stirring to ensure that everything is well combined and the turkey and vegetables are well coated.
- Portion into meal prep containers. After the rice and ground turkey mixture are cooked, transfer them all into meal prep containers and let them cool fully before putting them in the refrigerator.
Once you understand the concept, you can flavor the turkey however you like. For my ground turkey meal prep bowls, I chose to go with an Asian flavor and used a teriyaki-style sauce. For instance, these fiesta chicken rice bowls, which have ground turkey seasoned simply like tacos, would cook quickly and taste just as good.
Making a high-protein meal without significantly increasing the number of calories is made easier by using lean protein sources, like ground turkey. Ground turkey and ground chicken are excellent sources of lean ground meat for people watching their calorie and/or dietary fat intake, even though higher-fat meats like ground beef or ground pork are not intrinsically unhealthy because fat is an essential macronutrient.
To Store: Let the bowls cool fully before covering them with a lid and putting them in airtight meal prep containers to keep them fresh for up to four days.
To Freeze: After the bowls are completely cool, place them in an airtight container with a lid and freeze for up to three months.
To Warm Up: Thawed turkey meal prep bowls can be warmed up in the microwave for one to two minutes. If you’re using frozen bowls, take them out of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator to stay overnight before reheating.
I’ve made an effort to keep these bowls inexpensive by utilizing staples from the pantry and filling, long-lasting veggies. Carrots and cabbage are both reasonably priced vegetables that are highly adaptable and store well for several weeks in the refrigerator. This allows you to make these meal prep bowls with ground turkey repeatedly.
Furthermore, even though I created these ground turkey bowls as a meal prep idea for wholesome, grab-and-go lunches, this recipe also works incredibly well as a simple dinner suggestion.
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