Crockpot recipes are a winter winner in our house! We always have a few pounds of ground turkey in the freezer so when I know we have a busy evening ahead I will throw a ground turkey meal in the crockpot. This ensures a hearty, warming meal is on the table within minutes of the family getting in the door.
Ground turkey is a great option for dinner as it has high protein and low saturated fat levels and if you have a slow cooker, you have everything you need for a fuss-free tasty meal. Whether you’re booking for a lightened up lasagne, turkey meatballs or lettuce wraps, there’ll be something here to tempt your tastebuds. So explore some of the crockpot ground turkey recipes below to ensure your meal plan doesn’t get stale this slow-cooker season.
1. Sriracha Turkey Lettuce Wraps
6 ingredients, low carb and gluten-free, this recipe is an absolute wonder! If you’re going to be out for the day you can cook for 4-6 hours on low or if you’re cooking a few hours ahead, cook on high for 2-3 hours. Serve the spicy, saucy turkey mixture in fresh crunchy lettuce leaves and a drizzle of sriracha sauce for the ultimate fake-away dinner. The sesame seeds over top add a delightful crunch as well!
2. Slow Cooker Turkey Pesto Lasagne
The only real cooking involved in this recipe is browning the turkey before layering everything into the slow cooker, and even this could be done the night before to cut the prep time back to practically zero! The pesto and turkey give the classic lasagne a bit of a makeover, and even classic lasagne lovers will enjoy this twist. Ready in 3-4 hours, this lasagne is cut into wedges like a pie for a dinner the kids will love as well as the adults.
3. Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
Sloppy joes are a weekly favorite in so many households and this slow cooker version makes a fuss-free dinner even easier. By cooking the ground turkey slowly over a lower heat, the meat ends up super succulent and tender. If that’s not enough motivation to try them, these are healthier than the beef version as they are lower in saturated fat and the celery, green bell pepper and onion add a traditional beef burger flavor. The sauce is made with the help of a tin of condensed tomato soup and plenty of garlic, so the final result is absolutely packed full of slow-cooked flavor.
4. Healthier Slow Cooked Baked Ziti
Ground turkey and wholewheat pasta pack this version full of nutrition while still keeping the traditional flavor. By cooking the pasta in the crock pot, it soaks up all the delicious sauce and cuts the prep time to practically zero. All you need to do is cook the turkey and onion in a skillet then transfer to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. That’s literally it! And at the end of the day you’ll lift the lid on an amazingly cheesy and meaty ziti that will be gobbled up by everyone.
5. Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
I couldn’t talk about slow cooker meals without mentioning chili! It’s an absolute all time favorite and sometimes I wonder if the crock pot was invented specifically for chili cooking! By slow cooking the meat, every bite is tender, juicy and flavorful and the bonus is that everything is thrown in the slow cooker in the morning and by dinnertime all you have to do is dollop on some sour cream and add an extra sprinkle of cheese and you’ve got a hearty dinner that tastes like you spent hours cooking. Plus the beans up the fiber content and all the vegetables bump up the macro nutrients while still being delicious.
6. Slow Cooker Turkey Soup
A hearty, nourishing soup perfect for chilly weekend lunches or to have waiting on busy weeknights, this recipe uses a range of vegetables and ground turkey. Delicious with a fresh chunk of bread but like many soups this tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to develop even further. You can even make a double batch and have some in the freezer for nights where you truly cannot be bothered. Just reheat in a large pot or place back in the slow cooker on high for an hour.
7. Slow Cooker Turkey Keema
A light and healthy vegetable and turkey curry that isn’t as heavy and fat-laden as many traditional Indian curries. Instead, this recipe uses ground turkey and slow cooks all of the flavor into the meat, so you get a beautifully light dish that’s great for lunch, dinner or even meal prepping for the freezer. Using only a handful of ingredients, spinach adds a burst of color and the remaining ingredients are common pantry ingredients. Try it this week in burritos, on nachos or packed into a pita bread with a dollop of tzatziki.
8. Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Stroganoff
This recipe takes all the work out of the traditional stroganoff and adds ground turkey for the ultimate lightened up comfort food. Cream of mushroom soup and fresh mushrooms offer double the flavor and the traditional sour cream and noodles finish the stroganoff. So tasty it might become your new favorite!
9. Thai Slow Cooker Ground Turkey
A healthy turkey recipe with flavors of Thailand that takes only 10 minutes to prep, this one is great for serving with rice, noodles or if you’re looking to keep calories down, try it on cauliflower rice. Brown the turkey off in a frypan to add an extra flavor and texture to the dish but that’s the only hands on cooking part of this recipe.
