This easy ground turkey sweet potato skillet is the perfect weeknight meal for the whole family. It has five simple ingredients and is made in under thirty minutes! Serve over rice, riced cauliflower, or as a complete meal all on its own.
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
We've all had those moments where it's an hour before dinner and you suddenly realize you went all day without thinking about that super important question -- what's for dinner?
You need something that is quick and takes minimal time to prep. And of coure it needs to be a meal that the whole family is going to love. Right?
We turn to skillet dinners for this exact reason! They are always hearty and quick to pull together and can be made in so many different ways. This ground turkey sweet potato skillet is a one of those healthy meals that is just so simple to throw together.
This recipe requires you to peel and chop some sweet potatoes, but that's about all the work you have to do. A sweet potato skillet recipe may not be a recipe you typically think to reach for, but it's so yum!
My boys LOVE sweet potatoes so much that they barely even notice that there is spinach in it. Ground turkey is usually a hit with kids and the seasoning is mild enough that kids will love it too. So if you need a sneaky way to serve some veggies to picky eaters, then you'll love this simple recipe.
We've been making this meal for months now, and every time I make it I can't believe it tastes so good. Just serve it over rice and with a refreshing glass of peach lemonade and you've got the tastiest easy meal in no time!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
You'll love this recipe, for a few reasons:
- This turkey skillet is a perfect meal prep dish! You have lean meat, complex carbohydrates, and leafy greens all in one pan.
- Ground turkey sweet potato skillet is a very affordable and budget friendly meal. These ingredients go a long way, making plenty of servings!
- Make this perfect one-pan meal in just 30 minutes. An absolute life-saver of a recipe on busy weeknights.
Ingredients
With such simple ingredients and easy cooking methods, this will quickly go to the top of your list of favorite ground turkey recipes! Here is everything you need to grab from the grocery store:
- diced and peeled sweet potatoes
- lean ground turkey
- spinach
- dried thyme
- dried oregano
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
Substitutions and Variations
You can make this 30 minute meal Whole30, Paleo, or more low carb by swapping out the freshly cooked rice and serving it over cauliflower rice instead.
Want to include more veggies? Toss some broccoli, brussels sprouts, yellow bell pepper, diced grape tomatoes, or diced onions would all be delicious.
Add more protein to the dish by tossing in some black beans or pinto beans.
Make this ground turkey sweet potato skillet a little cheesy with some pepper jack, mozzarella cheese, or cheddar cheese. Some sour cream or plain greek yogurt would make a creamy dish too!
Jazz up the flavor of this sweet potato skillet meal by adding a bit of your favorite sauce. Your favorite seasoning blend or some fresh herbs like fresh cilantro would be tasty too!
How to Make Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
Here's how to make this easy skillet dinner recipe:
Wash a large sweet potato or two, however many you'll need to make three cups, and then dice them well. Set aside for later.
Start cooking rice on the stove-top or make rice in the Instant Pot so that it will be ready once the ground turkey sweet potato skillet is done.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper and cook about 90% of the way through.
Once the lean ground turkey is almost cooked, add spinach and sweet potatoes. Cover the skillet with a lid.
Cook the mixture for 6-8 minutes until the diced potatoes are tender.
Add the spices to the sweet potato skillet meal and toss to coat. Break up the spinach pieces, but be careful not to squish the sweet potatoes!
Serve hot over rice or cauli rice and enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- The ground turkey does cook pretty quickly, so I usually peel and chop my sweet potatoes before you start to cook the ground turkey.
- Use a wooden spoon to cook and break up large chunks of ground turkey.
- If you're using fresh spinach, you may want to add ¼ cup of water to the pan so that the turkey doesn't start to burn.
- If you're using frozen spinach, the water content from the spinach will be enough to keep the meat from burning and to cook the spinach and sweet potatoes.
How to Store Leftover Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
Place leftovers into an airtight container and allow them to cool. Then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftover skillet dinner for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating.
To reheat, place leftovers into a skillet or in the microwave until warmed through.
What to Serve with Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
This tasty ground turkey is best served over rice or cauliflower rice. But what about side dishes? Steamed broccoli and oven roasted green beans would both be a great pairing with a ground turkey skillet.
You could also serve a crunchy crispy salad or even a simple fruit salad!
For a cozy carb as side dish, serve some goat cheese rosemary drop biscuits or cheesy garlic bread.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the cooked turkey has no pink (or just a slight touch of pink) before you add in the sweet potatoes and spinach. You don't want the meat to dry out while the potatoes and spinach cook!
- It is important to cover this dish with a lid while it cooks. A lid will help to trap the steam in the pan and cook the sweet potatoes.
- If you are using fresh spinach, add ¼ cup of water to the skillet before covering it with a lid and steaming the potatoes.
FAQ
You can use frozen or fresh spinach. Keep in mind that frozen spinach typically has more moisture than fresh. So if you use fresh, that is why you'll need to add a bit of water to the pan to keep the dish from drying out.
Ground turkey is more lean than most other ground meat. It is lower in saturated fat than beef, so if that is something you are looking to watch then ground turkey is a great option. With sweet potatoes added into this dish, it is loaded with a variety of healthy nutrients!
More One Pan Recipes
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced and peeled sweet potatoes
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Serve with:
- 2 cups cooked rice or riced cauliflower
Instructions
- Peel and dice sweet potatoes and set aside.
- Start cooking a pot of rice, if serving with rice.
- In a skillet with a lid on medium heat, add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper. Cook until at least 90% cooked through.
- Once the turkey has mostly cooked, add spinach and sweet potatoes to skillet. Add water to pan if necessary (see notes). Cover with lid.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes, until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Add spices to skillet and toss to coat, breaking up spinach pieces but being careful not to squish sweet potatoes.
- Serve over cooked rice or riced cauliflower if desired.
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