A Southwest Rice and Ground Turkey Skillet is a deliciously easy throw-together dinner. This 30 minute meal is full of great flavor with a little kick, and is a healthy way to mix things up in your dinner rotation!
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Why You'll Love This Ground Turkey Rice Bowl
I love a good skillet dinner! Combining meat and rice with all sorts of tasty things and serving them in a bowl is totally my jam. Add to it the fact that it comes together really quickly — it's a total win! It's like healthy comfort food. The way I see it, you can never have enough ground turkey recipes!
I love how this ground turkey bowl recipe provides the ability to prep many of the ingredients ahead and use up any leftover rice that you may have from dinner the night before. It's quick and easy to make, with seriously delicious Southwest flavor, and it's also pretty healthy! This is the stuff that winning weeknight dinners are made of!
Here are just a few more reasons to love this Southwest ground turkey and rice:
- Quick and easy
- Perfect for using up leftovers
- Kid-tested and approved
- Light and wholesome
- Ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredient Information And Substitutions:
- Ground Turkey - It wouldn't be a ground turkey dinner without turkey! If you have the option, opt for a slightly higher fat content in your ground turkey- I went with 94% instead of 99% lean turkey. Ground chicken or lean ground beef also works.
- Rice - Use your favorite! Bonus points if you're using leftovers as you won't have to take the time to cook it before getting started. I typically go with white or brown rice.
- Aromatics - You'll need onion, garlic, and scallions (the scallions are an optional garnish). If you want to get ahead, peel the garlic, dice the onion, and wash the scallions.
- Vegetables - I'm using red bell pepper, canned diced green chiles, black beans, and frozen corn. If you want to add other veggies, go for it!
- Rotel - A wonderful mixture of diced tomatoes and green chiles, Rotel adds so much to this Southwest turkey recipe! If you're sensitive to heat, opt for the mild version.
- Cheddar Cheese - I can't say enough good things about buying a big block and shredding the cheese yourself. If you're prepping this dish for later, shred the cheese in advance to get ahead. Pre-shredded also works- I like sharp cheddar.
- Olive Oil - You'll sauté the fresh veggies and garlic in olive oil to get everything started.
- Seasonings - Use Kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and dried cilantro to create this flavor-packed ground turkey bowl recipe.
- Tortilla Chips - Crush them up for your garnish.
- Lime - And finish it all off with a squeeze of lime juice!
How to Make a Southwest Turkey Skillet
Step 1: Sauté the onion, pepper, and garlic
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, then add the onion and red bell pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Step 2: Cook the ground turkey
Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes. Break up the meat as it browns.
Drain any excess oil if needed, then stir in the seasonings and allow the mixture to cook for about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Incorporate the other ingredients
Add the Rotel, diced chiles, black beans, corn, cooked rice, and ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Step 4: Garnish and serve
Top your ground turkey skillet with the rest of the cheddar cheese, cover, and turn off the stovetop. Allow it to melt for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls with crushed tortilla chips, lime, and any other toppings you love!
Frequently asked questions
No — I personally love ground turkey, but any lean ground meat will work. Just be sure to drain the meat once it's browned through.
Yes, leave out the chipotle powder and replace it with the same amount of additional chili powder. Also, use mild Rotel instead of Original.
Yes — it reheats very well. You can also prep the veggies, cook the rice, and brown the turkey ahead and then throw them together.
My Southwest ground turkey dinner will keep for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.
Tips for making a Skillet Ground Turkey
- Use a non-stick skillet if you can — much easier to clean up!
- Try to break up the lean ground turkey quickly once you get it into the pan. I find that it's harder to break up once it's browned.
- I wait to season the meat until after it's browned. This allows you to drain if needed without losing all the flavor.
- Shred the cheese ahead if you can- it melts easier.
- Leftovers and Storage- This will last 4-5 days covered in the refrigerator.
Make it a meal
This dish goes so well with:
Other Ground Turkey Dishes to Try...
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Southwest Rice and Ground Turkey Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Chipotle powder can sub same amount of chili powder if you don't want spicy
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 10 ounce can Original Rotel Can sub mild ROtel if you don't want spicy
- 1 4 ounce can mild diced green chiles
- 1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- Chopped scallions (for garnish)
- lime juice
- Tortilla chips (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.
- Saute onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes to soften, stirring frequently.
- Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds until fragrant.
- Add ground turkey and sauté to brown, breaking it up. About 5 minutes
- Once browned , drain if needed and chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, salt, black pepper, and dried cilantro. Cook 2 minutes.
- Add Rotel, diced chiles, black beans, corn, cooked rice and ½ cup shredded cheddar. Stir and cook 2 minutes to combine and heat through.
- Top with remaining shredded cheddar, cover and turn off heat. Melt for 5 minutes and serve. Garnish with crushed tortilla chips, chopped scallions and a squeeze of lime juice.
Video
Notes
- Use a non-stick skillet if you can — much easier to clean up!
- Try to break up the lean ground turkey quickly once you get it into the pan. I find that it's harder to break up once it's browned.
- I wait to season the meat until after it's browned. This allows you to drain if needed without losing all the flavor.
- Shred the cheese ahead if you can- it melts easier.
- Leftovers and Storage- This will last 4-5 days covered in the refrigerator.
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