• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Life Jolie logo
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    The Life Jolie » Main/Entree » Southwest Rice and Ground Turkey Skillet

    Southwest Rice and Ground Turkey Skillet

    Published: Sep 8, 2023 by Jessy Freimann · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    A serving spoon holding a scoop of the turkey rice mixture over the pan of it.

    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!

    A serving spoon holding a scoop of the turkey rice mixture over the pan of it.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Ground Turkey Rice Bowl
    • Ingredient Information And Substitutions:
    • How to Make a Southwest Turkey Skillet
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Tips for making a Skillet Ground Turkey
    • Make it a meal
    • Other Ground Turkey Dishes to Try...
    • Southwest Rice and Ground Turkey Skillet Recipe

    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!
    An overhead image of a skillet of ground turkey and rice with a striped napkin.

    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!
    Ground Turkey Skillet ingredients in glass bowls and labeled.

    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.

    Onions, peppers and garlic in a skillet sautéing on a stove.

    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.

    Browned ground turkey in the skillet with the vegetables.

    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.

    Remaining ingredients added to the skillet on a stove.

    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!

    Cheese melting in the skillet with the cover on top on the stove.

    Frequently asked questions

    Do I have to use ground turkey?

    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.

    Is there a way to make this ground turkey rice bowl not spicy?

    Yes, leave out the chipotle powder and replace it with the same amount of additional chili powder. Also, use mild Rotel instead of Original.

    Can this be made ahead?

    Yes — it reheats very well. You can also prep the veggies, cook the rice, and brown the turkey ahead and then throw them together.

    How long does ground turkey and rice last?

    My Southwest ground turkey dinner will keep for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.

    A bowl of rice and ground turkey with cheese on top and the pan behind it.

    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:

    • Red Cabbage Salad
    • 7 Layer Dip
    • Lemon Parfait Cups
    A close up of the turkey and rice recipe on a plate with a fork in it.

    Other Ground Turkey Dishes to Try...

    • Greek Baked Turkey Meatballs are a tasty appetizer or an excellent main dish. They're insanely easy to whip up and a healthy option as well! Ground turkey, lemon juice and greek spices make a delicious and flavorful meatball that tastes awesome with tzatziki sauce!
      Greek Baked Turkey Meatballs Recipe
    • A square mage of a Sweet Chili Turkey Burger.
      Spicy Sweet Chili Turkey Burgers
    • Turkey Meatloaf and Potatoes Dinner offers a lighter meat and potatoes option for a easy weeknight dinner. Just a little over 30 minutes and a few basic ingredients and you've got a weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
      Turkey Meatloaf and Potatoes Dinner
    • 30 Minute Turkey Chili

    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!

    A serving spoon holding a scoop of the turkey rice mixture over the pan of it.

    Southwest Rice and Ground Turkey Skillet Recipe

    Jessy Freimann
    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!
    4.96 from 48 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course dinner, Main, Main Course, Main dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 253 kcal

    Equipment

    • saute pan
    • cutting board
    • chefs knife
    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Wooden Spoons
    • Box grater

    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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 27gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 608mgPotassium: 359mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 206IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Frito Taco Bake
    Easy Chicken Cacciatore »
    42492 shares
    • Share
    • Flipboard
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maggie says

      March 29, 2021 at 8:46 pm

      Loved your directions and prep list--very, very helpful. The recipe was flavorful from the chili powder, but I added more spices to round out the flavor, easy fix. Thanks for a hearty, fast meal!
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        April 05, 2021 at 1:35 pm

        Thanks Maggie- I'm so glad you liked it!
        Reply
    2. Lo says

      April 19, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      So easy and delicious! I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand, but even missing a few things my whole family loved this! We added crushed blue corn tortilla strips, guacamole and sour cream on top. Delish!
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        April 22, 2021 at 11:26 am

        SO glad you loved it Lo! Sounds like you had some delicious toppers!
        Reply
    3. Bobbi says

      October 20, 2021 at 9:39 pm

      I used Trader Joe's Spicy Mexican-style riced cauliflower inst4ad of rice and it was delicious and low carb!
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        October 25, 2021 at 10:54 pm

        Yuuuummmmm! What a delicious add-on! Thanks for sharing :)
        Reply
    4. Michele says

      October 25, 2021 at 7:02 pm

      Made it with hamburger and left out the corn. It was delicious and fast! Will add guacamole as a garnish next time. Definitely a keeper!
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        October 25, 2021 at 10:52 pm

        So glad you loved it! Guacamole is ALWAYS a good idea!
        Reply
    5. Anthony says

      December 30, 2021 at 6:52 pm

      Delicious
      Reply
      • Jessy Freimann says

        January 13, 2022 at 8:12 pm

        Why thank you!
        Reply
    6. Jess says

      February 23, 2022 at 5:02 pm

      My family and I love this recipe! It’s a weekly at our house! Do you have any nutritional information on this recipe? For example calories, protein, etc? We are on a strict diet and want to make sure we can add this meal information into our plan!
      Reply
    7. Sarah says

      August 02, 2022 at 5:05 pm

      Super easy, quick and delicious. My whole family loved it!
      Reply
    8. Julie says

      August 29, 2022 at 6:30 pm

      I followed the directions for the most part, buying the medium hot Rotel tomatoes and cutting the rice in half, and this was SO GOOD!!! Leftovers were even better. Can’t wait to make again for new people!
      Reply
    9. Kim says

      October 09, 2022 at 12:26 am

      Really good, I like the use of ground turkey. The freshness of the peppers and corn. The black beans give it some nice starch. The chips, green onions and lime acid at the end was great! Will keep this recipe as a go to!
      Reply
    10. Lynn says

      October 15, 2022 at 3:45 pm

      I’ve made this many times and used if for freezer lunches. I did leave out beans and cheese and it was still really good!
      Reply
    11. Jessica says

      November 30, 2022 at 7:03 pm

      A new favorite that will definitely be a part of our dinner rotations!
      Reply
    12. Kim says

      January 09, 2023 at 9:54 pm

      This was fantastic! Absolutely putting this on the dinner rotation! Easy, customizable and so much flavor!!
      Reply
    13. Sandy says

      January 24, 2023 at 11:11 pm

      This turned out excellent. I added a bit more cheese and threw it in the oven at 375 for about 10-15 minutes. Nice simple ingredients that really worked for the ground turkey I didn’t know what to do with. The only thing I didn’t have was the chipotle powder so I used cayenne.
      Reply
    14. Kim says

      January 25, 2023 at 8:00 pm

      I made this for dinner and subbed cauliflower rice and it was delicious! Big hit with the family. Thank you for the recipe.
      Reply
    15. Carol says

      February 01, 2023 at 4:04 pm

      Love the idea of one pot meal. Only thing I did different was use riced cauliflower instead of rice. Smells and tastes great. Thank you. It is easy to make.
      Reply
    16. Mary says

      February 23, 2023 at 9:02 pm

      LOVED IT! So much flavor! Hit for whole family!
      Reply
    17. Leslie says

      February 26, 2023 at 8:19 pm

      So easy and so good!
      Reply
    18. Lydia Kenny says

      May 22, 2023 at 6:43 pm

      Love this recipe! Besides some minor tweaks to amounts of the ingredients/spices, it’s one of our staples for meal prepping lunches or dinner for the week
      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Jessy in a kitchen holding a white casserole pan and smiling.
    Hi, I'm Jessy!

    Welcome to The Life Jolie! I share simple, delicious recipes and ingredient prep tips to make your weeknight cooking a breeze!

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • A pile of sour cream cookies where the one in the middle has a bite out of it exposing the cakey center of the cookie.
      Sour Cream Cookies
    • A straight on image of 3 cinnamon cereal bars stacked on each other exposing the inside of the bars.
      Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
    • An overhead image of one side of a bowl of vegetable salad on a blue placemat.
      Marinated Vegetable Salad
    • A bowl of crab mac salad on top of a second bowl with celery and an onion behind it.
      Crab Pasta Salad
    • A close up shot of the side of a shallow bowl of shrimp mac salad.
      Shrimp Macaroni Salad
    • A piece of pineapple chicken breast with a grilled pineapple slice on a pan with other pieces behind it.
      Aloha Chicken Recipe

    Popular Recipes

    • A square image of how to melt chocolate chips in the microwave showing the chocolate once it's melted.
      How to Melt Chocolate Chips in the Kitchen
    • Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the healthy weeknight meal you'll want to make again and again. This is a seriously easy recipe that's full of delicious flavor without all the guilt!
      Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
    • A close up shot of the side of a shallow bowl of shrimp mac salad.
      Shrimp Macaroni Salad
    • A square image of a white pot pouring cheese sauce over a bowl of broccoli with a blue towel behind it.
      Cheese Sauce for Broccoli Recipe
    • Do you love the Cheesecake Factory's Thai Lettuce Wraps! Well then why not make them at home? They're easy to make and totally delicious!
      Reader Request: Copycat Cheesecake Factory Thai Lettuce Wraps
    • A square image of Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs.
      Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy + Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Video Production

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright 2014-2021 - Jolie Ventures, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.