Southwest Ground Turkey and Rice Skillet

I love a good skillet dinner! Combining meat and rice with all sorts of tasty things is totally my jam. And add to it the fact that is 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 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 flavor and it's also pretty healthy! This is the stuff that winning weeknight dinners are made of!

Tips for making a Ground Turkey Southwest Rice Bowl

• Use a non-stick skillet if you can- much easier 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.

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 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 Southwest Ground Turkey skillet last?

This will last for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for making Ground Turkey Taco Skillet

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Red bell pepper
• Garlic
• Ground Turkey
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Chipotle powder
• Dried cilantro
• Rotel
• Canned diced green chiles
• Black beans
• Frozen corn
• Rice
• Cheddar cheese
• Scallion
• Lime
• Tortilla Chips

Ingredients to prep ahead:

• Dice onion
• Dice pepper
• Peel garlic
• Cook rice
• Shred cheese
• Wash scallions

Helpful tools

1. Chef's knife
2. Cutting board
3. Measuring cups
4. Measuring spoons
5. Large saute pan
6. Wooden spoon

Southwest Ground Turkey and Rice Skillet

Jessy Freimann

This Southwest Ground Turkey and Rice Skillet recipe is a deliciously easy throw-together dinner. It's full of great flavor with a kick to it and is a healthy way to mix things up in your dinner rotation!

4.96 from 24 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course dinner, Main, Main Course, Main dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 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
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1 10 ounce can Rotel
• 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.

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