That Girl Cooks Healthy

  • Home
  • About Me
    • FAQ/Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Useful Articles
  • 7 Day Detox Juicing Meal Plan
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
    • FAQ/Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Useful Articles
  • 7 Day Detox Juicing Meal Plan
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
    • FAQ/Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Useful Articles
  • 7 Day Detox Juicing Meal Plan
×
BLANK » Recipe Index » Main Entree

Slow Cooker Ground Turkey

November 8, 2019 by Charla 12 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
ground turkey pin
ground turkey pin

This slow cooker ground turkey recipe is loaded with protein and moderate carbohydrates, it's packed with flavour making it perfect for thanksgiving or even serve as a weeknight family dinner.

turkey in the slow cooker in a spatula

Delicious and flavoursome slow cooker ground turkey is great for weeknight or a large family

My favourite way to eat turkey has got to be hands down in it's ground form.

I know many people might disagree with me and that's fine but once you try cooking some ground turkey in a crockpot, especially this recipe you won't look back.

I'm talking about lean bits of generously seasoned minced turkey, slow cooked for several hours with some sweet potatoes and vegetables.

What is ground turkey?

In short ground turkey is an admixture of meat dark and light meats mostly thighs, drumsticks with skin and some deposits of fat still remaining, broken down into a fine form.

The ratio of lean to fat varies between 5% and 12% I personally have never seen anything higher than 12% in fat content. 

If you are worried about the saturated fat in ground turkey then always purchase the one that is labelled with the lowest fat percentage which is light and leaner meat.

Do keep in mind that leaner the meat is much more expensive.

I tend to buy 5% fat because while the meat is very very lean, there's a healthy amount of fat content that doesn't cause the meat to be too dry nor does it compromise the taste.

Actually, the small amount of fat content helps to enhance the flavour naturally.

Ground turkey for thanksgiving

Let's face it, thanksgiving can be stressful especially when catering to guests and/or a large family.

Not only that, a whole turkey is expensive and with the cost of living, some people simply cannot afford to buy a big bird.

That's why I also made these Caribbean Turkey Steaks Recipe, as another alternative to using a whole turkey (thank me later),

Ground turkey would make the perfect thanksgiving alternative, it's cheaper then buying it's counterpart not to mention a different concept which I'm sure will be well received by your dinner guests/family.

close up of the ground and vegetables

Ways to use ground turkey

  • Meatballs
  • Chilli
  • Meatloaf
  • Soup
  • Tacos

Many people compare ground beef to ground turkey but they both have similar nutritional value when comparing the same lean to fat content i.e 5% fat plus 95% lean turkey vs 5% fat plus 95% lean beef.

Both contain amino acids, which enable muscles to grow (great for gym goers).

Similar cholesterol, protein, iron, B vitamins, zinc, saturated fats and so fourth. This article here explains in full in much more details.

The steps

steps 1-3 sauteing and browning meat

  • Start by melting the coconut oil on medium heat.
  • Proceed to saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
  • Add the chopped yellow bell peppers and cook until soft.
  • Add the ground turkey and seal and brown the meat (the meat should change from pink/red to a brown/greyish hue) this should take several minutes to achieve.
  • Once the meat is browned season with black pepper, paprika, oregano, parsley, cumin and stir.

Steps 4-6 browning meat and adding vegetables

  • Pour in the pureed green, red pepper and coconut aminos and combine everything together

steps 6-9 adding water, pink salt and lime juice

  • Fold all of the vegetables in then pour in the warm water , pink salt then juice of a lime
  • Transfer everything into a crockpot (mine is a 2 in 1 sear and stew crockpot so I do both in the same pan)
  • Switch the crockpot on and set to slow cook for 4 hours on high

Frequently asked questions

Can I freeze this slow cooker recipe?

Yes, simply share out the recipe preferably into even portions, into a freezer friendly bowl and freeze for up to a month.

What's the best way to store any leftovers?

Any leftovers should be refrigerated straight away in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

How can you make this recipe low in carbohydrates?

Simple! Leave out the sweet potatoes or substitute them for another vegetable like cauliflower, broccoli or even carrots.

Notes and tips

  • For best results I highly recommend using 5% fat turkey, but this depends on your requirements and affordability.
  • Keep any eye on the liquid levels, you may need to add more water, if needed.
  • Coconut aminos is simply another estrogen free version of soy sauce
  • Use a blender or immersion stick blender to puree the peppers, you may need to add a splash of water (use as little as possible)
  • Make sure the water that is used it warm/tepid NOT cold in order to keep the temperature levels constant.
  • Browning the meat is very important as this helps to seal/lock in the flavour and by sauteing the onion and garlic this helps to impart a deeper taste.
  • To speed things up feel free to switch on the slow cooker in advance.
  • If you have a 2 in 1 Morphy Richards slow cooker like mine then you can omit transferring the content and simply slot the pan into the actual unit.
  • As per Caribbean traditional all meat is rinsed with lime/vinegar/salt/sour oranges. This is a cultural practice however if this doesn't apply to you simply skip the process

spatula scooping up the turkey and vegetables

Thanksgiving recipe to try

  • Stove Top Candied Yams
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • Sweet Cornbread
  • Mashed Potato Stuffing

More slow cooker recipes

  • Jamaican Oxtail Stew
  • Trinidad Stew Chicken
  • Belizean Stew Beans
  • Slow Cooker Black Beans
  • Caribbean Potato Curry

**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

turkey in a black crock pot

Slow Cooker Ground Turkey

Delicious slow cooked ground turkey with vegetables is the perfect weeknight dish or thanks dinner meal
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours hours
Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 587kcal
Author: Charla

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper chopped
  • 2.5 lb of ground turkey 1000g
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 cup of green beans chopped (200g)
  • 1 large red pepper pureed (deseeded first)
  • 1 large green pepper pureed (deseeded first)
  • 1 medium sweet potatoes 0r 2 small, chopped into small cubes
  • 1 zucchini courgette sliced and halved
  • 1 teaspoon of pink salt
  • 2 tablespoon coconut aminos (alternative to soy)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 cup of warm water 250ml

Instructions

  • Start by melting the coconut oil on medium heat.
  • Proceed to saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
  • Add the chopped yellow bell peppers and cook until soft.
  • Add the ground turkey and seal and brown the meat (the meat should change from pink/red to a brown/greyish hue) this should take several minutes to achieve.
  • Once the meat is browned season with black pepper, paprika, oregano, parsley, cumin and stir.
  • Pour in the pureed green, red pepper and coconut aminos and combine everything together
  • Fold all of the vegetables in then pour in the warm water, pink salt then juice of a lime
  • Transfer everything into a crockpot (mine is a 2 in 1 sear and stew crockpot so I do both in the same pan)
  • Switch the crockpot on and set to slow cook for 4 hours on high

Notes

  • For best results I highly recommend using 5% fat turkey, but this depends on your requirements and affordability.
  • Keep any eye on the liquid levels, you may need to add more water, if needed.
  • Coconut aminos is simply another estrogen free version of soy sauce 
  • Use a blender or immersion stick blender to puree the peppers, you may need to add a splash of water (use as little as possible)
  • Make sure the water that is used it warm/tepid NOT cold in order to keep the temperature levels constant. 
  • Browning the meat is very important as this helps to seal/lock in the flavour and by sauteing the onion and garlic this helps to impart a deeper taste.
  • To speed things up feel free to switch on the slow cooker in advance.
  • If you have a 2 in 1 Morphy Richards slow cooker like mine then you can omit transferring the content and simply slot the pan into the actual unit.
  • As per Caribbean traditional all meat is rinsed with lime/vinegar/salt/sour oranges. This is a cultural practice however if this doesn't apply to you simply skip the process

Nutrition

Calories: 587kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 978mg | Potassium: 1170mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6470IU | Vitamin C: 137mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

More Main Entree

  • Chicken dinner in a bowl
    Cajun Chicken Bowls
  • stir fry on a plate
    Beef and Broccolini Stir Fry
  • oyster mushrooms on a bed of rice
    Oyster Mushroom Chicken (Vegan)
  • Curry in a grey serving dish
    Slow Cooker Chicken Chickpea Curry

About Charla

I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

Comments

  1. Natasha says

    February 16, 2025 at 4:03 am

    Hi! This looks so yummy and I’m planning to make it tomorrow. Should I cook the peppers before pureeing, or just stick into a blender after scooping out the seeds etc? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      February 16, 2025 at 3:33 pm

      Hello Natasha, when you puree the bell peppers, make sure to de-seed them first (you can roughly chop them first). As you work your way through the recipe instructions, step 6 and onwards that's when you will cook the pureed peppers so there is no need to cook them in advance. I hope that helps and makes sense.

      Reply
  2. Jenn G. says

    April 15, 2024 at 11:12 pm

    Hi there! This recipe looks amazing and I would really like to try it, but peppers (all colors) are on my mom and daughter’s “Nope” list. Is there anything I can use instead?

    Reply
    • Charla says

      April 18, 2024 at 6:17 am

      Hi Jenn G, you can omit the yellow pepper however, the pureed peppers are definitely needed for the sofrito which forms the base of the recipe. You can sneak that in while cooking as there is no trace of it in terms of the colours once the ground turkey is cooked. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Melissa says

    November 20, 2023 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious!! I made it for my family and we all loved it! It didn’t say an amount for cumin up top but i did a teaspoon and it seemed to be perfect.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      November 20, 2023 at 6:05 pm

      Hi Melissa. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and my apologies for missing out the cumin. Yes, one teaspoon was the correct amount, great guess! I have updated the ingredients list to include the cumin for future reference.

      Reply
      • Cc says

        December 20, 2023 at 9:31 pm

        Can I add rice to this? I read an article that you can add it in to a slow cooker recipe on high, when it has 2 hours left to cook. But this isn’t really a stew or soup or casserole. What’s your recommendation with that? Because I’d rather add it in if I could than serve white rice on the side.

        Reply
        • Charla says

          December 20, 2023 at 10:25 pm

          Hi Cc, what concerns me is that the rice may absorb a lot of the liquid from the ground turkey. As I don't want the recipe to be a fail, I have to say it might be better to serve the rice on the side as this will guarantee that the recipe won't be potentially ruined. If you do decide to test it out with the rice, please update me and let me know how it turns out for you. Sorry I can't be of anymore help.

          Reply
  4. Cindy says

    November 01, 2023 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    Easy and delicious! We went back for seconds.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      November 01, 2023 at 1:05 pm

      Thank you so much Cindy

      Reply
  5. Emma says

    May 01, 2023 at 7:44 am

    Fantastic recipe, easy to follow, thanks Charla.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      May 02, 2023 at 3:29 pm

      You are very welcome!

      Reply
5 from 2 votes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




a picture of Charla

Hey, I'm Charla!

I'm an avid Caribbean foodie. Welcome to the haven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

About me

Popular

  • A stack of roti
    Keto Roti Recipe with Almond Flour
  • A blue bowl of mixed salad with chicken
    Mango Chicken Salad
  • A pitcher of juice and a glass
    Chayote Water
  • Caribbean Inspired Breakfast
  • Omelette in a frying pan
    Open Faced Omelette
  • cauliflower mash in a bowl
    Roasted Cauliflower Mash

As Featured In

Footer

↑ back to top

Featured In

About

  • Privacy Policy

Contact

  • Contact
  • FAQ

Copyright © 2025 That Girl Cooks Healthy

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.