This slow cooker ground turkey recipe is loaded with protein and moderate carbohydrates, it’s packed with flavour making it the perfect weeknight dinner.

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, leaner meat. Do keep in mind that more lean the meat is the expensive it is.

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 health when cooking and 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.

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.

What can I make with 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 muscle 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.

How to make slow cooker ground turkey

Start by melting the coconut oil on medium heat.
Proceed to saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
Add the chopped 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

Tip and notes for making the best slow cooker ground turkey

For best results I highly recommend using 5% fat turkey, but this depends on your requirements and affordability.
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 in 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 eventual 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

Frequently asked questions

Can I free this slow cooker recipe

Yes, simply share out the recipe preferably into even portions in a freezer friendly bowl and freeze 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 I make this recipe low in carbohydrates

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

More slow cooker recipes

Jamaican oxtail stew

Trinidad stew chicken

Belizean stew beans

Slow cooker black beans

Caribbean potato curry

Slow cooker ground turkey

Delicious slow cooked ground turkey with vegetables is the perfect weeknight dish – paleo, gluten free

Author: Charla
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours + 20 minutes
Yield: 4-6 1x
Category: Main entree

Scale

Ingredients

2.5lb of ground turkey (1000g)
1cup of green beans, chopped (200g)
1 onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, pureed
1 large green pepper, pureed
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet potatoes (0r 2 small), chopped into small cubes
1 zucchini (courgette) sliced and halved
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp of pink salt
2 tbsp coconut aminos
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup of warm water (250ml)
2 tbsp of coconut oil

Instructions

Start by melting the coconut oil on medium heat.
Proceed to saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
Add the chopped 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.
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 in 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 eventual 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