Ground Turkey Instead of Ground Beef
When I was a child, my parents went through a Ground Turkey Phase. I think everybody’s parents went through this phase in the ’70s. I remember how gross the turkey burgers were: dry and solid and a weird pale color.
You can imagine my reluctance to try ground turkey again, then, when Paul came home from work one day several years ago and said that he’d now heard one too many stories about Mad Cow Disease and didn’t think we should eat ground beef anymore. He said he knew it probably wasn’t rational, but that’s how he felt: no more ground beef.
The first dinner we had of ground turkey, we had a back-up plan: if it was too gross to eat, one of us would run out to a drive-through. Then we FORGOT IT WAS TURKEY. We’ve used ground turkey ever since.
The key, at least in the beginning while you’re getting used to the idea, is to use ground turkey in moist, highly-seasoned dishes. Our first meal of it was tacos, and we used one of those taco seasoning packets you combine with water. It was also good in a soup recipe. Or, do you eat Hamburger Helper-type things? It’s awesome in those.
Bonus: in our area, ground turkey costs less per pound for higher-quality meat. A pound of 93% lean turkey is less expensive than a pound of 90% lean ground beef.
Now, let’s all agree not to tell Paul about salmonella. —Swistle
Posted: January 31st, 2008 under Misc, Cooking/Food, Personally recommended by Swistle.
Comments: 17
Comments
Comment from superblondgirl
Time: January 31, 2008, 6:37 am
I try to sneak it in, but my husband ALWAYS KNOWS. And then he complains that ground turkey just isn’t the same. But it is, dammit! And it’s cheaper here, too!
I think he’s just trying to make me crazy.
Comment from Tessie
Time: January 31, 2008, 7:40 am
I think my beef (HAHA!-oh dear) with the ground turkey is mostly the color. That’s why I’m okay with it in tacos but not, say, meatloaf. So you don’t eat beef AT ALL? Or just ground beef?
Comment from Mommy Daisy
Time: January 31, 2008, 7:45 am
We use ground turkey for almost anything we’d use ground beef for. I have found that it’s cheaper like you said too. I actually prefer the taste anyway.
Comment from Swistle
Time: January 31, 2008, 7:51 am
Tessie- No beef at all, but we weren’t eating other cuts of it before, either—not on some kind of principle, but because neither of us thinks to cook it.
Comment from She Likes Purple
Time: January 31, 2008, 7:59 am
My husband and I love ground turkey. In fact, we eat turkey burgers quite a lot. He seasons them perfectly and we eat them on sourdough bread, instead of a bun. With swiss cheese and a little ranch, it’s incredible.
Comment from Di
Time: January 31, 2008, 8:00 am
I think the trick is to use lean ground turkey, rather than ground turkey breast. The ground turkey has dark meat in it, which is moist and delicious! (We get ours at Costco.) And I agree that it works best in places where you’re not expecting “BEEF” however, turkey burgers are great if you treat them as their own thing - topped swiss cheese and mustard, like a deli turkey sandwich.
Comment from Paul
Time: January 31, 2008, 8:05 am
Salmonella, blah blah blah. The thing with Mad Cow is the googlescooking does nothing. Also, it puts holes in your brain. Case closed.
Also, I still buy GB for hamburgers. Turkeryburgers are gross.
Comment from Marie Green
Time: January 31, 2008, 8:18 am
We use both turkey and beef, but we prefer turkey b/c it’s healthier… Jenni-O makes a really good turkey burger- you buy a box of, say, 12 pre-made and frozen burgers. They aren’t weird or dry or anything. And we even grill them, with some seasoning, and they turn out YUMMY. I never think making turkey-burger patties on my own taste right, but these frozen Jenni-O ones are great.
Comment from Elizabeth
Time: January 31, 2008, 11:36 am
Martha Stewart’s recipe for turkey burgers is awesome.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/favorite-turkey-burger?autonomy_kw=turkey%20burger&rsc=rf_result8
We also grind up chicken breasts in the food processor and use it for meatballs and stuff like that.
Comment from Pickles & Dimes
Time: January 31, 2008, 11:39 am
Hmmm…I remain highly suspicious of your turkey-pushing agenda.
That said, I’m going to pick some up this weekend to try in chili. So HELP ME if it ruins the chili experience. [shakes fist]
Comment from Jenny
Time: January 31, 2008, 12:15 pm
Okay, so I’ve tried this, but maybe my turkey was *too* lean? I’ve tried it twice in those hamburger-helper kinds of things and I mean, the texture was really weird — like it just wouldn’t hold together in that kind of juicy, clumpy way ground beef does? It was kind of grainy and … loose? What did I do wrong? (And I think I just grossed myself out and will now be able to eat neither beef NOR turkey.)
HOWEVER, turkey bacon is the BOMB.
Comment from Swistle
Time: January 31, 2008, 12:19 pm
Comment from Jennifer
Time: January 31, 2008, 12:21 pm
Ohhh P&D, ground turkey is awesome in chili. That’s where I first used it, and there’s no going back. Now it’s a staple in our meat spaghetti sauce too.
Comment from samantha jo campen
Time: January 31, 2008, 3:28 pm
We’ve been doing this for a few years, mostly because it’s healthier. But yes, it’s cheaper too. We use it in chili (can’t tell AT ALL) and for sloppy joes. Haven’t tried it for burgers yet. Maybe that will occur this summer on the BBQ. But either way, it’s a great idea all around. Gobble gobble!
Comment from elizabeth
Time: January 31, 2008, 6:57 pm
i love cooking turkey tacos and turkey spaghetti. we tried turkey burgers once and it just didn’t work…but we’ll have to try them again with the martha stewart recipe someone linked above.
Comment from Pixie
Time: February 1, 2008, 10:11 am
I have an allergy to beef so we don’t eat it in our house ever, hubby is amazingly acceptable of this. We use ground turkey allot but what we like even better is ground chicken. We use it in pasta and for tacos and even for a quick meal with some hamburger helper it’s great.
Comment from Kate
Time: February 15, 2008, 11:38 am
Ground turkey works great in Hamburger Helper — especially the Stroganoff.
Write a comment