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GF Gluten Free DF Dairy Free P Paleo 30 30 Minutes or Less

Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep

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By: Danielle4 Comments Posted: 02/14/2020 Updated: 01/31/2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Full of flavor and packed with veggies like kale, jalapeno, onions and peppers, this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep is a quick one-pan make-ahead lunch option. Portion with your favorite rice for a delicious filling meal!

chipotle ground turkey skillet meal prep in glass containers with rice

Ground turkey needs more love! It can taste good too. I’m here with evidence to prove it. 

Here are some common complaints I hear about ground turkey:

  • it gets too dry when reheated
  • it has no flavor
  • what can you make besides tacos?
  • I’d rather have ground beef

Let’s fix these issues, shall we?? My solution is: super flavorful, lots of veggies, delicious ground turkey skillet, with salsa to keep away any dryness. Good ground turkey recipes do exist!

Another example: My ground turkey breakfast sausage patties have unsweetened applesauce in the meat mixture to keep it extra moist. Give ground turkey a try!

Recipe Overview

Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Stovetop
Prep: Make-Ahead Friendly

Watch how to make this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep (1 min 9 seconds):

What ingredients are in this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep?

This meal prep meal is full of deliciously clean ingredients and is paleo, dairy-free, and gluten-free friendly. Here are the ingredients in these Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep bowls.

  • ground turkey – I love using ground turkey for meal prep! Keep ground turkey from getting dry while reheating by adding a sauce or making it into a stir fry. 
  • bell peppers – Red and yellow bell peppers add a ton of color and a little bit of sweetness to this dish! Okay, at least compared to the jalapenos.
  • onion & garlic – Aromatics, flavor enhancers, the best ingredients in my opinion.
  • jalapenos – Cooking the jalapenos helps get rid of the extra heat! 
  • cumin – We want some flavor that isn’t just spicy heat to go with the chipotle vibes.
  • salsa – I prefer to use a very mild, thin salsa here, such as Pace. The tomatoes and liquid from the salsa add extra texture, flavor, and keep the ground meat from drying out. Feel free to use your favorite salsa here.
  • chipotle hot sauce – I prefer Siete Chipotle Hot Sauce (affiliate link – I get it at Whole Foods), but Cholula or other brands would work too. You can also use leftover chipotle sauce from a can of chipotle peppers if you have it on hand.
  • rice – This time, I used plain white rice cooked in chicken broth, but you can use any rice you’d like, including cauli rice if that’s your thing.
peppers and onions cut up for the chipotle ground turkey skillet
cooking ingredients for the chipotle ground turkey skillet meal prep

How do you make the Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep?

If you’re cooking rice to go with this meal prep, get that going first. You can use your favorite method – I like to cook my rice in the Instant Pot.

Generally, when cooking four portions for meal prep, I cook about 1 1/2 cups of dry white rice in chicken broth, and then split it between the four meals.

To start the ground turkey skillet, get the ground turkey going in a Dutch oven or a skillet at least 12 inches. A normal 10-inch skillet with low sides will just barely contain this skillet dinner. 

Brown the meat with some salt, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Once the meat is just barely cooked through, add all the veggies except kale, as well as the cumin, salsa and hot sauce.

Stir and cook for 7-8 more minutes until all the veggies are softened and it’s looking delicious and bubbly.

Finally, add the chopped kale and stir for about 1 minute, until the kale is wilted and bright green. Remove the pan from heat and you’re done! Serve with rice. It’s that simple.

This meal is pretty hard to mess up. You can do it!

Tip from Danielle

The skillet starts out pretty full when you first add all the veggies, but let it simmer and stir occasionally – everything will cook down as you go!

chipotle ground turkey skillet cooked and ready to be portioned
zoomed in view of the chipotle ground turkey skillet mixture

Is this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet spicy?

If I had to pick yes or no, I’d have to say, yes, this is a slightly spicy dish. Chipotle is a smoked jalapeno pepper, so it makes sense. But there are ways to change this!

Most of the spice will depend on your chosen hot sauce. Reduce the heat by picking a milder hot sauce, or just using less hot sauce in general. 

For a less spicy dish, use less hot sauce, about 2 tablespoons. For more heat, use 3-4 tablespoons.

You can also use less jalapeno peppers, though the cooking process does calm down a lot of that heat anyway.

Overall, when you pair with rice, add some guacamole and mild pico, this dish is just the right amount spicy!

Can I use ground beef instead of ground turkey?

Yes, you can use ground beef instead of ground turkey. If you’re using 90/10 or 85/15 ground beef, you may need to drain some excess grease after cooking the meat.

scooping chipotle ground turkey skillet mixture into meal prep container

How do you meal prep this meal?

Add about 3/4 cup cooked rice to each meal prep container. Portion the ground turkey veggie mixture evenly between the 4 meal prep containers. Put the lids on and place the meals in the refrigerator or freezer.

Enjoy meals from the refrigerator within 4 days, and meals from the freezer within 3 months.

Where do you get those meal prep containers?

It’s so important to have dependable containers for your meal prepped meals (see ALL my recommendations here!). Airtight, glass, freezer safe – those are some of my requirements.

For this meal, I’ve used my 2 Compartment Glass Meal Prep Containers (affiliate link!) made by Prep Naturals. I get these on Amazon. 

This is probably the most common question I receive. These style containers are essential if you want to keep food separated.

More easy meal preps…

Meal Prep Ginger Ground Beef Bowls (Whole30 & Paleo)

Spicy Ground Turkey & Cabbage Stir Fry Meal Prep

Easy Cashew Chicken Meal Prep

All meal prep lunches
chipotle ground turkey skillet meal prep with rice in containers

How to store this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep:

Store this meal prep meal in airtight containers with lids in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for best quality. Add toppings like guacamole after reheating.

Can you freeze this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep?

Yes! You can freeze these meals in freezer safe containers. Remove from the freezer the night before eating and then reheat normally, or defrost slowly in the microwave before eating.

How do you reheat this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep?

Loosely cover the meal with the lid and microwave on High for 2 minutes, or until it’s hot and steamy. This meal would also work well reheated in a HotLogic Mini Portable Oven – see my full review here!

Add any extras like guacamole and pico de gallo after reheating.

Did you make this? I want to see how it turned out! Tag me in your social media post @projectmealplan and use #projectmealplan when you share!

Recipe

Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep

Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Save Rate it
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 30 minutes

Full of flavor and packed with veggies like kale, jalapeno, onions and peppers, this Chipotle Ground Turkey Skillet Meal Prep is a quick one-pan make-ahead lunch option. Portion with your favorite rice for a delicious filling meal!

Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups uncooked rice of choice + cooking liquid
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 pound (16 ounces) lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 2 jalapenos, seeds and stem removed, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2/3 cup mild salsa
  • 3 tablespoons chipotle pepper hot sauce
  • 2 cups kale leaves, roughly chopped and stalks removed, loosely packed
  • serve with cilantro and guacamole

Instructions

  1. Cook the meat: If you’re prepping with rice, start that first following box directions or your preferred method. In a Dutch Oven or 12 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add ground turkey and salt. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Cook the meat for about 5-6 minutes or until just barely cooked through, stirring occasionally.
  2. Cook the veggies: Next, add bell peppers, onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, salsa and hot sauce to the pan. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the liquid has reduced. Finally, add kale leaves and stir until bright green and slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat.
  3. Meal prep it: Add about 3/4 cup cooked rice to each meal prep container. Portion the ground turkey veggie mixture evenly between 4 meal prep containers. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole if you wish. Store in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Equipment

bamboo cutting board.

Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board

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2 Compartment Glass Meal Prep Containers

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Notes

Chipotle pepper hot sauce: I like Siete Chipotle Hot Sauce (affiliate link – I get it at Whole Foods), but Cholula or other brands would work too. You can also use leftover chipotle sauce from a can of chipotle peppers if you have it on hand (use 2 TB for mild, 3-4 TB for more spicy).

Rice: Serve with your favorite rice. Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal using white rice. Recipe video added 5/13/2022.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: about 2 cups
  • Calories: 355
  • Fat: 11g
  • Carbohydrates: 36g
  • Protein: 27g
© Author: Danielle
Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired Method: Stovetop

Did You Make This?

I love seeing what you made! Leave a review below, and be sure to tag me at @ProjectMealPlan when you share a photo!

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About Danielle

Hi, I’m Danielle! My passion for meal planning was born from a desire to save money and reduce food waste, and I want to share it with you! Besides cooking and photography, I absolutely love my cats & dog, growing food in my yard, and cheesy sandwiches! Read More...

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  1. Nathan says

    Posted on 2/18/20 at 1:19 pm

    What are your thoughts about using ground chicken instead of ground turkey? Thanks for the recipe and article though, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

    Reply
    • Danielle says

      Posted on 2/18/20 at 1:20 pm

      Hi Nathan! Ground chicken would also be just as delicious in my opinion! Please let me know if you give it a try 🙂 Thanks for your question! -Danielle

      Reply
  2. Rebecca says

    Posted on 8/26/22 at 1:34 pm

    What are your thoughts about subbing spinach for kale?

    Reply
    • Danielle says

      Posted on 8/26/22 at 2:07 pm

      I think that would work great!

      Reply

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