Whenever I’m really short on time, my go-to recipe is always an easy skillet meal. This Ground Turkey Zucchini Skillet recipe is not only budget-friendly, but it’s also made in less than 30 minutes. You can easily customize it with whatever veggies you have on hand and then serve it with white or brown rice. It’s one of my favorite weeknight dinners that I always keep in rotation.
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Easy Ground Turkey Zucchini Skillet Recipe
All it takes is one pan, some ground turkey, fresh zucchini, and a quick homemade sauce, and I can have a delicious, veggie-packed meal on the table in no time. The sweet and savory blend of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a touch of brown sugar adds SO much flavor and makes this dish taste way more time-consuming than it actually is. Seriously, this ground turkey and zucchini skillet is one of those easy dinners I keep coming back to, especially when the fridge is looking a little bare!😊
Budget-Saving Tips
- If ground turkey isn’t something that usually makes its way onto your shopping list, feel free to swap in ground chicken or ground beef instead. Shop around for the best deal and go for what makes sense for your budget!
- You can totally use a different vegetable in place of the zucchini, too. If you’ve got a spare head of broccoli hanging out in your fridge or maybe some green beans leftover from a different recipe, use them instead. Bell peppers would also be nice (green bell peppers are often cheaper than red, orange, or yellow). Even a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables would work! Just cook off any extra moisture so your skillet doesn’t get watery, and you’re good to go.
Ground Turkey Zucchini Skillet
Servings 4 servingsIngredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce ($0.30)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.06)
- 1 tsp sesame oil ($0.11)
- 1 garlic clove, grated ($0.04)
- 1 tsp grated ginger ($0.10)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.05)
- 2 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce ($0.05)
- 1 small onion ($0.70)
- 1 large zucchini (about ¾ lb)* ($0.75)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1 lb. ground turkey ($4.49)
Instructions
- Start by making the sauce. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, grated garlic, grated ginger, cornstarch, water, and chili garlic sauce to a bowl. Mix together to combine and set the sauce to the side.
- Dice the onion. Slice the zucchini into rounds, then cut the rounds into quarters.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once the skillet is hot, add the diced onion and chopped zucchini. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes until the onion starts to become translucent and the zucchini is lightly browned. Remove the veggies to a separate plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the ground turkey. Crumble and cook until browned.
- Now add the sautéed veggies back to the skillet with the browned turkey. Give the sauce another stir, then pour the sauce over the veggies and ground turkey mixture.
- Give everything a stir and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes to thicken and soak into the turkey and zucchini mixture.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Serve hot with sliced green onions, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and cooked rice (all optional). Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Large 12" skillet
Notes
Nutrition
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Make the sauce: Combine ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 Tbsp water, and 1 tsp chili garlic sauce in a bowl. Set the sauce aside for now.
Prep the veggies: Dice 1 small onion and slice 1 large zucchini into rounds. Slice each round into quarters by cutting it in half vertically, then again horizontally.
Sauté the veggies: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Once the skillet and oil are hot, add the diced onion and quartered zucchini.
Sauté the zucchini and onion for about 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent and the zucchini is ever so slightly browned in places. Transfer the veggies to a plate and set aside.
Brown the ground turkey: Add 1 lb. ground turkey to the same skillet you sautéed the vegetables in. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon or potato masher as it cooks to create small crumbles. Cook until the ground turkey crumbles are browned.
Add the vegetables and sauce: Add the sautéed onion and zucchini to the skillet with the browned ground turkey.
Give your prepared sauce a little mix to recombine, then pour it over the ground turkey and veggies. Mix everything together to distribute the sauce evenly. Simmer for 2 more minutes to thicken the sauce.
Serve: Take the skillet off the heat and serve with any toppings and sides you like! I usually go for sliced green onions, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and cooked rice…YUM!
Serving Suggestions
I went for some sliced green onions, cooked rice, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds to make this skillet dinner more of a bowl meal. Our coconut rice would be a nice alternative to plain rice and would add a little extra extra flavor without overpowering the sauce. A simple sesame cucumber salad would also be great if you’re looking to round out the meal with something fresh and crunchy. And for some added protein, I think a soft-boiled egg on top would be so good!
Storage & Reheating
This one-pan ground turkey zucchini skillet is PERFECT for meal prepping! I like to store any leftovers in individual airtight containers and keep them in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. To reheat, you can either pop it in the microwave or add a little oil to a skillet on the stove and heat until everything is warmed through and sizzling again. You can also try freezing this recipe for up to 3 months (just note the veggies will likely be much softer after thawing). Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Love this recipe! Made it for dinner tonight night and it was a hit. Definitely adding it to the rotation.
Note: I used shoyu sauce instead of soy sauce. Also, I used gochujang instead of chili garlic sauce. It turned out great and tasted delicious.
Another fabulous recipe from Budget Bytes! Love this!!
I just made this for lunch–it’s a perfect budget recipe! First, this recipe is flexible–key for budget ooks. I dislike turkey in any form, but ground chicken, particularly at Aldi price of well under $4 per lb, is my new love! It was perfect. Zucchini is sort of expensive this time of year, plus I didn’t have any, so used almost 2 c of leftover roasted veggies–sweet potato, red bell pepper, onion, and asparagus. As Marsha said, almost any veggie will work, and I will use zucchini–which is a fave–later in the summer when it’s cheap. The easy sauce really makes this recipe pop! Thanks. Marsha!