Turkey is often thought of as a holiday meat to be enjoyed roasted along side your typical holiday trimmings and while it is delicious in these settings, it can also be enjoyed in many other fabulous ways…
Ground turkey is a lean, healthy choice that can be used wherever ground chicken, pork or beef is called for. It is high in protein, low in fat and calories and full of B vitamins, iron, magnesium and choline, which helps maintain our memory and mood. Turkey is a great addition to our diet for many reasons.
This ground turkey fajita rice bowl combines warmly seasoned turkey with sautéd vegetables, rice, shredded lettuce and your favorite fajita garnishes. It is wonderful for lunch or dinner and is great for meal prepping.
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 16 ounces of ground turkey, a large onion, some sweet bell pepper, garlic, spices and fresh cilantro. I am using white rice today, but feel free to use brown or wild rice if you prefer.
For the seasoning, I am using a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika and chili powder, but feel free to substitute your favorite taco seasoning or add some cayenne, if you want your turkey fajita rice bowl to have a little kick.
Start by cooking your preferred rice according to manufacturers instructions. This recipe makes 4 servings, so I cook about 3/4 cup per serving, but feel free to adjust this amount.
Place a large skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and your diced onion and sweet bell peppers. Season the onions and peppers with salt and black pepper and cook for 6-8 minutes or until softened.
Transfer the softened onions and peppers into a bowl and set them aside for now.
Place 16 ounces of ground turkey into the skillet and season with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. You can add salt and black pepper now or wait until the turkey is cooked through and taste to see if it is necessary.
Cook the turkey until it is browned and cooked through and broken into small pieces.
Once the turkey is done, add the softened onions and peppers along with about 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley and a pinch of salt and black pepper, if necessary. Mix until everything is evenly distributed and transfer the skillet off of the heat.
I love garnishing my turkey fajita rice bowls with a dollop of sour cream, some diced tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco and a few lime wedges. Gather your favorite garnishes and get ready to assemble your bowls…
Be sure to allow the rice and turkey mixture to cool before building your bowls. One of the biggest complaints about meal prepping is the texture of food after it sits in the refrigerator for a few days and this is often due to enclosing really hot food in an airtight container. The steam and moisture trapped in the containers can make the food mushy and gummy, which nobody wants.
Allowing the food to cool before building your meal preps can help maintain better long term texture.
Once everything has cooled, add your rice, shredded lettuce and turkey mixture into your airtight meal prepping containers.
You can add your garnishes is separate containers, but I usually add them right into the bowl. A dollop of sour cream, a lime wedge, some diced tomatoes and crumbled queso fresco. I also had some leftover cilantro that I tossed on there too. I love cilantro, but if you happen to not enjoy its flavor, feel free to leave it out of the entire recipe.
Turkey Fajita Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large sweet bell pepper, diced
- 16 ounces of ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 cups of rice, cooked
- 2 cups of lettuce, shredded
Optional Add-Ins
- queso fresco, crumbled
- fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- tomatoes, diced
- sour cream or salsa
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat
- Add the diced onion and peppers, season generously with salt and black pepper and cook for 6-8 minutes
- Transfer the onions and peppers onto a plate and set aside for now
- Add 16 ounces of ground turkey into the skillet and season with tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika and chili powder
- Cook until browned, cooked through and broken into small pieces
- Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook while stirring for 60 seconds
- Add the softened onions and peppers and 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro and mix until everything is evenly distributed and transfer off of the heat
- Add rice and shredded lettuce into bowls and top with the ground turkey mixture
- Garnish with diced tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco and sour cream
