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Overhead view of a sweet potato and ground turkey skillet with a wooden spoon.
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4.60 from 5 votes

Sweet Potato and Ground Turkey Skillet

This easy Sweet Potato and Ground Turkey Skillet cooks turkey, sweet potato, kale, and Parmesan-coated orzo in one pan for a practical weeknight dinner!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Total Cost: $9.07 recipe / $2.27 serving
Servings: 4 servings (~2 cups each)
Calories: 459kcal
Author: Jennie Alley

Equipment

  • Large Deep Skillet with a Lid

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil divided, $0.07*
  • 1 lb. ground turkey $3.94**
  • 1 yellow onion diced, (1½ cups, 225g) $0.70
  • 2 garlic cloves minced, (2 tsp) $0.16
  • 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into ½” cubes, (1½ cups, 250g) $1.13
  • ½ tsp dried thyme $0.05
  • ½ tsp rubbed sage $0.04
  • ½ tsp poultry seasoning $0.02***
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika $0.04
  • 1 tsp salt divided, $0.08
  • ¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked & divided, $0.05
  • 1 cup orzo pasta uncooked & divided, (200g) $0.43
  • 3 cups chicken broth 24 fl oz., $0.35****
  • 2 cups kale chopped, (130g) $0.85*****
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, (50g) $1.16

Instructions

  • Gather and prep all ingredients.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large deep skillet with a lid over medium-high. Add turkey, season lightly with ¼ tsp and ⅛ tsp black pepper, and cook until browned and crumbly, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  • In the same skillet, add remaining Tbsp oil with onion, garlic, and sweet potato, thyme, sage, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika and remaining ¾ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until onion softens and spices become fragrant.
  • Add the orzo to the skillet and stir to coat in the oil and spices. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
  • Stir the turkey back into the skillet along with the kale. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes more until the greens are wilted.
  • Turn off the heat. Stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan until melted and coating the orzo.
  • Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with extra Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Use a neutral cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola oil.
**You can use any ground turkey here, including lean or higher-fat blends. Ground chicken is an equal swap and cooks in roughly the same time. If you want to use ground beef, I'd go for lean ground beef, though it may cost more. Higher-fat beef also works; cook it until browned, transfer it from the skillet, then drain the excess fat before continuing. Adjust the salt to taste.
***Poultry seasoning is a premixed blend of savory herbs and spices, usually including sage, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. An inexpensive store brand (such as Great Value from Walmart) works perfectly, or make our poultry seasoning blend if you’ve already got the seasonings needed on hand!
****I use Better Than Bouillon for cost and flavor consistency when calculating prices. Regular broth or stock can also be used, however seasoning may need to be adjusted accordingly to taste.
*****Remove the tough kale stems before chopping. Don’t love kale? Fresh spinach is a good substitute!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (~2 cups each) | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 1552mg | Fiber: 4g