Ground Turkey, Rice and Veggie Skillet

Ground turkey, rice and veggie skillet with beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers is an all-in-one dinner with tons of flavor that's ready in just 30 minutes. It's easy to make and customize and sure to be a family favorite!

This post has been updated with new photos.

Anyone else just adore a recipe where you basically put everything together in a pan and stir?

If so, you may love this turkey taco rice skillet or Mexican fried rice for a just "add and mix" kind of meal that makes dinnertime a breeze.

Or check out this curry ground turkey with rice and peas for another easy and delicious ground turkey recipe with tons of flavor. And this Italian ground turkey skillet is ready in just 25 minutes and very family friendly.

Today though we're making a very long-time favorite of mine that I make on repeat.

I'm calling it a ground turkey, rice and veggie skillet.

But it's also a "dump" meal. You dump everything in the pan at various points, stir, cook and serve. But "dump meal" doesn't sound very appetizing. Also it's not very descriptive.

So while this name isn't particularly sexy, it gets the point across.

And you are going to love how incredibly easy and incredibly flavorful this dinner comes out to be!

It's loaded with ground turkey, fluffy rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper and onion. Plus the perfect mix of seasonings.

It's kid-friendly, uses on-hand ingredients and can be served with all your favorite toppings.

Plus, there's tons of substitutions you can make to use what you have in your pantry and to customize it to your tastes.

Bonus: This ground turkey and rice dinner is ready in about 30 minutes!

(It's less than 30 minutes if you're using leftover cooked rice, a quick cook rice or white rice, and a little bit more than 30 minutes if you are cooking brown rice from scratch.)

Oh, and this meal is gluten-free, too.

OK, let's get cooking so you can get dinner ready!

Ingredient Notes:

Turkey: I use 93% lean ground turkey for this recipe. You could probably sub ground chicken if you'd like. If you use ground beef, be sure to drain any excess grease.

Cooked rice: The rice for this recipe needs to be cooked when you stir it in at the end, so please plan accordingly. You can start your rice first or you can use leftover rice.

Rice: I use brown rice but white rice is fine here too. You could even use a quick-cook rice if you prefer to make this even quicker.

Beans: Black beans are our go-to but you could substitute pinto beans if you like. Kidney beans would also work here.

Diced tomatoes: I love fire-roasted diced tomatoes for some extra oomph, but regular diced tomatoes are fine. You could also use a can of Rotel or diced tomatoes with green chilies.

Corn: Frozen corn works great here, and I always have some on hand. You could also use fresh corn or a can of Mexicorn or small can of white or yellow corn. You'll need about 1 cup.

The recipe calls for 1 chicken bouillon cube or subbing 1 teaspoon of chicken base. I keep a little box of those cubes on hand and it really does add a lot of flavor.

However, you can skip it if you don't have either of those in your pantry. I realize it's a less common ingredient for most people.

See, it's very flexible and very forgiving.

Want to make it spicy? You know I'm all about it! Here are a few ideas…

How to make it spicy:

• Add 1-2 chopped jalapeños along with the onion in the beginning. Or…
• Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the other seasonings to give it a good kick. Or…
• Use ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes for a little less kick than the cayenne.
• You can also spice this up with just your toppings. (I do this so it's mild enough for the kids.) Top yours with pickled jalapeños, hot sauce and/or sriracha for some extra heat.

This is of course an all-in-one kinda meal, so you don't need anything to add as side dishes. But toppings are highly recommended! I've got a list in the recipe card below. Choose your favorites.

Leftovers also keep and reheat really well so it's a great meal to make ahead if needed. It works well for nights when everyone is coming and going and need to eat at different times. You'll also be thrilled to enjoy again later in the week for lunch. (Details on storing leftovers are in the recipe card below.)

I hope you give this a try for a new delicious and easy family dinner favorite! It's been on rotation in our house for years and years.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

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4.42 from 51 votes

Ground Turkey, Rice and Veggie Skillet

Ground turkey, rice and veggie skillet with beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers is an all-in-one dinner with tons of flavor that's ready in just 30 minutes. It's easy to make and customize and sure to be a family favorite!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Yield: 4 -6 servings

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Ingredients

• ¾ cup rice (see notes)
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey (such as 90% or 93% lean)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced (or use another color)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (or 1 teaspoon chicken base)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
• 1 cup of corn
• Juice of 1 lime

Toppings (optional):

• Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced or diced avocado, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, etc.

Instructions

• Cook rice according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up with a spatula, about 5 minutes. (It doesn't need to be cooked through just yet.)
• Add the onion and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes, until the onion is getting soft and the turkey is almost cooked through.
• Add the zucchini and bell pepper and saute for another 5-6 minutes, until the turkey is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
• Stir in the seasonings, beans, tomatoes, corn and the cooked rice. Mix well and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until warmed through and thickened up. (At this point, you can reduce the heat to low and let the skillet hang out if needed. Just make sure it doesn't dry out.)
• Squeeze the lime juice over the skillet and serve hot with your favorite toppings.

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Notes

Rice: The rice for this recipe needs to be cooked when you stir it in at the end, so please plan accordingly. You can start your rice first or you can use leftover rice. I use brown rice but white rice is fine here too. You could even use a quick-cook rice if you prefer.

Leftovers: You can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or freeze it for up to 4-5 months. Let the turkey and rice mixture cool completely, then pack it in a labeled freezer-safe ziptop bag or container. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a microwave-safe container in the microwave until hot.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 703mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!

Here's one of the earlier photos of this recipe for reference.