Italian ground turkey skillet with white beans, diced tomatoes and spinach is an easy, flavorful all-in-one-pan dinner that’s ready in just 25 minutes!
I spent most of last week at the beach, working and taking super long walks on the beach. My kiddos are both at sleep-away camp and the house seemed just a little *too* quiet.
But I'm back now and have a week before they come home. My puppy Sadie, our 9-month-old chocolate lab, is just home from training camp, so she and the older dog will keep me company.
And I plan to work through TONS of recipes and get ahead a little bit so I can just spoil my kids with love and attention when they get back.
OK, let's move along to the food.
Ground turkey is something I almost always have in the fridge. It’s so versatile and it’s a great, healthy protein.
And so of course, I’m always cooking with it! And therefore bringing more and more recipes to you!
Previously, I’ve shared this curry ground turkey with rice and peas that has SO much flavor. We also love this ground turkey, rice and veggie skillet that’s endlessly adaptable to what you have on hand. It’s in my regular rotation.
I’ve also shared this collection of 12 easy ground turkey recipes because ground turkey is one of my go-to proteins for meals, and I love finding new ways to use it.
Today, I’m sharing another favorite with this Italian ground turkey skillet.
This one-pot meal is loaded with ground turkey, onions and peppers, white beans, diced tomatoes and wilted spinach.
It’s perfectly seasoned and then finished off with Parmesan cheese to bring everything together.
All of those ingredients work so well together, and they’re all pretty basic staples that I’m likely to have on hand in my fridge and pantry. Which means I can make this any time!
And the fact that it’s ready in just 25 minutes and is all made in one pan, well, that’s a dinner winner in my book!
(This Italian chicken skillet with pesto is also a one pan dinner ready in 25 minutes, with some of these same great flavors. Or try this cheesy ground chicken skillet with cannellini beans.)
It’s also a really family-friendly recipe. Just familiar flavors and ones that my kids will happily tuck into.
OK, let’s get cooking so you can enjoy this too.
You can also check out my Google web story for this Italian ground turkey skillet recipe.
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make Italian ground turkey skillet. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Bell pepper: The recipe calls for a regular green bell pepper, but you could substitute any color.
- Ground turkey: I use a 93% lean ground turkey. I find the ones that are 99% lean don’t have as much flavor. Also, sometimes the kind I buy is 1 pound and sometimes the brand I get is 1.3 pounds; both work fine for this recipe.
- Beans: I love the creaminess from the cannellini beans, but I think a can of Great Northern beans would work fine here, too. Chickpeas could also work well.
- Tomatoes: The fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a little oomph to this recipe, but you could use regular diced tomatoes or even swap in some petite diced tomatoes or a flavored diced tomato.
- Spinach: I like the extra greens and veggies from the spinach, but you could skip this if you’re not a fan.
- Spicy: If you want to add a little kick, feel free to use some crushed red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings. You can also add some hot sauce when serving.
And lastly, I do think the Parmesan cheese is a must. It just brings everything together and gives the dish a ton of extra flavor.
If you need this to be dairy free, you could use nutritional yeast as a topping instead.
Otherwise, this is a really easy recipe to put together. You basically just layer everything into your pan.
You start with sautéing the onion and pepper, then add the garlic. Next add the turkey and cook it through. Then comes the seasonings, followed by the beans and tomatoes. And lastly, the spinach gets mixed in to wilt down before adding the cheese and serving it up.
One pan. Easy to make. Easy to clean-up, too!
And of course, this is an all-in-one kind of meal so it really doesn’t need any sides for serving.
You could, however, pair it with some steamed rice or a grain like barley or farro, or even some orzo, if you wanted to bulk up the meal a bit more.
Last thing, let’s talk about the leftovers. Because they keep great!
Leftovers of this ground turkey skillet, once cooled, can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave.
Lunchtime leftovers for the win!
I hope you give this a try for an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love. I think it’ll become a new go-to in your house.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Italian Ground Turkey Skillet
Italian ground turkey skillet with white beans, diced tomatoes and spinach is an easy, flavorful all-in-one pan dinner that’s ready in just 25 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 big handfuls fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Add the beans and tomatoes and stir well to mix. Add the spinach and stir into the turkey mixture until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
Bell pepper: The recipe calls for a regular green bell pepper, but you could substitute any color.
Ground turkey: I use a 93% lean ground turkey. I find the ones that are 99% lean don’t have as much flavor. Also, sometimes the kind I buy is 1 pound and sometimes the brand I get is 1.3 pounds; both work fine for this recipe.
Beans: I love the creaminess from the cannellini beans, but I think a can of Great Northern beans would work fine here, too. Chickpeas could also work well.
Tomatoes: The fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a little oomph to this recipe, but you could use regular diced tomatoes or even swap in some petite diced tomatoes or a flavored diced tomato.
Spinach: I like the extra greens and veggies from the spinach, but you could skip this if you’re not a fan.
Spicy: If you want to add a little kick, feel free to use some crushed red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings. You can also add some hot sauce when serving.
Leftovers: Leftovers, once cooled, can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 422Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 645mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 41g
Randi
It was fantastic and easy. Thank you!
Used kale in place of spinach - but shouldn't make a difference either way.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Randi! Thanks so much for sharing!
Chris
This was easy and delicious. I had all the ingredients except for spinach on hand - we had some leftover cooked mustard greens so I used those instead. Both my husband and I liked it. It’s like Turkey & veggie pasta but with white beans instead of pasta. Yummy.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Chris! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Marcie
This was lovely! We used chickpeas since we didn't have cannellini and it turned out fabulous. Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Marcie! And that it was just as delicious with the chickpeas! Thanks so much for sharing!
Pam
Made for the first time tonight as meal prep for lunches this week. Absolutely delicious followed recipe. How many ounces is considered a serving size?
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it, thank you for sharing! The serving size for the recipe is for 4 people so one serving is 1/4 of the total prepared recipe. I'm not sure what that is in ounces, but I hope that helps you!
Valerie Huls
I love your simple wholesome recipes! Thanks for helping this busy working mom get dinner on the table!!!
Kathryn Doherty
Well wow, thank you. That's why I do this. 🥰 I'm so happy these recipes are helpful to another mom!
Virginia
Well, I have to say thank you very much! As soon as I got home from work today, I started on making this. I didn't have the white beans, so I ended up using Garbanzo beans. Which is all I had, and I was very surprised! Very delicious! Nice, quick, and healthy! 😉
Kathryn Doherty
Oh I'm so glad you loved it! It's one of my regular go-to dinners! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Dean
Do you drain the diced tomatoes and bean cans? Don’t want it to end up dry or soupy …
Kathryn Doherty
The beans should be rinsed and drained, yes. The tomatoes don't need to be drained - you can add the whole can to the skillet. It adds some moisture to the skillet but doesn't make it soupy. Hope that helps!
Stephanie S
Quick, easy and delicious! Next time I'll add some toasted pine nuts for a little crunch.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it Stephanie! Thanks for sharing!