Mediterranean Ground Turkey and Rice Skillet with sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and capers. This quick and easy dinner recipe is huge on flavor and provides a perfect balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.
You’re looking at my current favorite dinner recipe!
This easy recipe comes together in under 40 minutes and makes the most flavorful healthy dinner. Loaded with sweet and savory rustic, brininess from sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts, this easy recipe is here to take you to Flavortown!
The ground turkey turns out super tender, the rice nice and chewy, and the whole meal is so energizing and filling.
Plus, it couldn’t be any easier to make! The way I see it, this is the perfect recipe to keep on constant rotation for weekly meal prep, or to whip up after work on any given weeknight.
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for this Mediterranean Ground Turkey Skillet.
Ingredients for Mediterranean Ground Turkey and Rice Skillet:
Lean Ground Turkey: Our protein source in this easy dinner recipe, we need a pound of ground turkey. Feel free to double it for a higher ratio of protein to carbs.
White Rice: Brining simple carbs to the meal, tender white rice makes this a filling, complete meal.
Yellow Onion & Garlic: Big flavor enhancers, fresh onion and garlic are a lovely backbone for flavor.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, Capers, and Kalamata Olives: Providing huge bursts of flavor, these ingredients are what give this recipe its Mediterranean flair. You can also add fresh cherry tomatoes and lemon zest or lemon juice for added flavor.
Chicken Broth: We need liquid for the rice to absorb, and chicken broth provides flavor while cooking the rice. I like using chicken bone broth for added collagen.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: To taste.
Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the onion and brown the ground turkey. Olive oil works too.
Recipe Customizations:
- Swap out the ground turkey for any ground meat, including ground chicken, ground pork, or ground beef. You can also chop up chicken thighs and use them instead.
- You can use brown rice instead of white rice, but it will need to cook longer. Add another ½ cup of broth and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, or until much of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add in 2 to 5 ounces of chopped baby spinach at the end of cooking for added Vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and fiber.
- For a little heat, stir in some red pepper flakes.
- Add one can of beans for extra fiber, such as black beans, white beans, chickpeas, or cannellini beans.
Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients for this easy ground turkey skillet, let’s make it!
How to Make Mediterranean Ground Turkey:
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or a thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add in the garlic and ground turkey. Use a spatula to break the ground meat into smaller pieces while browning it. Continue cooking until the ground turkey is mostly cooked through.
Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Cover the skillet and bring the mixture to a full boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook, covered for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to sit for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve Mediterranean ground turkey and rice in big bowls with fresh grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. You can also enjoy this Mediterranean turkey skillet with tzatziki sauce drizzled on top.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For those times you’re looking for a clean and easy weeknight dinner that is loaded with quality nutrients, whip up this amazing gem!
I find ground turkey recipes to be a great way of getting in a big dose of protein without a lot of calories. Enjoy this Mediterranean-inspired delight for meal prep on repeat!
If you love skillet meals like this one, also try these healthy dinners!
More Skillet Meals:
- One Skillet Ground Turkey Thai Curry with Rice
- 30-Minute Ground Beef and Mushroom Skillet
- Ground Turkey Butternut Squash Skillet
- Ground Beef and Lentil Skillet
- Teriyaki Ground Turkey Skillet with Vegetables
- 30-Minute Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
Take your taste buds on a glorious trip to the Mediterranean!
Mediterranean Ground Turkey Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 ¼ cups uncooked white rice dry white rice
- 1 cup artichoke hearts drained
- ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained
- ⅔ cup sliced kalamata olives drained
- 2 Tbsp capers drained
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or a thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and ground turkey. Use a spatula to break the ground meat into smaller pieces while browning it. Continue cooking until the ground turkey is mostly cooked through.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and give everything a big stir. Cover the skillet and bring the mixture to a full boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook, covered for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to sit for another 5-10 minutes. Taste for flavor and add sea salt, black pepper, and/or lemon juice to your personal taste.
- Serve Mediterranean ground turkey and rice in big bowls with fresh grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Hi, I’m pre-diabetic so try to stick to about 30g carbs per meal and 15g per snack. How can I lower the carbs? Brown rice? This is all new to me, so trying to figure things out without just eating plain meat and veg. Thanks!
Hi Denice! There isn’t much of a difference in carbohydrate content between white rice and brown rice, although brown rice is slower burning. You could decrease the amount of rice, or increase the amount of everything else in order to lower the amount of carbs you’re consuming while not sacrificing volume.
Another option would be to skip the rice and use cauliflower rice. I would add about 4 to 5 cups worth, use 1/2 cup to 1 cup of broth, and you can skip the steaming process. Simply cook everything until the turkey is cooked through and the cauli rice is your desired level of doneness. I hope this helps!