Cooking frozen meat in the Instant Pot is my favorite cooking hack. Seriously, how many times have you forgotten to take the meat out of the freezer?
If I’m honest, once I figured out how to cook frozen ground turkey in the Instant Pot, it was quickly my favorite way to make it. The pressure the Instant Pot creates infuses the seasoning right into the cooked meat. Less mess, less time, less planning, and more flavor.
Ground turkey is a healthy and versatile meat that can be used in everything from chili to tacos to casseroles. While fresh ground turkey is ideal, frozen works too with proper planning. Using a crockpot to cook frozen ground turkey makes weeknight dinners easy. The slow cooking brings out flavors and tenderizes the meat into delicious, fuss-free meals.
Benefits of Cooking Frozen Ground Turkey in a Crockpot
Cooking frozen ground turkey in the crockpot offers many benefits
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Convenience: Simply dump the frozen meat and other ingredients into the crockpot. No need to thaw.
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Flavor The long cooking time allows spices and seasonings to penetrate the meat fully.
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Tenderness: The low slow heating tenderizes turkey, even cheaper cuts, into fall-apart deliciousness.
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Safety: Turkey cooks gently at safe temperatures inside a crockpot, avoiding potential bacteria issues.
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Versatility: Cooked ground turkey can be used in everything from soups to tacos to casseroles for easy weeknight meals.
Tips for Success When Cooking Frozen Ground Turkey
Follow these tips to ensure your frozen ground turkey cooks up tender and delicious in the crockpot
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Don’t overfill: Leave 2 inches of room at the top for the ground turkey to bubble and the liquid to condense. Overfilling can lead to unsafe temperatures.
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Add liquid: Use broth, tomatoes, or water to provide moisture and prevent drying out. One cup of liquid per pound of turkey is a good guideline.
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Brown first (optional): Browning adds deeper flavor. Sauté the frozen turkey in batches before adding to the crockpot.
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Spice it up: Season well with spices, herbs, garlic, etc. The long cook really brings out the flavors.
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Shred at the end: Use forks to shred the cooked ground turkey before serving for a tender consistency.
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Thicken sauces: Mix cornstarch or flour with water and stir in at the end to thicken chili, stew, or gravy.
Top Recipes for Frozen Ground Turkey in the Crockpot
Here are some delicious recipe ideas that are perfect for cooking frozen ground turkey in the crockpot:
Chili
Browned ground turkey, beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and chili seasoning cooked for 8 hours makes for amazing chili. Top with cheese, sour cream, etc.
Tacos
Cook turkey for 6-8 hours with taco seasoning. Shred meat and serve in tortillas or taco salads with all your favorite toppings.
Bolognese Sauce
Simmer turkey, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and red wine for 4-6 hours. Toss with pasta for a meaty, hearty Bolognese.
Turkey Stew
Cook turkey, potatoes, carrots, peas, and broth for 6-8 hours. Thicken with flour at the end for a comforting stew.
Sloppy Joes
Mix ground turkey with sauce ingredients like ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, etc. Pile onto sandwich buns after 4-6 hours.
Turkey Casserole
Combine cooked turkey with rice or pasta, veggies, and cheese sauce. Cook 30 minutes covered in oven.
Tortilla Soup
Simmer ground turkey, onion, peppers, spices, and broth. Top bowls with avocado, cheese, and tortilla strips.
FAQs About Cooking Frozen Ground Turkey in a Crockpot
How long does frozen ground turkey take to cook in a crockpot?
Cooking time can vary from 4-10 hours depending on amount and recipe. Generally plan for 1-2 hours per pound on LOW.
Is it safe to cook frozen meat in a crockpot?
Yes, it’s safe as long as the ground turkey is submerged in liquid with no overfilling. This ensures even thorough cooking.
Should you thaw frozen ground turkey before the crockpot?
No need to thaw! The low gentle crockpot heat safely cooks frozen ground turkey. Just add a bit more liquid.
What temperature should cooked ground turkey reach?
Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to verify doneness and safety.
Can you put frozen raw turkey in a crockpot?
It’s not recommended to cook a large frozen turkey breast or pieces in the crockpot. Thaw first for food safety.
Enjoy Endless Possibilities with Frozen Ground Turkey
Cooking frozen ground turkey in the crockpot opens up a whole new world of easy, healthy, delicious meals for your family. With the right techniques, seasonings, and recipes, you can whip up incredible chili, tacos, casseroles, soups, and more that maximize the flavor and tenderness of the turkey. Give it a try for stress-free dinners even on your busiest nights!
How to cook frozen ground turkey in the Instant Pot:
You’ll need about 40 minutes for this recipe. These directions work for an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or any other brand of electric pressure cooker.
- Add the frozen ground turkey to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Pour 1/2 cup of cold water (or stock) into the bottom of the pot and top the meat with any seasonings you’d like. You’re using a bit less liquid than usual for this recipe because the frozen turkey will also produce a bit of liquid.
- Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to the sealed position. Set the cook time for 15 minutes for 1 pound of meat or 20 minutes for 2 pounds of meat and cook on high pressure.
- Once the cook time is up, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. Quick release means that you’ll manually move the valve on the top of your pot from Sealing to Venting. Steam will come out.
- Your ground meat will be thawed at this point but not all the way cooked. Be careful when pressing your cooking utensil into the meat for the first time, as some water will release. Pressing your utensil into the meat slowly will help with this.
- Turn your pot to Sauté (high). Use a spatula to gently break apart your meat into crumbles while the meat continues to cook. Stir well to incorporate all of the seasonings and continue to sauté until most of the liquid has cooked out.
- If making a dish that requires tomato sauce, such as chili, you can add that to the top of your ground turkey when it’s frozen. Don’t put tomato sauce on the bottom of your pot under the meat–you’ll get the burn warning. When adding tomato sauce, don’t leave the liquid out–you need that too.
- Sometimes I think the seasonings are absorbed into the meat a bit more when cooking this way, so you might want to add extra seasonings to your meat after it’s sautéed.
- This method isn’t necessarily faster than thawing the meat in the sink, but I love that pressure cooking is something I can walk away from for a bit and allow to cook on its own.
- While this is a quick way to defrost and cook the ground turkey, it’s not the same as defrosting in the fridge. For example, you won’t be able to make turkey burgers or meatballs with this meat after defrosting because it cooks the turkey at the same time.
- Don’t have enough in the freezer? These tips for how to stretch ground beef work with ground turkey as well!
Did you know that the recipes here at My Crazy Good Life are all perfect for the 21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix and Weight Watchers?
- Weight Watchers: When using extra lean ground turkey each 4 ounce serving counts as 0 Blue Plan Points | 1 Green Plan Point | 0 Purple Plan Points | 2023 Points: 0
- 21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: Each 3/4 cup serving counts as 1 Red Container.
- 2B Mindset: In addition to this meat, fill your plate with 75% FFC for a complete breakfast. Fill your plate with 50% veggies and 25% FFC for a complete lunch, or add 75% veggies for a complete dinner.
Instant Pot Turkey Chili Seasoning
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder