How to Season Turkey Meat for Maximum Flavor

This Seasoned Ground Turkey is the perfect addition to turkey tacos, taco bowls or salads. Cook it in 15 minutes with a few basic ingredients. It’s perfect for meal prep or a quick easy weeknight meal.

Forget buying prepackaged taco seasoning and make your own seasoned turkey taco meat at home. Seasoned ground turkey is always great to have on hand for taco night or any day of the week. It’s packed with flavor and easy to prep in 15 minutes!

Instead of using a store bought taco seasoning packet, you can season the ground turkey with a few basic seasonings to create your own homemade taco meat.

Serve as ground turkey tacos with corn tortillas or taco shells. Serve it on a bed of lettuce and your favorite taco toppings to make a taco salad. Or serve it with cooked rice and other taco toppings in a burrito or bowl.

Turkey can transform from bland and dry to juicy delicious perfection with the right seasonings. Whether you are cooking a whole turkey turkey breasts, ground turkey, or other cuts, proper seasoning is key. Follow this guide to learn foolproof techniques for seasoning various types of turkey meat.

Why Seasoning Turkey is Important

Turkey has a milder flavor compared to beef or pork Without seasoning, it can turn out flavorless and boring. Here’s why it’s crucial to season turkey properly

  • Enhances flavor – Seasoning penetrates deep into the turkey to amplify taste and moisture.

  • Adds versatility – Spice blends matched to any cuisine transform turkey into diverse dishes.

  • Prevents dry meat – A flavorful seasoned exterior crust seals in turkey’s natural juices.

  • Improves texture – Salt helps break down turkey proteins so seasoning blends incorporate better.

  • Balances health – Herbs, spices and salts elevate flavor without extra calories or fat.

How to Season Different Turkey Cuts

Techniques for seasoning turkey depend on the cut you are preparing. Here are tips for common turkey varieties:

Whole Turkey

  • Loosen skin and rub seasoning directly onto meat beneath skin. Stuff aromatic herbs and onions in cavity.

  • Make a flavored butter by blending softened butter with herbs. Spread over turkey and under skin.

  • Inject flavor with a turkey injector tool filled with broth, oil, and seasoning.

Turkey Breast

  • Create a rub by blending dried herbs, spices, salt, pepper, oil, and optionally citrus zest. Pat rub over all surfaces.

  • Marinate turkey breast in buttermilk, citrus juice, and seasoning for added moisture and tangy flavor.

Ground Turkey

  • Mix seasoning blend directly into raw ground turkey. Fry with oil and finish with extras like Worcestershire or soy sauce.

  • Make a flavorful pan sauce while cooking to keep seasoned ground turkey extra moist.

  • Stuff seasoned ground turkey into bell peppers, squash, or zucchini boats for added flavor.

Essential Seasonings for Turkey

Having key seasonings on hand makes preparing delicious turkey easy. These versatile ingredients form the base of any turkey seasoning blend:

  • Salt – Essential for enhancing flavor and moisture. Use kosher or sea salt.

  • Black pepper – Freshly cracked pepper adds warmth.

  • Onion & garlic powder – Provide layers of flavor. Use fresh minced versions for extra kick.

  • Dried herbs – Oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary infuse robust aroma.

  • Spices – Cumin, paprika, chili powder, ginger add spice blends.

  • Citrus – Lemon, lime, orange brighten with freshness. Use zest and juice.

  • Oils – Olive, avocado, sesame carry flavors and help browning.

10 Delicious Turkey Seasoning Combinations

With the essentials on hand, craft seasoning blends to give your turkey dish any flavor profile. Try these recipes:

Everyday Turkey Seasoning

  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp each salt, pepper

Italian Turkey Seasoning

  • 1 Tbsp each dried basil, oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp each dried rosemary, fennel seed, red pepper flakes

Spanish Turkey Rub

  • 1 Tbsp each smoked paprika, cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp each garlic powder, dried oregano, salt

Mediterranean Turkey

  • 1 Tbsp each dried parsley, mint
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp each cinnamon, cumin
  • 1⁄2 tsp each turmeric, allspice

Jerk Turkey Seasoning

  • 1 Tbsp each thyme, allspice
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp each onion powder, salt, brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 tsp each cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg

BBQ Turkey Rub

  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp each chili powder, paprika, salt
  • 2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin

Cajun Turkey Seasoning

  • 1 Tbsp each paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme
  • 2 tsp each cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt

Lemon-Herb Turkey

  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp each dried parsley, oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1⁄2 tsp each garlic powder, salt, pepper

Southwest Turkey

  • 1 Tbsp each chili powder, cumin, paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp each onion powder, oregano, salt

Curry Turkey Rub

  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp each garlic powder, ground ginger
  • 1⁄2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt

Tips for Applying Seasoning to Turkey

To get the most flavor and moisture, follow these tips when seasoning turkey:

  • Coat turkey with oil first so spices stick better. Olive or avocado oil work well.

  • Thoroughly coat all surfaces with seasoning – inside cavity, under skin, all over skin.

  • Gently press seasoning blend into turkey with hands to help it adhere.

  • Let seasoned turkey rest at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking so seasonings penetrate.

  • For marinades, keep turkey immersed 1-2 hours. Much longer can make meat mushy.

  • Stuff aromatics like onion, lemon, herbs inside the turkey cavity to infuse it with flavor.

With the right seasoning blends and techniques, you can make turkey dishes your new favorite. Conquer bland turkey for good with these flavorful ideas.

how to season turkey meat

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s made with simple seasonings.
  • It’s ready in 20 minutes or less.
  • The ground taco meat is packed with flavor for a versatile addition to your favorite dish.
  • You can easily adjust the amount of seasonings to make it your own.

You will need ground turkey and a few simple seasonings to make seasoned ground turkey – that’s it!

how to season turkey meat

  • Ground Turkey: You can use any type of ground turkey meat, but I prefer lean ground turkey (93% lean / 7% fat) for the best texture and flavor. You can also substitute with ground beef or ground chicken.
  • Spices: You will need chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and black pepper for the turkey taco seasoning. You can substitute with taco seasoning, if desired.
  • Chicken Stock: You can substitute with water, if desired.

how to season turkey meat

Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. A nonstick skillet or cast iron pan works great. Add the ground turkey and cook until the turkey is fully browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns. (You shouldn’t need any oil on the pan, but you can use a small amount of olive oil to brown the turkey, if desired.)

Step 2: Once the meat is no longer pink, reduce the heat to low, then add the chicken stock and spices. Stir everything together until the turkey crumble is coated in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 5 minutes until the liquid reduces and thickens a bit.

Serve the seasoned turkey meat in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, taco bowls, lettuce wraps, salads and more.

Delicious taco toppings include avocado, tomatoes, black beans, lime juice, cilantro, guacamole and cheese.

how to season turkey meat

  • Make a big batch: Double or triple the recipe to make a larger batch to serve 8-12 people.
  • Meal Prep and Storage: Once cooked, you can store the meat in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top just prior to serving.
  • Freezing: You can freeze ground turkey taco meat. Place in a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Seal and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Add more flavor: This seasoned ground turkey tastes great on it’s own, but you can elevate the flavor by adding fresh salsa. Simply stir in the salsa after cooking and serve with your favorite dish.

You can add flavor to ground turkey by using simple spices or seasonings. Use store bought taco seasoning or make your own. Even just using salt and pepper brings out the flavor of the turkey.

Taco seasoning like chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and pepper taste great with ground turkey. Other herbs like paprika, dried oregano, basil and rosemary are a good choice too.

how to season turkey meat

If you love ground turkey, then you will want to try a few of our other favorite ground turkey recipes. Enjoy stuffed peppers or turkey enchiladas with seasoned ground turkey. Or use ground turkey instead of beef in a delicious taco casserole. The options are endless!

How To Cook Ground Turkey

FAQ

What should you season your turkey with?

Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird.

What is the best way to season ground turkey?

There are plenty of easy ground turkey recipes out there. But, you will always need spices like olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. You can add minced garlic, and freshly chopped onions and peppers, for an extra edge.

How do you add flavor to turkey?

Baste the turkey with fresh beer, wine or juice every hour. The natural sugars will help caramelize the outside of your turkey, giving it a nice crispy and flavorful skin. Injecting with butter or apple juice will add flavor, moisture and help penetrate down into the meat, which will make the turkey more flavorful.

What to add to ground turkey to make it moist?

Even 93 percent lean ground turkey—often the fattiest preground turkey you can buy—can still taste too lean and can easily dry out during cooking. To temper those effects, we added 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the meat, along with a panade of milk and panko.

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