This post may contain affiliate links.
Ground Turkey Meat Sauce is a lighter, leaner take on classic spaghetti sauce that is every bit as rich, hearty, and saucy as the original. I started making it on busy weeknights when I wanted a comforting bowl of pasta without the heaviness, and the girls never even notice it is turkey. A secret blend of fennel and herbs makes it taste just like Italian sausage, so it is now our go-to spaghetti night sauce.
This ground turkey meat sauce comes together in one skillet in about 30 minutes, start to finish.
Ground Turkey Meat Sauce Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 234kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory and herby with Italian-sausage flavor from fennel and garlic
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a quick one-skillet dinner like our creamy sausage pasta
Quick Answer
To make Ground Turkey Meat Sauce, mix ground turkey with garlic, fennel, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and parmesan to mimic Italian sausage. Brown it in olive oil, breaking it into crumbles, then stir in jarred marinara and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over cooked spaghetti with extra parmesan.
Jump to:
- Ground Turkey Meat Sauce Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Ground Turkey Meat Sauce
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Ground Turkey Meat Sauce FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Pasta Recipes
- Ground Turkey Meat Sauce
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Fennel makes turkey taste like sausage. Ground fennel plus garlic and herbs gives lean ground turkey that signature Italian sausage flavor without any extra fat.
- Mixing the seasonings in first. Combining the spices into the raw turkey before cooking seasons every crumble from the inside out.
- Browning builds flavor. Cooking the turkey until the crumbles get golden adds savory depth to the whole sauce.
- A good jarred marinara is a smart shortcut. Starting with a quality marinara means a rich, slow-simmered taste in a fraction of the time.
- A short simmer marries everything. Just 15 minutes lets the turkey soak up the sauce so every bite is flavorful and cohesive.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a lighter, leaner meat sauce that still tastes rich and hearty.
- Everything comes together in one skillet in about 30 minutes.
- It is a versatile sauce for pasta, our sub sandwiches, baked ziti, and more.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives this Ground Turkey Meat Sauce its rich, sausage-like flavor.
- Ground Turkey: A lean, budget-friendly base. The seasonings turn it into a flavorful homemade turkey sausage.
- Fennel Seeds: The secret ingredient. Freshly ground fennel is what makes the turkey taste like Italian sausage.
- Marinara Sauce: A good-quality jarred sauce gives you slow-simmered flavor fast.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: Freshly grated for nutty, salty richness mixed right into the meat.
- Garlic and Italian Herbs: Fresh garlic, oregano, and basil round out the classic Italian flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This Ground Turkey Meat Sauce is easy to adapt to your taste.
- Use ground chicken or beef: Swap in whatever ground meat you have on hand.
- Add vegetables: Stir in diced onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, or spinach.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a kick.
- Use homemade marinara: Swap the jar for your favorite homemade tomato sauce.
- Bake it: Layer the sauce into baked ziti or lasagna instead of serving over spaghetti.
How to Make Ground Turkey Meat Sauce
- Mix the turkey and seasonings. In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey with the oregano, basil, garlic, fennel, salt, pepper, and parmesan.
- Combine well. Mix everything together until evenly distributed, creating a homemade turkey sausage.
- Brown the turkey. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the turkey, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.
- Add the marinara. Pour the jarred marinara sauce into the skillet with the browned turkey.
- Simmer the sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavorful.
- Serve. Spoon the ground turkey meat sauce over cooked spaghetti and top with extra parmesan.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grind your own fennel for the freshest, most sausage-like flavor, a spice grinder or mortar and pestle works great.
- Season the raw turkey first so every crumble is flavorful from the inside out.
- Do not skip draining any excess liquid after browning so the sauce is not watery.
- Use a good jarred marinara, it is the base of the sauce so quality matters.
- Simmer at least 15 minutes to let the turkey soak up all that flavor.
- Save some pasta water to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Spoon this Ground Turkey Meat Sauce over a big pile of spaghetti and finish with grated parmesan and fresh basil. It is comfort food at its best next to a crisp green salad and garlic bread.
This sauce is endlessly versatile. Pile it onto our chicken parmesan subs, layer it into baked ziti, or spoon it over zucchini noodles for a lighter meal.
Feeding a crowd? Double the batch and serve it buffet-style with our creamy sausage pasta so everyone can build their own plate.
Ground Turkey Meat Sauce FAQs
Freshly ground fennel seeds, garlic, oregano, and basil mixed into the ground turkey give this Ground Turkey Meat Sauce its Italian sausage flavor, without the extra fat of pork sausage.
Yes, Ground Turkey Meat Sauce is leaner than traditional beef meat sauce. Lean ground turkey has less saturated fat, while the herbs and fennel keep it just as flavorful.
Yes, this Ground Turkey Meat Sauce reheats beautifully. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Spaghetti is classic, but Ground Turkey Meat Sauce is also delicious over penne, rigatoni, or any pasta that holds onto the sauce. It works in baked ziti and lasagna too.
Absolutely. Swap the jarred marinara for your favorite homemade tomato sauce in this Ground Turkey Meat Sauce. Jarred just makes it faster on a weeknight.
Use 93 percent lean ground turkey rather than extra lean, and do not over-drain. The marinara and a short simmer keep this Ground Turkey Meat Sauce moist and saucy.
Craving more cozy pasta dinners? Try our creamy sausage pasta with kielbasa next.
Ground Turkey Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds freshly ground (or ground fennel)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese fresh grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 24 ounces jarred marinara sauce*
Instructions
- Add ground turkey, oregano, basil, garlic, fennel, salt, pepper, and cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Mix together until combined.1 pound ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the turkey sausage, breaking it into crumbles, and cooking until no pink is left about 10 minutes. Drain any excess water or fat that might come off the turkey.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the jarred sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.24 ounces jarred marinara sauce*
- Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.
Video
Notes
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh garlic and freshly grated cheese add a lot of flavor to this dish. Don’t skip these!
- Cook the Pasta Al Dente: This means cooking the pasta until it’s firm to the bite. This texture works well with the sauce.
- Don’t Overcook the Turkey: Ground turkey can become dry if overcooked. Brown it just until it’s no longer pink.
- Add Veggies: Feel free to add extra vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach to make the dish even more nutritious.
- Taste as You Go: Always taste the sauce before serving and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Serve with Garlic Bread: A slice of garlic bread or a fresh salad makes a perfect side dish.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
Very tasty and healthy!
This is so easy also!
I just made this sauce and this is a keeper!!! I used Trader Joe’s Spicy Chunky Tomato and Pepper Sauce. Perfect!