12 minutes
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Take ground turkey from bland to spectacular with this easy ground turkey seasoning recipe. You'll need smoked paprika, cumin, sage, salt, onion and garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.

Ingredients and notes:
- I recommend sweet smoked paprika (as opposed to hot smoked paprika) for this recipe. The spiciness of hot smoked paprika tends to be too harsh in combination with ground turkey, in my opinion.
- The tomato paste and the Worcestershire sauce keep the ground turkey moist and also give it much-needed umami flavor.

How to make it:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!

- Mix together the seasoning. Set aside.

- Cook the ground turkey in hot oil until no longer pink and starting to brown.

- Stir in the seasoning mix, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and water. Cook until fully combined.
How to use it:
You can use the cooked seasoned ground turkey in lots of dishes, including:
- wraps
- salads
- pasta sauces
- breakfast burritos (Even though the spices in this recipe are not all traditional taco seasoning ingredients, this seasoned ground turkey works well in Mexican-inspired dishes.)
- casseroles
- omelettes
- turkey burgers (To make burgers, simply mix together the raw meat, the spices, the tomato paste and the Worcestershire sauce. Form into burger patties and grill.)
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how you liked it in the comments below! Thank you!
Full Recipe

Ground Turkey Seasoning Recipe
This easy ground turkey seasoning recipe adds delicious flavor and keeps ground turkey moist.
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Equipment:
- measuring spoons
- non-stick pan
- spatula
- meat thermometer (recommended)
Ingredients:
For the seasoning:
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon dried (rubbed) sage
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- ⅜ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅜ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
For the ground turkey:
- 1 tablespoon mild olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey (I used 85 percent lean)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions:
For the seasoning:
- Mix all seasoning ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
For the ground turkey:
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan on high heat until shimmering.
- Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink and starting to brown on the edges (4 to 6 minutes)*. Break up the meat with a spatula during the process.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then stir in the seasoning, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and water. Cook until fully combined (about 1 minute).
Notes:
*To make sure the meat is fully cooked, check it with an instant read thermometer. The safe minimum internal temperature of turkey is 165 degrees F.
Storage instructions:
Store the seasoned ground turkey in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
More poultry seasoning recipes:
- For more great turkey flavors check out this rub for turkey breast.
- This smoked paprika chicken rub is great for skin-on and skinless chicken cuts.
- This curry chicken rub combines yellow curry powder and chili powder and has incredible flavor.
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