Turkey Mince Bolognese

Turkey Mince Bolognese offers a lovely alternative to a traditional beef or pork meat sauce. Super quick and easy to make with simple ingredients, this is a family friendly recipe. Use it to make spaghetti bolognese with turkey mince for a fuss free week night dinner 😁.

Recipes like my Pork Bolognese, Lamb Bolognese and Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese give us comfort food on a plate 😍. The Fettuccine Bolognese offer a recipe with a different pasta type.

The Bolognese Pizza and Carbonara with Mushrooms and Bacon are meals meal in one!

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the recipe in the points below:

• Dinner done in less than 30 mins: some night's you need dinner stat. A recipe up your sleeve that will get the hungry mouths fed and on the table without ordering in. This turkey mince bolognese recipe will be done in 30 mins and you can cook some spaghetti to serve with it as the sauce is simmering! 👍😉.
• Family friendly: everyone loves a spaghetti bolognese recipe and this ground turkey spaghetti bolognese is no exception. It will be thoroughly devoured and enjoyed by all!
• Freezer friendly: whether you want to purchase the turkey mince and freeze it for later use or make the bolognese, freeze and have on hand for later when you need it you can.
• Taste and texture: an Italian style recipe with a thick and rich sauce that provides both maximum flavour and a variety of textures will have you coming back for more.
• Versatile: you can stick to the recipe as is or add some vegetables to either bulk it up, make it stretch further or add some diversity. Check out my substitutions and variations for ideas.
• Diverse serving options: you have a wide variety of choices when it comes to serving the bolognese. Be it with your favourite pasta, spooned onto freshly toasted bread or as the filling for a grilled cheese, this bolognese will lend it self to all of these options and more!

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Turkey mince: also known as ground turkey. This is a reasonably inexpensive mince product and it freezes well. You can purchase it in advance and have it in the freezer so when the need calls, you can grab it out and whip up a spag bol sauce with it.
• Tomato passata: this is also known as tomato puree in some countries, it is a smooth sauce with a refined texture that provides the basis for the bolognese sauce.
• Tomato paste: this paste has a thick texture and delivers a lovely richness to the sauce.
• Diced tomatoes: I recommend the plain style of these so there is no additional herbs or flavours, allowing you to know exactly what is in your bolognese recipe.
• Worcestershire sauce: a great alternative to using wine or stock in recipes. This is a condiment that will be easy to get your hands on in the sauces section of the supermarket.
• Dried Italian herbs: a common dried herb combination that you will find in every supermarket from Walmart to Tesco, Aldi, Safeway, Woolies and Coles.
• Dried onion: saving time and tears, this ingredient allows us to use the onion flavour but not cry our eyes out in the preparation.
• Garlic: crushed or finely chopped cloves, whichever you have on hand will be perfect to use 😉👍.
• Olive oil: we use this in the pan to start with, helping to cook the garlic and brown the turkey mince.
• Salt and pepper: a little of each to season the ground lamb as it cooks.

Tasty Tip: forget about spilt milk! Many bolognese sauces will call for adding milk as a means to tenderise the meat in the recipe. It is my preference not to do this and the main reason is to keep the shopping list requirements short and succinct.

🍳 Instructions

Here at the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by browning off the turkey mince in a large sauté pan. A wooden spoon or flexible turner is handy to have as it will help break up any clumps of meat.

• Add the olive oil, garlic, turkey mince, salt and pepper (Photo 1)
• Brown the turkey mince for 5 to 8 minutes (Photo 2)
• Add the sauce ingredients (Photo 3)
• Stir then turn the heat down and left the dish simmer (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Turkey Mince Bolognese

To make the turkey bolognese, start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic, mince, salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon or flexible turner to break up any clumps of meat as you go.

It will take 5 to 8 minutes to cook and it will turn a pale grey colour as it cooks. There should be no pink bits visible when it is cooked.

The next step is to add the passata, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Italian herbs and dried onion. Stir these in the pan and then reduce the heat from high to low.

You want to simmer the sauce for 15 minutes as a means to thicken it and reduce the extra moisture in the pan. You can give it a stir or 2 during this time. It will bubble away and do its thin nicely with the aroma of yum wafting through the air at the same time 😁.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

If you are looking for a side the Ciabatta Garlic Bread, Turkish Garlic Bread or Garlic Pizza Bread are great options.

For a lighter Italian style salad the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad offers a bright and colourful side salad.

If pairing with pasta, same as I indicate in the Fusilli Al Pesto be sure to liberally garnish with freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, cracked black pepper and fresh herbs such as parsley or basil. This is shown in the turkey spag bowl picture that you can see below 😉😁. I often use curly parsley as it has great texture.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftovers of the bolognese in a sealed air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat prior to serving.

How to Freeze

Let the bolognese fully cool before portioning into zip lock bags or sealed air tight containers. It can then be laid flat in the freezer and frozen for up to 2 months.

How to Reheat

Allow the bolognese to thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or in a sauce pan on the stove. If using the stove to reheat, add a spray of olive oil to the pan to ensure that it doesn't stick. Thawed bolognese sauce will only take 2 - 3 mins to reheat in the microwave or 4 to 5 mins on the stove.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• You can add vegetables to the bolognese sauce if you wish. Some good options are finely chopped carrot, celery and or mushrooms.
• Add 2 bay leaves when adding the sauce ingredients and allow them to add fragrance to the dish, discard before portioning and seasoning.
• Where I have indicated the use of Worcestershire sauce, you can switch this out and add the equivalent amount of chicken stock or white wine.
• You can use crushed tomatoes in place of the diced tomatoes if that is what you have in the pantry. Doing so will mean that the sauce has a slightly less chunky texture.
• You don't have to pair the turkey mince bolognese with spaghetti, you can use your favourite pasta be it macaroni, fettuccini or rigatoni.
• Alternatively use the bolognese as the filling in a grilled cheese or spooned onto naan or store bought pizza bases for an easy meal made from leftovers.
• I am recommending the use of dried onion to save time and tears, you can also use ½ white chopped onion if you prefer fresh.
• Cubed chopped eggplant and sliced olives or capers are additional ingredients that you can add if you want to give a little more oomph to the bolognese sauce 😍👍😉.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• You will need a large sauté pan or fry pan with deep edges.
• Ensure that the turkey mince is raw, not frozen when you come to cook it.
• Have everything prepped and ready to go and then it will be a very straight forward cooking process with little hard work along the way.
• For a lean healthier alternative to beef mince, try this turkey spag bowl. don't tell anyone and see if anyone notices the subtle change in flavour 😉.
• If you have leftover roast turkey meat and are looking for a recipe that allows you to do that. You can switch the mince out and use the leftover cooked turkey meat instead. As it is already cooked, you could simply add it to the sauce and allow it to heat through. All of the other steps in the recipe would remain the same.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use turkey mince instead of beef?

Yes absolutely. Turkey mince can be substituted for many recipes that call for beef, pork or chicken mince.

How long should I cook turkey mince for?

It will take between 5 to 8 minutes to brown the turkey mince. Then once the sauce has been made, the heat gets turned down and the sauce simmers for about 15 minutes.

Does turkey mince taste different to beef mince?

Yes, turkey mince tastes different to beef mince. It has a less heavy taste and lighter colour in appearance.

How do you know when turkey mince is done?

The turkey mince will turn from a light pink colour to a pale grey colour when it is done. Ensure you break up any clumps of the mince as these can be pale on the outside and pink on the inside which means that bit needs more cooking.

Do you wash turkey mince before cooking?

It is not necessary or recommended to rinse or wash turkey mince before cooking. It is a very light weight meat and can be added to the pan from the supermarket packet (drain any excess moisture as you do so).

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

Dinner, we all need it in our lives on a daily basis. It can be hard to constantly come up with ideas that offer diversity but won't have you cooking for hours and hours after work or a busy day. Here are some simple recipes that will help you get dinner on the table ASAP:

• Linguine Bolognese
• Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
• Honey Glazed Pork Chops
• Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
• Baked Pasta Bolognese
• Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
• Pork Mince Noodles
• Marinated Lamb Ribs
• Cumin Lamb Noodles
• Beef Udon Noodles

You can also find all of my pasta recipes in the one spot. It is time to get our turkey on my friend, but we don't need to roast it 😉👍.

Adrianne

PIN and save this recipe for later! 

Hunger still got you? You can SUBSCRIBE to receive the latest recipes, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.