13 Turkey Recipes for When You’re Tired of Chicken but Not Ready for a Whole Bird

Chicken can only carry the weeknight dinner rotation for so long before you start craving something different without needing a completely different plan.

Turkey is a good middle ground: familiar enough to cook without overthinking it, but versatile enough to turn into meatballs, burgers, skillet dinners, soups, and more without committing to a giant bird. I especially like turkey when I want to break out of the usual chicken routine without turning dinner into a holiday project.

These 13 turkey recipes give you plenty of ways to make that switch without clearing half the fridge for leftovers.

Turkey Breast Salad

This salad got me through the months after Lin was born, usually made while she napped. Cooked turkey breast, sliced pear, cucumber, and goat cheese go over spinach with a honey-mustard balsamic dressing in about 10 minutes. Leo picks out the goat cheese, and Lin steals the pear slices, but that’s how we eat leftover turkey from our weekend roasts.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Breast Salad

Buttermilk Brined Turkey

If you’re working up a whole bird, this buttermilk brine takes most of the guesswork out. The turkey soaks for 24 to 48 hours in buttermilk with rosemary, thyme, and sage, so by roasting day all that’s left is about 3 hours in the oven. The meat comes out tender and juicy, and the skin turns crispy and golden.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Brined Turkey

One-Pot Turkey Skillet Mac and Cheese

Boxed skillet dinners were never this good. Brown ground turkey, onion, and red pepper in one pot, then cook the elbow pasta in milk and smoked paprika before stirring in spinach and cheddar. Dinner is ready in 30 minutes, and it’s a nice break from another chicken night.
Get the Recipe: One-Pot Turkey Skillet Mac and Cheese

Hazelnut Crusted Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

One split turkey breast is plenty for a small Thanksgiving, and this one bakes the stuffing flavors right into the crust. Hazelnuts, panko, garlic, parsley, sage, and orange zest press onto the breast, then it roasts low and slow before a quick blast of heat toasts the crust. It feeds about four people, so nobody is stuck with leftovers for a week.
Get the Recipe: Hazelnut Crusted Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Stuffed Turkey Breast

A rolled turkey breast gives you the holiday look without wrestling a whole bird into the oven. The breast gets butterflied, pounded flat, brushed with Dijon, and rolled around a stuffing of mushrooms, dried apricots, cranberries, pine nuts, sage, and rosemary. Slice it into rounds so every piece shows off the filling, and pour the pan gravy over the top.
Get the Recipe: Stuffed Turkey Breast

Turkey Chili Pie

I swap basic chicken night for ground turkey cooked with warm chili spices and baked right under a golden pan of sweet cornbread. The savory turkey sauce bubbles up into the soft corn crust as it bakes, giving you a cozy skillet meal without the fuss of roasting an entire bird.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Chili Pie

Turkey Shawarma Using a Can

An empty restaurant-size chickpea can is my stand-in for the shawarma spits I remember from the streets of Tel Aviv. Thin slices of turkey breast marinate in shawarma spices, get packed tightly into the can with onion rings, and bake for 2 hours before I slice them into curls. It’s turkey that tastes nothing like a holiday dinner.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Shawarma Using a Can

Turkey Kofta Sandwich

Ground turkey makes a lighter kofta than the usual lamb, and I make it for my husband and kids when lunch needs to happen fast. The spiced mix of cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and cilantro chills for 30 minutes, then goes on skewers and under the broiler for about 5 minutes per side. Tuck them into warm pita with tahini, harissa, and pickles, and nobody misses chicken.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Kofta Sandwich

Middle Eastern Turkey Stuffed Zucchini (Khiam)

Nobody in my family agrees on which meat belongs in khiam, so I make mine with ground turkey or chicken thigh. Small zucchini get a head start in the oven, then I add a loose filling of turkey, pine nuts, parsley, baharat, and pomegranate molasses before they bake in a tangy pomegranate sauce. It’s the dish I want on the table at Rosh Hashana.
Get the Recipe: Middle Eastern Turkey Stuffed Zucchini (Khiam)

Turkey Stew

If you want a change from basic chicken soup, simmering shredded turkey breast with red potatoes, carrots, and a splash of balsamic vinegar makes a wonderfully thick bowl. Fresh herbs and garlic soak deep into the tender turkey meat as it cooks, giving your family a rich weeknight dinner that feels like a classic holiday meal in miniature.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Stew

Irish Ground Turkey and Vegetable Stew

Classic Irish stew simmers lamb for hours, but this ground turkey version gets ready in about 40 minutes. Potatoes, carrots, a splash of stout, tomato paste, thyme, and rosemary make a hearty broth that pairs perfectly with crusty bread. It’s my answer when Lin leans on the counter asking what’s for dinner.
Get the Recipe: Irish Ground Turkey and Vegetable Stew

Moroccan Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

I once saw these stuffed peppers on Israeli MasterChef and knew right away I had to make them at home. Ground turkey, rice, cilantro, garlic, and warm baharat fill each pepper, and the tops go back on like little lids before they simmer in a spicy tomato sauce and finish in the oven. It’s a full turkey dinner in one pot, no carving board needed.
Get the Recipe: Moroccan Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Turkey Tenderloin

Turkey tenderloin is the shortcut for anyone who wants turkey on a Tuesday, no whole bird required. Rub it with fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary, sear it in a cast-iron skillet, then finish in the oven for about 20 minutes. Let it rest before slicing so the juices stay in the meat.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Tenderloin

Give chicken a night off and let turkey shake up the dinner rotation without bringing a whole bird into the picture.