Learn how to cook ground turkey in air fryer in just 10 minutes. The meat comes out juicy and nicely browned - perfect as a main dish, or for making tacos, pasta, quesadillas, and more.
By cooking ground turkey in the air fryer, you will have juicy and flavorful meat every time without the risk of over-drying it.
Recently, I have been experimenting with more recipes I can prepare in my air fryer.
It is easy and quick, and the cleanup is effortless thanks to its dishwasher-safe removable parts.
We've been enjoying air fryer turkey thighs and air fryer turkey meatloaf for some time now and recently added this perfectly browned ground turkey to our favorites.
You can buy ground turkey at any local grocery store or mince by yourself by following the same guide I always use to make minced chicken at home.
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Recipe highlights
- Mess-free and quick: it takes only 10 minutes of cooking time and very little clean-up, especially if you are using parchment paper.
- Versatile: I like to make a large batch and use it to make different dishes during the busy week. You can also use different seasonings for turkey meat.
- Juicy: The controlled cooking environment of the air fryer helps to seal in juices, which results in tender and juicy ground turkey.
How to use cooked ground turkey
When it just comes out from the air fryer, browned turkey can be a simple main dish to go with a variety of side dishes.
The next day, I like to repurpose into one of the following dishes:
- Tacos: Add some taco seasoning mix and use cooked ground turkey as a filling for wheat tortillas or corn taco shells. Add your favorite toppings such as shredded lettuce, cheese, and salsa.
- Pasta sauce: Mix the cooked ground turkey into marinara sauce or other pasta sauce to create to create a hearty pasta dinner.
- Lettuce wraps: Serve the cooked ground turkey in lettuce leaves for a low carb meal. You can also top them with chopped vegetables and a drizzle of sauce.
- Quesadillas: fill flour tortilla with cooked ground turkey, and shredded cheese, and cook until crispy and golden brown with some butter for a delicious and easy meal idea.
- Soup: you can add the cooked ground turkey to any vegetable soup for added protein and flavor.
Ingredients
This is the overview of the ingredients. Please, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the ingredients quantities and printable directions.
- Fresh ground turkey: I used 93% lean ground turkey. Less fat turkey might be very dry and I rarely use it. If you have frozen meat, thaw it overnight in the fridge before air frying.
- Cooking oil spray: I used avocado cooking spray oil. Any other neutral oil will work as well.
- Herbs and spices: I used paprika, dried thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder, and some black pepper.
- Salt: add as much as you like, but I find that ½ teaspoon of salt per pound of meat always works best.
How to air fry ground turkey
Below are the recipe simple steps with the images for visual guidance.
Step 1. Trim a sheet of parchment paper, and pierce a few holes in it with a fork for better hot air circulation.
Quick note: I have never had to pierce parchment paper when using Ninja air fryer, but some air fryer models may require this step. You can also purchase specially designed air fryer disposable liners.
Fit the parchment paper at the bottom of the basket and spray it with the cooking oil spray.
Add ground chicken to the prepared basket and spread it by breaking it into smaller pieces with your spatula.
Season the meat with salt, pepper, and other seasonings on top.
Step 2. Air fry ground turkey at 390 degrees F for 5 minutes. Remove the basket from the air fryer unit and give it a good stir with a spatula, breaking down the meat again into large crumbles.
Step 3. Return it to the air fryer and cook for another 5 minutes. Check if the meat is done by pressing on it gently to see if the juices run clear.
The meat should be nicely browned and no longer pink inside. If it is not fully cooked, air fryer it for another minute or until it is done.
Recipe tips
- Use a cooking spray, parchment paper, or both to prevent the meat from sticking to the basket. Also, do not forget to stir it halfway halfway through the cooking time.
- The cooking time may be slightly different if you use a different air fryer (I used Ninja) or cook a different amount of meat at once.
- If you cook more than one pound of ground meat, cook it in batches.
Make ahead
Ground turkey is great for meal prep, or to use to prepare a variety of other dishes I mentioned above.
You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
You can also freeze cooked ground turkey for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
I find it is better to cook ground turkey in the air fryer because the meat cooks much faster (only 10 minutes!), you do not need to constantly stir it (only 1 time!), the turkey cooks evenly and comes out very juicy, the clean-up is very easy (almost zero clean-up time if you use parchment paper).
It's recommended to thaw ground turkey before air frying. Air frying frozen ground turkey may result in uneven cooking and the meat being overcooked or undercooked.
I recommend air fryer ground turkey at 390 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until no longer pink inside, stirring the meat halfway throughout the cooking time.
Non-stick cooking spray and parchment paper can prevent the ground turkey from sticking to the air fryer basket.
It is challenging to use the meat thermometer for ground turkey due to its texture. You can determine if is fully cooked by ensuring it is light brown, has a crumbly texture, and releases clear juices when slightly pressed.
Yes, you should season the ground turkey with your preferred seasonings mix or simple salt and pepper before air frying to prevent the meat from being bland and to enhance all the flavors that come from the seasoning.
More air fryer recipes to try
- Air fryer chicken meatballs
- Air fryer frozen shrimp (no thawing)
- Air fryer chicken fajitas
- Air fryer chicken thighs
- Air fryer chicken patties
- Air fryer chicken drumsticks
- Air Fryer chicken sausages
- Air fryer beef tips
📖 Recipe
How To Ground Turkey In Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air fryer
- wooden spatula
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried coriander
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Trim the sheet of parchment paper to fit into the air fryer basket. You can pierce the parchment paper with a fork a few times to allow the hot airflow circulate better. Line a parchment paper at the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Spray cooking oil all over the parchment paper. Place your ground turkey at the bottom of the basket. Spread it over the parchment paper by breaking it with, using a spatula. Do not press the meat, leave it slightly crumbled.
- Season the meat with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, ¼ teaspoon dried coriander, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Air fry at 390°F for 5 minutes. Take out the basket and stir the meat with the spatula, breaking it in to smaller pieces. Place it back in the unit and air fry for another 5 minutes. Check if no longer pink inside. If the meat still looks raw, cook for another minute or until the turkey is slightly browned and no longer pink.
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