Ground Turkey

You'll see ground turkey sold as 93/7 (lean), 85/15, and 99/1 (extra lean). 93/7 is the sweet spot: enough fat to keep things moist without a pool of grease in the pan. Skip 99/1 unless you're mixing it into a sauce where other fat sources compensate. Raw ground turkey should be a pale pink and doesn't look as obviously "fresh" as ground beef does, so do not flinch at a paler color. Fresh ground turkey keeps 1-2 days in the fridge (it goes bad faster than beef, so smell it before you cook it). For freezing, portion into 1-lb bags, press flat, and freeze — flat bags thaw in about 30 minutes in cold water.

Ground turkey is leaner and milder than ground beef, which means it needs a little help…But when you treat it right, it's just as good in tacos, meatballs, pasta sauce, and burgers. The number one mistake is cooking it like beef: cranking the heat and expecting it to brown the same way - it won't. Lowering the heat, adding a splash of oil, and using bold seasonings are what make the difference between sad, dry crumbles and something you'd actually want to eat again. We always add a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to the pan before adding the turkey to kick start the salt and flavor.

Ground turkey must reach 165°F, the same rule as all ground poultry. Like ground beef, the grinding process mixes surface bacteria throughout the meat and 165°F kills all of it. Ground turkey can look done before it's safe — you want to look for it to go from a pink to a grayish-tan. That color change can happen around 155°F so it's safest to use a thermometer.