I have been trying to use ground turkey instead of hamburger in some of my recipes to help cut down on the fat. Everytime I use it, it comes out lumpy and generally just nasty tasting. And I really don't understand why because my hubby and I both really like turkey.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on how to break it up better or something to cook it in that helps break it up so it is more crumbly like hamburger? Or maybe it can't get crumbly? I'm also thinking that maybe I need to up the spices I use when I use turkey because it doesn't have as much fat for flavor like the hamburger?

I'm thinking that rather than doing all turkey maybe I need to mix my hamburger with the ground turkey like 1/2 and 1/2 for a while and see if that helps.

Does anyone have any suggestions or comments for me?

Are you using the ground turkeu in a tube or fresh like hamburger comes...the stuff in the freezer section in a tube always tastes funny to me.....I use the fresh, and break it just like hamburger when browning.

I can't really help since I buy ground beef since I can get my ground beef with less fat than the ground turkey that my store sells.

Are you preparing it to eat plain or mixed with something? I love ground turkey mixed with taco seasonings. Since you're on the beach you could have turkey tacos with lettuce for wraps instead of tortillas.

I agree with Kyemom, the turkey that comes in a package like ground beef is the best. My favorite is the Jennie-O 93% Lean, they have a turkey breast one that 99% lean but I don't like the texture and taste.

We use it a lot and really like it. I agree that it can taste pretty plain if you don't season it well. I love to use taco seasoning to do taco salad stuff or we do a mexican version of the meatball caserole with the turkey and mex seasoning. If I am using it in other stuff or making turkey patties I will season it with garlic powder and onion powder right off the bat and then other stuff depending on what I am using it for. I do use the fresh packaged stuff and not the stuff in a tube.

To make sure it is crumbly make sure you stir and break it up during the whole cooking process. Try using a fork to break it up during cooking.

for patties and meatballs I add an egg and parm. cheese to help hold things together well. In the meatball casserole I like to drain them 1/2 way thru to get the goop off of them.

Karla, I buy ground turkey fresh and crumble it by hand into tiny pieces. I then use a spoon to break up any chunks that have formed while cooking. You definitely need to season it, but I do the exact same thing with ground beef.

I get ground beef that is 95% fat free and I think that's actually lower than the turkey as Barb noted. You might look for that if you really don't like the turkey, okay?

I looked at the ground turkey again this weekend and they have ground turkey breast that said it was 99% fat free but it was so horribly expensive ($7.50/pound) I didn't buy any.

I think I may just stick with hamburger because I can usually find 90-94% lean hamburger for a reasonable price (we live in cattle country). Sometimes they will have the 96% lean but not very often.

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions chicks. If the price of ground turkey gets reasonable around here I may give it another try.

I LOVE ground turkey & use it all of the time! Anyway, one different way to make ground turkey (especially the "very lean - 99%" kind) is to stir in some grated zucchini into it before cooking. This works best when you are making meatballs, turkey burgers & meatloaf with it. I use 1 small zuccini (about 3/4 cup) for a pound of turkey. Be sure to squeeze the zucchini after grating it b/c there is a lot of water in it. Then, just toss it in as you would bread crumbs.

Try it - you might like it!

Roxy55

I just have a few words about ground turkey! Season Season Season! I've been cooking with it for over a year now and I sometimes add a bit of olive oil when I cook it. It is really bland but I have found so many wonderful seasonings that I can say it's pretty darn good! I make everything with it. Don't give up it takes a bit for our taste buds to get use to it.