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You are here: Home / Whole30 / Balsamic Ground Turkey & Green Bean Skillet

Balsamic Ground Turkey & Green Bean Skillet

August 23, 2019 by Hayley 8 Comments

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Simple and fresh, this balsamic ground turkey and green bean skillet comes together for a quick weeknight dinner in no time. Basic ingredients combine to make a meal that is anything but basic.

Turkey, tomatoes, green beans in a cast iron skillet with a wooden spoon.

I am a big fan of skillet recipes. Not only are they usually less dishes, they are an easy way to cook proteins and vegetables together. This recipe uses fresh summertime ingredients to make a meal that will please everyone. It also has the benefit of being naturally gluten-free, sugar-free, and low-fat! It doesn’t get much better than that.

Why blanch the green beans?

Blanching is the process of cooking a vegetable in boiling water for a short period of time. I use it often to soften vegetables that would otherwise take too long to cook with the other ingredients. In this case, green beans usually lose some of their prettiness and texture when cooking in a skillet long enough to soften. Blanching the green beans for 5 minutes means that they will be bright green and perfectly tender to be used in this quick recipe.

What about canned green beans?

Confession time, I actually secretly love canned, french cut green beans. I’m sure what I really actually love is the salt content rather than the vegetables themselves. But in this particular recipe it is better to use fresh green beans. Otherwise you are sacrificing a lot of texture and a lot of taste. It will only take a few minutes longer, but will definitely improve the overall recipe!

Turkey, tomatoes, green beans in a cast iron skillet.

Can I use other types of tomatoes?

I am the queen of substitutions and often don’t have exactly what a recipe calls for on hand, but I’ve never let that stop me before! If you don’t have cherry tomatoes on hand or can’t locate some to make this recipe it is perfectly acceptable to use other types of tomatoes. My first preference would be towards other small type tomato, but if you only have big ones on hand dice them up into bit sized pieces and use as directed.

What about canned tomatoes?

I would not recommend using canned tomatoes in this Balsamic Ground Turkey Skillet. canned tomatoes are not going to have the same texture as fresh and just won’t hold up as well to the high heat. Plus canned tomatoes often have a metallic after taste that isn’t noticeable when they are cooked or baked for a long time, but will be noticeable here.

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Balsamic Turkey & Green Bean Skillet

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword balsamic onion, Green beans, tomato, turkey
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Author Hayley

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Ground Turkey
  • 1/2 lb Green Beans Trimmed
  • 1 Medium Onion Thinly Sliced
  • 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes Halved
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Thyme Dried

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of water to boil and trim green beans. Add green beans to pot when water is at a rolling boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until green beans are bright green and tender. Once finished remove from heat and set aside.

  2. In a 12" skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Slice onion into thin strips and halve the cherry tomatoes. 

  3. Add the onions to the skillet when hot and saute for 3 minutes or until onions become translucent. Add balsamic vinegar to skillet and stir to evenly coat onions. Cook for another 2 minutes or until balsamic vinegar has reduced. 

  4. Add ground turkey to skillet along with salt and thyme. Brown and stir to coat with seasonings. This will take about 10 minutes.

  5. When turkey is almost fully browned add green beans and tomatoes. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until tomatoes and green beans are cooked through. 

  6. Serve hot or store in fridge for up to 3 days. 

Recipe Notes

If you do not want to blanch the green beans, they can be added with the ground turkey. Though they will lose their bright color and crisp texture cooked this way.

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Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten-Free, recipe, Sugar-Free, Whole30

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Traci

    August 23, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    I am crazy about this scrumptious turkey and balsamic flavor. Another classic for the collection…thank you!

    Reply
    • Hayley

      August 23, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      Thanks Traci!

      Reply
  2. Lizzy

    August 23, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    This looks like a super easy and filling dinner idea – thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Hayley

      August 23, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      Thanks Lizzy!

      Reply
  3. Beth Neels

    August 23, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    I have a ton of beans and cherry tomatoes in the garden right now! This is such an easy delicious meal to add the my fresh produce! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hayley

      August 23, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      Hope you love it Beth!

      Reply
  4. Alyssa

    August 23, 2019 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    This is exactly what we need right now for school nights. I feel like a lot of “easy” recipes are unhealthy, but this is delicious AND nutritious.

    Reply
  5. Claudia Canu

    August 23, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    5 stars
    This looks like an easy enough recipe that I could make and I love the tip on blanching the green beans, thank you!

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hello! I'm Hayley the author, recipe developer, and taste tester for this blog. I love creating simple, healthy recipes that everyday people can enjoy. I share recipes and the tips and tricks I have learned on my journey. I'm excited to share my meals with you! Read More…

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