Ground Turkey Orzo

Some nights dinner just needs to happen fast, with no fuss, no pile of dishes, and no complaints from the table. Ground turkey orzo is exactly that kind of recipe. It's a one-pan skillet dinner where orzo pasta cooks directly in a savory, garlicky tomato broth alongside browned ground turkey and bright green broccoli, soaking up every bit of flavor as it goes. The whole thing comes together in about thirty minutes and lands on the table looking like you put in way more effort than you actually did.

This Ground Turkey Orzo is a cozy, one-pan dinner made with tender orzo, seasoned ground turkey, broccoli, and parmesan, all ready in about 30 minutes. It’s a weeknight favorite in our home and one of those recipes that makes cooking together feel easy and joyful.

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This dish has become one of our most-requested weeknight dinners, and I completely understand why. It's hearty enough to satisfy everyone at the table, the orzo gives it that cozy, almost creamy texture without needing a heavy cream sauce, and the broccoli adds color and nutrition that makes me feel genuinely good about putting it in front of my family. It's the kind of reliable, delicious, budget-friendly dinner that fits into any season and works equally well on a Monday night as it does when you have people coming over and need something impressive without the stress.

Why You'll Love This Ground Turkey Orzo

• One pan and thirty minutes is all you need. The orzo cooks right in the skillet with the turkey and broth, which means you get a deeply flavorful dish and almost no cleanup at the end of the night.
• It's packed with protein and genuinely filling. Ground turkey combined with orzo pasta makes this one of those rare weeknight dinners that keeps everyone full without feeling heavy or greasy afterward.
• Kids love it and adults go back for seconds. The mild, savory flavor with parmesan on top hits that perfect comfort food note that works for every age at the table, which in my house is basically the highest possible rating a recipe can get.

Ingredients for Ground Turkey Orzo

Everything in this recipe is straightforward, affordable, and easy to find. The magic here is in how the orzo cooks directly in the broth and absorbs all that savory flavor from the turkey, garlic, and tomato as it goes. Here is everything you need to make this ground turkey orzo skillet from scratch.

What You'll Need

• 1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)
• 1.5 cups dry orzo pasta
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), with juices
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Half teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Half cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Fresh parsley or basil for garnish
• Optional: a squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving

Why These Ingredients Matter

• Dry orzo cooked directly in the broth is the technique that makes this ground turkey orzo recipe taste so much better than if you boiled the pasta separately in plain salted water. As the orzo absorbs the broth, it pulls in all the savory flavor from the turkey drippings, garlic, tomato, and Italian seasoning and becomes deeply flavored all the way through every single piece rather than just coated on the outside.
• Canned diced tomatoes with their juices add both liquid and a gentle acidity that balances the richness of the ground turkey and parmesan beautifully. They also contribute body to the sauce that forms around the orzo as it cooks, giving the finished dish that glossy, almost creamy texture you can see in the pan.
• Freshly grated parmesan rather than pre-shredded melts into the finished orzo in a way that pre-shredded cheese simply cannot match. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly and can make your sauce grainy. Grating it fresh takes thirty seconds and makes a genuinely noticeable difference in how silky and cohesive the final dish feels.

For another recipe that uses orzo in a completely different and equally delicious way, my Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad is a bright, fresh dish that's perfect for warmer nights or whenever you want something lighter.

How to Make Ground Turkey Orzo

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and moves easily around the pan. A properly hot pan is what gives the ground turkey that golden, flavorful browning rather than a pale, steamed texture.
2. Brown the ground turkey by adding it to the hot pan and letting it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes before breaking it apart. This gives the bottom a chance to develop a golden crust where most of the flavor lives. Break it into smaller pieces and continue cooking until no pink remains and you can see golden brown color throughout, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
3. Season and add aromatics. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper and stir to coat the meat evenly. Add the diced onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns soft and translucent and smells sweet.
4. Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 45 seconds until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Don't walk away from the pan at this step because garlic at this heat goes from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly.
5. Toast the dry orzo by adding it directly to the skillet with the turkey mixture and stirring for about 60 seconds. The orzo will pick up the flavors in the pan and lightly toast in the residual oil, which adds a subtle nuttiness to the finished dish that makes it taste more complex.
6. Add the liquid. Pour in the chicken broth and the canned diced tomatoes with all their juices. Stir everything together well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you go since those bits are packed with flavor. Bring the mixture up to a gentle boil.
7. Add the broccoli and stir to nestle the florets into the liquid and orzo mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid and the broccoli is bright green and cooked through but still has a little bite.
8. Check the consistency. If the skillet looks too dry before the orzo is fully tender, add a splash of broth or water, a quarter cup at a time, and continue cooking. If it looks too loose, remove the lid and let it cook uncovered for 2 to 3 more minutes until the liquid tightens up to a glossy, saucy consistency.
9. Stir in the parmesan cheese off the heat so it melts smoothly into the orzo without breaking or turning grainy. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if using, taste for seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
10. Garnish and serve immediately. Scatter fresh parsley or basil over the top and add an extra shower of parmesan right before bringing the pan to the table.

Hint: Stir the orzo every few minutes while it simmers rather than leaving it alone. Orzo has more starch than most pasta shapes and it can stick to the bottom of the pan if left undisturbed for too long, especially as the liquid reduces toward the end of cooking.

Little Moments in the Kitchen

Olivia has a complicated relationship with broccoli. She tolerates it, is how she has described it to me on multiple occasions, which in kid terms means she will eat it if it is buried in something delicious enough to distract her from the fact that it is there. I added two big cups of broccoli florets to this ground turkey orzo knowing exactly what I was doing, cut them small, and tucked them deep into the orzo while it cooked so they would blend right in with everything else in the pan.

She took three bites before she even noticed. Then she poked a floret with her fork, looked up at me with narrowed eyes and said, "Is this broccoli?" I told her it was and she thought about it for a second, took another bite, and said, "Okay but it tastes good in here." That, coming from a child who once described broccoli as "little trees that taste like nothing," is the highest compliment this recipe has ever received. We have been making it the same way ever since.

For another easy one-pan dinner that Olivia gave her full seal of approval to, my Ground Turkey and Zucchini Skillet is another quick weeknight recipe that gets vegetables into the meal without anyone at the table making a fuss about it.

Substitutions for Ground Turkey Orzo

• Ground turkey: Ground chicken works as a direct swap in the exact same quantity with nearly identical cook time. Ground beef or Italian sausage both work beautifully here too and bring a richer, more indulgent flavor to the finished skillet.
• Orzo: Pearl couscous, ditalini, or small shells can all be used in place of orzo. Adjust the broth quantity and cook time slightly based on the package directions for whichever pasta shape you choose.
• Broccoli: Any quick-cooking vegetable works well here. Frozen peas, baby spinach, diced zucchini, chopped asparagus, or halved cherry tomatoes are all great options. Add delicate greens like spinach in the last 2 minutes of cooking so they just wilt rather than overcooking.
• Parmesan: Pecorino Romano brings a sharper, saltier finish if you prefer a stronger cheese flavor. A good dairy-free parmesan alternative works well for a fully dairy-free version of this ground turkey orzo.
• Broth: Vegetable broth works perfectly in place of chicken broth with no noticeable difference in the final flavor of the dish.

Variations on Ground Turkey Orzo

• Creamy ground turkey orzo: Stir in a quarter cup of heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk along with the parmesan at the very end for a richer, silkier sauce that clings to every piece of orzo. This version is especially good with a handful of fresh spinach wilted in right before serving for color and nutrition.
• Ground turkey orzo with feta: Skip the parmesan entirely and finish the dish with a generous crumble of salty feta cheese and a handful of halved cherry tomatoes stirred in off the heat. Add fresh dill instead of parsley for a bright, Mediterranean-style ground turkey orzo with feta that tastes completely different from the original.
• Spicy Italian style: Use hot Italian turkey sausage instead of plain ground turkey and add a full teaspoon of chili flakes along with a tablespoon of tomato paste cooked into the meat before the liquid goes in. Finish with fresh basil and extra parmesan for a bold, deeply savory version that tastes like it came from an Italian restaurant kitchen.

If you love cozy, one-pan dinners that feel comforting and satisfying, my Marry Me Chickpeas is a creamy, plant-based skillet that brings the same kind of deeply flavored comfort to the table in about the same amount of time.

Equipment for Ground Turkey Orzo

• Large 12-inch skillet with a lid: The size matters here because you need enough surface area to brown the turkey properly without crowding it, and enough depth to hold the orzo, liquid, and broccoli comfortably once everything is combined. A lid is essential for the covered simmering step where the orzo finishes cooking.
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula: For breaking up the turkey as it browns and stirring the orzo regularly during simmering so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan as the starch releases.
• Box grater or microplane: For grating the parmesan fresh. A microplane produces the finest, most feathery shreds that melt into the orzo almost instantly and create the smoothest finish.
• Measuring cups: The liquid-to-orzo ratio is important in this recipe for getting the right consistency. Too much liquid and the dish is soupy, too little and the orzo sticks before it finishes cooking, so accurate measuring on the first attempt is worth it.

Storage Tips for Ground Turkey Orzo

• Fridge: Store leftover ground turkey orzo in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The orzo continues to absorb moisture as it sits and the dish will thicken considerably in the fridge.
• Reheating: Add a generous splash of chicken broth or water before reheating, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per serving, and warm over medium-low heat on the stovetop, stirring gently until loose and heated through. Microwave reheating works too in 90-second intervals with a splash of liquid added first.
• Freezer: This ground turkey orzo does not freeze well. The orzo becomes mushy after thawing and the texture of the whole dish suffers significantly. Keep it refrigerated and plan to enjoy it within 3 days for the best results.
• Meal prep tip: This recipe holds up well for weekday lunch prep. Portion into individual containers with the parmesan stored separately and add the cheese fresh when you reheat so it stays creamy rather than congealing in the container overnight.

FAQ About Ground Turkey Orzo

Conclusion

This easy ground turkey orzo is the kind of weeknight dinner that proves simple ingredients and good technique are all you really need to put something genuinely delicious on the table. Whether you make it exactly as written or swap in whatever vegetables you have on hand, this recipe is forgiving, flexible, and consistently great every single time. For a heartier, more indulgent dinner to rotate in alongside this one, my Cattle Drive Casserole is a crowd-pleasing baked dinner that could not be more different in style but equally satisfying.

Now grab that skillet and let's get dinner going. Once this ground turkey orzo becomes part of your regular weeknight lineup you are going to love how easy and rewarding one-pan cooking can actually be. And if you want to explore another way to make orzo shine as a simple, flavorful side dish, AllRecipes has a great parmesan garlic orzo recipe that is worth bookmarking for your next dinner spread. Happy cooking from my kitchen to yours!

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📖 Recipe

Easy One-Pan Ground Turkey Orzo

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This Ground Turkey Orzo is a cozy, one-pan dinner made with tender orzo, seasoned ground turkey, broccoli, and parmesan, all ready in about 30 minutes. It's a weeknight favorite in our home and one of those recipes that makes cooking together feel easy and joyful.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 480

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 - ground turkey 93% lean works best
• 1.5 cups dry orzo pasta
• 2 cups chicken broth Vegetable broth also works
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes Include the juices
• 2 cups broccoli florets Cut small so they blend into the dish
• 4 cloves garlic Minced
• 1 small yellow onion Finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes Optional
• 0.5 cup parmesan cheese Freshly grated, plus more for serving
• to taste - salt and black pepper
• optional - fresh parsley or basil
• optional - lemon juice

Equipment

• 1 Large 12-inch skillet with lid A wide skillet helps the turkey brown properly and gives the orzo room to cook evenly.
• 1 Wooden spoon or silicone spatula Olivia loves stirring with the wooden spoon, it makes her feel official.
• 1 Box grater or microplane For freshly grated parmesan that melts smoothly.
• 1 Measuring cups

Method

 

1. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan. If we have lemons, Olivia insists on a small squeeze right at the end, it really brightens everything up.
2. Add the ground turkey to the hot pan and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes-this is where the flavor starts. Then break it apart and cook until fully browned. Olivia's job here is reminding me not to rush this step.
3. Stir in the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Add the onion and cook until soft and sweet-smelling. This is when the kitchen starts to feel cozy.
4. Add the garlic and stir for about 45 seconds. Olivia always says garlic smells like "real cooking," and she's not wrong.
5. Stir in the dry orzo and let it toast for about a minute. This little step makes the whole dish taste extra special, and it's one I never skip anymore.
6. Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes with their juices. Stir well and bring everything to a gentle boil, scraping up all the good bits from the bottom of the pan.
7. Nestle the broccoli into the skillet, cover, and reduce heat. Let it simmer until the orzo is tender. Olivia helps stir every few minutes so nothing sticks.
8. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan. If we have lemons, Olivia insists on a small squeeze right at the end-it really brightens everything up.
9. Top with fresh herbs and extra parmesan. We serve it straight from the pan, usually with Olivia proudly announcing she helped make dinner.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 38gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 720mgPotassium: 620mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 450IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 180mgIron: 3mg

Notes

• This dish thickens as it sits, add a splash of broth when reheating to loosen it up.
• Ground chicken or Italian sausage work beautifully in place of turkey.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Not freezer-friendly, the orzo gets mushy after thawing.
• Olivia's official tip: always finish your bowl with a little lemon juice, it makes everything taste happier.

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