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.
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!
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
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
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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.
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In a 12" skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Slice onion into thin strips and halve the cherry tomatoes.
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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.
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Add ground turkey to skillet along with salt and thyme. Brown and stir to coat with seasonings. This will take about 10 minutes.
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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.
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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.
I am crazy about this scrumptious turkey and balsamic flavor. Another classic for the collection…thank you!
Thanks Traci!
This looks like a super easy and filling dinner idea – thanks for sharing
Thanks Lizzy!
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!
Hope you love it Beth!
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.
This looks like an easy enough recipe that I could make and I love the tip on blanching the green beans, thank you!