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This Ground Turkey Casserole has a southwest flair with black beans, corn, and spices. It’s a satisfying meal filled with lean protein and lots of veggies.

white casserole dish with ground turkey casserole.
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Your family will love all the flavor in this Southwest Ground Turkey Casserole with rice! Add a simple garden salad on the side for a complete meal that is guaranteed to get rave reviews. Be sure to check out our other Ground Turkey Recipes, too!

Ingredients for Ground Turkey Casserole

  • Lean Ground Turkey – 1 pound of ground turkey; ground beef can also be used.
  • Vegetables – Onion, diced tomatoes (canned), tomato sauce, black beans, corn, green chiles.
  • Garlic
  • Spices – chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
  • White Rice – You need about 2 cups cooked rice, which is about 2/3 cup uncooked.
  • Pepper Jack Cheese – for a little heat.
  • Optional Toppings – Fresh minced parsley or cilantro, fresh diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, sour cream.

Step by Step Instructions

Cook the ground turkey. Heat olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet and cook the ground turkey with some diced onions, breaking it apart as you go.

Add spices. Stir in the minced garlic and the other seasonings and cook for 1-2 minutes to toast the spices.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, corn, and green chiles, then stir in the cooked rice. Stir in a cup of Pepper Jack cheese.

collage with skillet, ground turkey, spices and veggies

Pour into a casserole dish. Pour the ground turkey mixture into a greased casserole dish and spread evenly. Top with more pepper jack cheese and bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

casserole with cheese on top

How to serve: Let the casserole cool for a few minutes, then garnish with things like sour cream, fresh tomatoes, sliced green onions, olives, or cilantro.

Expert Tips

  • This casserole is a great way to use up leftover rice from another meal.
  • If you want to make it spicier, add canned diced jalapenos instead of the chiles, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • Try serving with large flour tortillas to make burritos, or with chips for a hearty dip.
  • Storage: Cool completely and store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
  • Freezing: Store cooled casserole in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 6 months.
  • Reheating: Scoop a portion into a bowl and reheat until warmed through.
plate of southwest ground turkey casserole

More Delicious Ground Turkey Recipes

Recipe

Southwest Ground Turkey Casserole

4.84 from 30 votes
Southwest Ground Turkey Casserole is a filling and satisfying meal that's full of black beans, corn and spices, lean protein and veggies.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 15 ounce can corn drained
  • 4 ounce can green chiles
  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 2 cups grated pepper jack cheese divided
  • Optional for serving: Fresh minced parsley or cilantro, fresh diced tomatoes, sliced green onions

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a large, oven-safe skillet, or spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and diced onions and cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until no longer pink.
  • Stir in garlic and seasonings and cook for a minute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, corn and green chiles. Add rice and stir to combine.
  • Stir in a packed cup of pepper jack cheese. If using an oven-safe skillet, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Otherwise, transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
  • Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh diced tomatoes, sliced green onions and minced parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Storage: Cool completely and store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
  • Freezing: Store cooled casserole in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 6 months.
  • Reheating: Scoop a portion into a bowl and reheat until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 36gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 1196mgPotassium: 966mgFiber: 8gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 836IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 359mgIron: 4mg
Keyword ground turkey casserole

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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Comments

    1. Hi Heather, I think you could make it work in a 9×13 pan. As long as it all fits in the pan it should be fine. It make need to bake for a little longer to ensure it’s all heated through.

  1. This was delicious and even my SW Flavor-hating teenage son came back for seconds! I did omit the green chilies and added my own jalapenos to my serving. Along with some salsa and sour cream.
    I also substituted the white rice for brown, canned black beans for homemade and canned corn for 1C of frozen.
    This was great and I will definitely be making it again and again! 😀

  2. Originally found this recipe on your instagram page. It’s a fantastic recipe, easy and quick and the whole family loves it!

    1. Well, that would be a completely different recipe. I haven’t used canned potatoes, but I imagine it could be done. It would just be a very different outcome.

  3. Finally, I found a ground turkey recipe that my family actually enjoyed. They even warmed up leftovers and ate with tortilla chips. This recipe bursts with flavor, which helps to add some pizazz to the otherwise bland taste of lean ground turkey. I’ll definitely make this recipe again!

    1. You are correct. You can actually use either an oven-safe skillet or transfer to a casserole dish. I’ve edited the recipe to make that more clear.