Best Ground Turkey Lasagna (2024)

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Why This Turkey Lasagna is the Best You’ll Ever Try

We’ve all been there. You find a promising-looking recipe for lasagna that claims to be both easy and good, and it falls far short of expectations. Not enough sauce. The noodles are too mushy. Even worse, not enough meaty filling! Well, put those bad experiences behind you. It is time to be wowed!

• This Ground Turkey Lasagna is brimming with chunky ground turkey filling and has plenty of garlic, fresh basil and sauteed onion in the easy homemade sauce.
• The tender layers of lasagna noodles are not too soft and yet not too al dente.
• Plus I have made some swaps to make it lower in calories and healthier than a traditional lasagna with ground beef.
• I also added in sneaky veggies to add low-calorie bulk and nutrients.

Trust me. I have been testing this recipe over and over again to get it just right. So you can rest assured your time and money will not be wasted.

Serve this lasagna for company or for a Sunday supper, or make it ahead for a night when you won’t have time to spend in the kitchen. It can even be frozen and baked straight from the freezer!

Want More Healthy Lasagna Recipes?

Key Ingredients

Lasagna Noodles

You’ll need nine regular lasagna noodles for this recipe. This is key! Do not buy no-boil noodles– they are too flimsy and don’t have a good texture. And also, there is no need to boil them in a large pot. The extra veggies in the filling let off just the right amount of moisture as the lasagna bakes to soften them to just the perfect texture.

Ground Turkey

You can use whichever type of ground turkey you want for this recipe. I like either 85% or 90% lean. I find the very lean (95% or 99% lean) to be too dry. But honestly, the amount of sauce and veggies really moistens the filling up quite a bit so you don’t have to be too picky.

Note that some packages of ground turkey are 1 pound and some are 20 ounces. I have tested this recipe with both and it works either way. (I’m telling you, this recipe is bulletproof!) If you use a 20-ounce package be aware that when you layer the sauce you will need to use slightly more per layer. 1/4 cup more to be exact.

Shredded Cheese, Parmesan and Ricotta

As with my other lasagna recipes, I always try to shave calories off here and there to make them a little more healthy but without sacrificing great classic lasagna taste. So a lot of that comes into play with the cheese selection.

I’ve found that part-skim ricotta is an easy way to cut back on saturated fat and calories. Plus I amp up the cheesy flavor by layering Parmesan cheese on top of the lasagna. Parm has a lot of flavor but is lower in fat and calories per volume than other cheeses. So a little goes a long way.

I also used an Italian cheese blend for layering between the noodles. You can shave off even more by using part-skim mozzarella cheese. I’ve tested it either way, and both the full-fat blend and lower-fat mozzarella work great.

Stealthy Veggies

I started this recipe out with only onions and garlic, but I quickly discovered that it needed a lot more moisture or it would be dry. And I also really liked the idea of sneaking in a lot of extra veggies to make this a healthier family dinner.

I used a blend of finely chopped mushrooms and zucchini and it did just the trick. The stealthy veggies give off just the perfect amount of moisture to soften and cook the uncooked lasagna noodles and to make the turkey moist and tender. Also everyone loved how thick the lasagna layers were. It is loaded with filling!

A NOTE FOR MUSHROOM HATERS: My daughter hates mushrooms and she has been loving this lasagna for the last month (plus+) that I have been testing it. Seriously, besides my Sloppy Joes with mushrooms, there are very few mushroom recipes she’ll eat and this one was a big win with her. The key is to chop them finely so they blend right into the turkey. The big bold flavors from the Italian Seasoning and fresh basil really help to cover up any lingering mushroom flavor.

Step-By-Step Instructions For Turkey Lasagna

Step 1: Prep Oven and Pan

Start out by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat your baking dish with nonstick spray. You can also brush it lightly with olive oil if you don’t have cooking spray.

Step 2: Sauté the Onions and Garlic with the Dried Spices

For the filling, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion, chopped garlic, dried Italian seasonings, ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook the onion mixture, stirring often, until the onions are starting to brown, 4 to 6 minutes.

Step 3: Cook Ground Turkey and Veggies

Add the ground turkey to the onion mixture and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink, and is broken up into small crumbles, 4 to 6 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and mushrooms and cook, stirring often until the vegetables have let off their liquid and the liquid has evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes.

TIP: It is important to brown the turkey before adding in the zucchini and mushrooms because the veggies will let off so much liquid that they will prevent the turkey from browning. The fond that develops adds a nice rich flavor to the sauce.

Step 4: Add Canned Tomato and Basil

Stir your canned crushed tomatoes into the turkey mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in basil. Adding the basil at the end will help preserve its flavor to carry through to the final dish.

Note the sauce will seem a little watery at this point, and this is normal and by design. Remember the noodles are uncooked. This extra moisture is key to helping the noodles achieve the perfect texture!

What is a good side dish for turkey lasagna?

We have been eating this recipe on repeat for the last two months and I can attest it goes with a wide variety of side dishes. Last night we had it with steamed shelled edamame with butter and garlic. It is also great with a simple Garden Salad, or you can try it with Kale Caesar. For a low cal option try Skinny Cucumber Salad. You could also make these Balsamic Green Beans, Roasted Broccoli or sauteed Kale.

How do you serve lasagna?

Once you remove the lasagna from the oven it is important to let it sit for a minimum of 10 minutes. If you have the time, it is even better to wait 20 before cutting and serving. It needs time to “set-up.” This makes the slices neater, and it won’t burn your tongue. Simply cut the casserole across into quarters, and then across into eight squares. Use a flexible spatula and a second knife to help slide it off the spatula onto the plate.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Lasagna is the perfect make-ahead recipe for entertaining, meal prep or getting a jump on your holiday menu planning. It can be built and refrigerated or frozen! Here are the details for either way of making it ahead:

Make Ahead

• To make this lasagna ahead prepare through step six. Cover with the parchment and foil and refrigerate up to two days.
• When you are ready to bake it, preheat the oven. Place the covered lasagna in the center of the oven.
• Bake it until the sauce is bubbling along the edges, it is steaming and the noodles are just tender when pierced with a pairing knife. This take about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Then proceed with removing the cover and topping with cheese as in step 8.

Freeze Ahead

• To freeze lasagna build it as directed through step six. Then cover the lasagna with parchment and foil. Heavy-duty foil is best for freezing. Then wrap it tightly with two layers of plastic wrap. If you have extra large 2-gallon ziplock freezer bags, you can slide the wrapped lasagna into one of them to help prevent freezer burn.
• Freeze the lasagna for up to 6 weeks.
• To cook directly from the freezer, remove the plastic and bake in the center of the oven for 90 to 95 minutes. Test to make sure it is heated all the way through by testing with an instant-read digital thermometer. Continue with the recipe in step 8 as directed.