017 / 75 · Skillet Chicken and Turkey
Paprika Turkey Mince with Sweet Potato Coins
2 generous plates, each with half the roasted sweet potato and turkey-pepper mixture · Active 25 min · Total 55 min
Print recipe · PDFTurkey mince and sweet potato need different kinds of heat. The oven browns the potato coins while the skillet cooks the turkey with onion, red pepper and paprika. Keeping those jobs separate avoids a pan full of half-cooked roots and dry meat. The recipe teaches even slicing, a measured oil split and the safe endpoint for ground poultry.
Give the tray some space
Cut the sweet potato into coins of about the same thickness; a few very thick pieces can hold up the whole meal. Use a large tray and spread them in one layer so their surfaces can dry and color. A crowded pile steams instead. The oil is divided deliberately: most coats the roots and a smaller amount starts the turkey pan. Turn the coins once when their undersides have colored and release easily from the tray. Check tenderness with a knife through the center, because a dark edge can surround a firm middle.
Crumbles, not a solid block
Add the turkey to softened onion and break it into small, even pieces with the edge of a spatula. Give the moisture time to cook away before expecting browning. Stir paprika into the moist vegetables rather than scorching it in an empty hot pan. The tomato and small water addition make a coating, not a deep sauce; simmer until the liquid no longer floods the skillet. Ground turkey needs 165°F/74°C even when no pink is visible. Gather a few crumbles into a small mound for the thermometer so its tip is not measuring the pan. Divide both components equally, including the cooked vegetables and retained oil. Sweet potato forms the starch portion here; no unlisted rice or bread is required.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and trimmed (400 g raw, skin on)
- 10 1/2 oz 93%-lean ground turkey (300 g raw)
- 1 medium onion, diced (100 g)
- 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced (150 g prepared)
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced (200 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml/about 13.5 g), divided: 10 ml tray, 5 ml skillet
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika (4 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1 g)
- 1/3 teaspoon fine salt (2 g), divided
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (0.3 g)
- 1/4 cup drinking water (60 ml)
Set out
Large rimmed baking tray, about 33 x 45 cm/13 x 18 inches, Oven, 28 cm/11-inch skillet, Spatula, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Food thermometer, 2 plates
Allergens
No major US allergens intentionally added; check the actual paprika and turkey labels for added ingredients. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat oven to 425°F/220°C. Cut sweet potatoes into 1 cm/3/8-inch coins. Toss on the tray with 10 ml oil and half the salt. Spread in one layer and roast for 30–35 minutes, turning halfway, until browned at the edges and tender through the middle.
- While the tray roasts, heat the remaining 5 ml oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook onion for 5 minutes, stirring, then add the pepper and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add turkey and break into small crumbles. Cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring and turning, then add paprika, cumin, tomato, water, remaining salt and pepper. Simmer for 6–8 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the mixture is moist rather than watery. Check turkey reaches 165°F/74°C, cooking longer if needed.
- Divide the sweet potato coins and turkey mixture between 2 plates. Spoon all the measured pan juices over the turkey.
A useful kitchen skill
Coordinate two heat sources: start the tray first, then build the skillet mixture while the roots roast. Use tenderness and temperature rather than matching two timers blindly.
A useful detail
The 55-minute total assumes the skillet work overlaps the tray roasting. Use a large enough tray for a single layer; a smaller tray may require two trays or more time.
Another way
- Use 400 g ordinary potato coins instead of sweet potato; roast until tender and recalculate for potato.
- Swap the red pepper for 150 g diced courgette/zucchini, adding it with the onion for a softer vegetable finish; the estimate changes.
Keep it well
Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 3 days. Reheat turkey and potatoes to 165°F/74°C throughout; spread the coins out if reheating in an oven.