🦃 Iron in Ground Turkey Calculator
Calculate iron content by lean type, serving size, and number of servings
| Lean Type | Iron/3oz | Iron/4oz | Iron/6oz | Iron/8oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85% Lean | 1.3mg | 1.7mg | 2.6mg | 3.5mg |
| 90% Lean | 1.2mg | 1.6mg | 2.4mg | 3.2mg |
| 93% Lean | 1.1mg | 1.5mg | 2.2mg | 2.9mg |
| 99% Extra Lean | 0.8mg | 1.1mg | 1.6mg | 2.1mg |
| Regular Ground | 1.3mg | 1.7mg | 2.6mg | 3.5mg |
| Italian Seasoned | 1.2mg | 1.6mg | 2.4mg | 3.2mg |
| Taco Seasoned | 1.2mg | 1.6mg | 2.4mg | 3.2mg |
| Frozen Patties | 1.1mg | 1.5mg | 2.2mg | 2.9mg |
| Serving | Ounces | Grams | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Portion | 2 oz | 57g | Topping, garnish |
| Standard Serving | 3 oz | 85g | USDA reference |
| Burger Patty | 4 oz | 113g | Single patty |
| Large Portion | 5 oz | 142g | Meatballs, stir-fry |
| Dinner Serving | 6 oz | 170g | Meatloaf slice |
| Meal Prep | 8 oz | 227g | Batch cooking |
| Meat Type | Iron | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Turkey (85%) | 1.3mg | 200 | Lean heme iron source |
| Ground Beef (85%) | 2.2mg | 218 | Higher iron, more fat |
| Ground Chicken | 0.9mg | 170 | Lowest iron of poultry |
| Ground Pork | 1.0mg | 210 | Moderate iron content |
| Ground Bison | 2.5mg | 152 | High iron, very lean |
| Ground Lamb | 1.6mg | 240 | Rich flavor, more fat |
Ground turkey is great protein to preserve in your freezer. It has less fat and is tender compared to ground beef, but you can use it instead in almost every recipe where normally would go beef. Tacos, lumps, stews, mixes, hamburgers, ground turkey goes well with everything without losing its taste which simplifies dinner for busy people.
When buying, you will meet several different options. Ground turkey from chest is between the thinnest while mixes with dark and light meats combine them. Here what surprised me: thighs and drums commonly form the biggest part of the ground turkey that you find, while breast meat happens less commonly than in ground chicken.
How to Buy and Cook Ground Turkey
That ratio between fat and meat genuinely matters. Choosing it well allows to swap ground turkey in your favourite foods without hurting the result. The more long it cooks the more the fats exit, so the meat becomes drier over time.
That is the main problem with ground turkey, it can become dry, if you do not mind. Add one or two spoons of neutral oil or maybe a spoon of butter per pound of meat helps to fix that dryness. Salt, pepper and any powder early in the cook give firm bases.
What genuinely lifts ground turkey, though, is loading it with spices and strong flavors. Throw a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne together, sounds weird, I know, but it tricks your mouth, making you believe that you eat something rich and delicious as beef.
There are many creative ways that you can choose. One-pot meals work well, if you mix garam masala, cinnamon, cayenne, onions, garlic and ginger for Indian inspired style. Greek style with feta, tomatoes and olives meets in around fifteen minutes and tastes great.
Or go Hawaiian with diced red peppers, green onions, soy sauce and breadcrumbs, then stick everything with teriyaki on the grill.
Turkish lumps with ricotta are surprisingly soft and light, the texture comes out softer then one would hope, which genuinely deserves praise because of how well they taste. Meatloaf also works well. Fresh ground turkey beats the cool tubed version, which commonly becomes watery.
When cooking, ground turkey issues a lot of liquid, so if you cover your meatloaf before it has time to cook dry, that covering only becomes too wet and heavy.
One fast tip for cooking: spread seasoned ground turkey on a baking board and bake it at 375 degrees for between seven and thirteen minutes. A pan also works well… Warm a bit of oil, break the meat with a spatula while it cooks, and stop when no pink stays.
Move the browned turkey on papertowels to absorb extra moisture. Unlike beef, ground turkey must be entirely cooked through, because it can carry dangerous germs if undercooked.
