This lightened-up Turkey Bolognese recipe (aka Sunday Sauce) is made with ground turkey and mushrooms. It’s hearty, robust, and full of deep umami flavor! Make it in a slow cooker, on the stovetop, or in an Instant Pot.
I now make this once a week for my family. Thank you so much for a firm favorite!
This hearty Turkey Bolognese is incredibly rich and flavorful. To lighten this up, we use ground turkey and mushrooms. Make this in a slow cooker, on the stovetop, or even in your Instant Pot, your choice!
Make a big batch, perhaps even a double batch, in your crock pot and freeze in smaller portions for quick and easy dinners. Serve with pasta, zucchini noodles, or my favorite, roasted spaghetti squash, keeping it gluten-free.
Why you’ll love this Turkey Bolognese!
A lightened-up bolognese. While still bold and rich in flavor, this bolognese variation uses ground turkey and mushrooms for a lighter, healthier alternative to ground beef or pork. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
Use the slow cooker, stovetop, or Instant Pot. This recipe follows a simple method, no matter which way you choose to prepare it!
Freezer-friendly. I like to make a double batch and freeze smaller portions for quick and easy dinners on busy weeknights.
Turkey Bolognese Recipe Ingredients
- Ground meat: This recipe uses lean ground turkey as a lean, healthy alternative to traditional ground beef or pork. Feel free to use ground elk, beef, pork, lamb, or a combo.
- Onion and garlic cloves: Add flavor, depth, and aroma to the sauce.
- Olive oil: Used for sautéing the ground turkey and onion.
- Carrots: Provide natural sweetness and texture to the sauce.
- Celery: Adds flavor and crunch to the sauce.
- Mushrooms: Enhance the umami and depth of flavor in the bolognese. We use mushrooms instead of pancetta here!
- Spices: Salt, black pepper, bay, and oregano.
- Tomato paste: Gives the sauce depth and richness.
- Red wine: Adds complexity and depth to the sauce. Feel free to sub in chicken broth or beef broth, and add a tiny splash of balsamic.
- Canned tomatoes: Whole canned tomatoes (mashed), crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes, along with their juice, form the base of the sauce.
- Soy sauce: As strange as it seems, it adds depth and enhances the umami flavor in the sauce. Give it a try!
- Parmesan rind (optional, but elevates!): Adds extra depth and richness to the sauce.
- Garnishes: Parmesan cheese or pecorino cheese and basil or parsley.
These ingredients work together to create a hearty, robust, and flavorful bolognese sauce.
How to Make Turkey Bolognese
1. Sauté the ground turkey and vegetables. Warm olive oil in a large Dutch oven and sauté the ground turkey for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned. If needed, drain excess liquid, and then set the browned turkey aside. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to the pot. Stir until the veggies are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the spices and salt.
2. Add the tomato paste. Make a well in the pan, add the tomato paste, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the turkey back in and mix everything together. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits.
3. Reduce and add tomatoes. Simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and their juices, and use a metal spatula to help break them down. Stir in the soy sauce and add a Parmesan rind (optional) and a bay leaf.
4. Simmer. Simmer, covered, for 1-2 hours over medium-low heat, stirring every 20 minutes. Add chicken stock as needed to prevent drying out. See notes for Instant Pot and Slow Cooker instructions.
5. Season, taste, and adjust. Remove the lid, taste, and adjust, adding salt and black pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. If you want a thicker consistency, cook off any extra liquid.
6. Garnish and serve. Serve the meat sauce over your favorite pasta, creamy polenta, quinoa, or roasted spaghetti squash. Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil or Italian parsley.
Expert Tips
- Don’t rush the browning process. Browning the meat, onions, and mushrooms gives the bolognese added flavor and depth.
- Sauté the tomato paste until it deepens in color. This step is crucial to adding a deeper layer of flavor.
- For extra depth of flavor, add a little soy sauce or (as weird as it seems) a splash of fish sauce, or a Parmesan rind.
- Simmer low and slow. Even though turkey is leaner than beef, long simmering helps the flavors meld and creates a richer, more developed sauce.
Ways to Serve Turkey Bolognese Sauce
Serve over pasta (try our homemade pasta) with fresh-grated pecorino cheese and fresh Italian parsley.
- Serve over creamy polenta
- Serve over a baked potato
- Use as the filling for lasagna
- Over roasted spaghetti squash
- Over zucchini noodles
- Over quinoa
Turkey Bolognese Sauce Storage
Store leftover Bolognese Sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop until warmed through.
Hope you enjoy this healthier version of Bolognese!
More Hearty Pasta Recipes You Might Like
After you try this recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Turkey Bolognese Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner, dinner idea, healthy dinner, Pasta, weeknight dinner
- Method: instant pot, slow cooker, Stove top
- Cuisine: American, Italian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Diabetic, Gluten Free, Gluten-Free, high protein, Keto, Kosher, low carb, Low Fat, Low-Carb
Description
This Turkey Bolognese (aka Sunday Sauce) is hearty, robust, and full of depth and flavor! Make it on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground meat- turkey, beef, lamb, pork or a mix
- 1 large onion -diced
- 6–8 cloves garlic- rough chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms- sliced
- 2 carrots- diced
- 2 Celery stalks – diced
- 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste!
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/4 cup red wine ( or chicken or beef broth)
- 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marsano (or use crushed or diced)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1Bay leaf
- Parmesan Rind (optional)
Garnish: Fresh basil ribbons or chopped parsley and grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Instructions
- Saute. In a large Dutch oven, saute the ground turkey and onion in the olive oil for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned. If there is a lot of liquid, drain it, then set it aside. Add the onions, saute until softened. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Continue sauteing and stirring, cooking the veggies until tender, about 7 minutes. Add all the spices and salt.
- Tomato Paste. Make a well in the pan and add the tomato paste; sauté for 1-2 minutes to give the sauce depth. Add the browned turkey and mix it all together, then add the wine, scraping up all the brown bits.
- Reduce. Let simmer on medium heat until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes and their juice, breaking them up with the metal spatula. Stir in the soy sauce. Toss in the parmesan rind (optional) to add even more depth and a bay leaf.
- Simmer. Simmer in the Dutch oven on the stove, covered, for 1-2 hours at a gentle simmer (medium-low heat), stirring every 20 minutes and adding chicken stock if needed to prevent drying out. See notes for Instant Pot and Slow Cooker.
- Season. Uncover, taste, adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf and parmesan rind, and cook off any extra liquid if you want it thicker.
- Serve over cooked pasta, creamy polenta, quinoa or roasted spaghetti squash with grated parmesan, sprinkled with fresh basil or Italian parsley.
Notes
Instant Pot: Follow steps 1-5 using the saute function. Then use the meat/stew setting for 35 minutes (or manual LOW pressure for 35 minutes) followed by a natural release for 15 minutes. Cook off the extra liquid, uncovered, on the saute function, stirring often. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Slow Cooker: Follow steps 1-5, then place it in a slow cooker, set to its lowest setting for 6 hours (or medium heat for 3 hours). Taste, adjust seasonings; add more salt to taste. Discard the Parmesan rind and bay leaf.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 174
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 259.6 mg
- Fat: 7.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.9 g
- Fiber: 4.1 g
- Protein: 16.7 g
- Cholesterol: 48.9 mg
I’ve really enjoyed all your recipes since I discovered your blog a few weeks ago. Was I supposed to drain the liquid from the ground turkey? By the time I was ready to “fry” the tomato paste, it was really more like poaching them. Thanks!
That is interesting, I’ve not had that liquid….but will note the recipe. You could also cook it off?
If I don’t have Parmesan rind, can I just add grated parm? If so, how much?
Yes! Maybe when serving. 🙂
Epic fail with the instant pot choice. With the small amount of liquid vs other ingredients, you will generate a BURN message on your Instant Pot. You do NOT use the high setting.
If you want to use your instant pot, you must use the meat/stew setting for 35 minutes or manual LOW pressure for 35 minutes followed by natural release for 5 minutes.
Hi Leslie, sorry about that. Thanks for the info though, very appreciated.
I am excited to try this tonight! Do you suggest quick or natural release for the instant pot?
Either would work here.
A really gutsy and rich bog sauce.
I added a few finely chopped chicken livers as well: trying to win over some entrenched red meat eaters.
I learnt the frying of the tomato paste some years ago. It works well and I suggest that bay leaves are also improved by frying at the beginning of a recipe. I actually pick fresh leaves for this technique. 😎
Thanks Bryan!
This was delicious.
I used fresh tomatoes because I had lots, and I used fresh oregano as it’s going crazy in my garden at the moment.
Your recipe ingredients were long, but you never bothered to indicate when you add the salt , pepper, oregano, chili flakes, nutmeg, and fennel seeds.
Looks like a step indicating when these seasonings are added — you add the tomatoes or when you add the wine or when? And if using a Dutch Oven you would add maybe at a different time than if you were using a slower cooker or Instant Pot. Please correct!
Sorry about that. I see the omission and fixed that.
Could I sub ground beef for the turkey and keep the rest of the recipe the same?
Yes, absolutely!
I originally tried this recipe almost 2 years ago so thought I’d share an update/review. 🙂 I’ve made this with ground beef each time and it turns out great. It’s become a go-to recipe and we like it even better in a “lasagna “…I put it in quotes bc I know it’s not a traditional lasagna recipe but we love it 🙂
Great to hear-love it!
Sylvia, I make something from your website about three times a week and am never disappointed. This recipe is another great addition to my Feasting at Home file. I didn’t have any celery, so I subbed a small fennel bulb. Sometimes when I cook with turkey, it’s a little bland…Not this recipe! It has so much flavor!! We ate it with spaghetti squash for a super healthy dinner. Even the broth that separated out from the bulk of the sauce was delicious!
I really like this one too! Glad you gave it a try!
The recipe looks beautiful but I have a problem with yeast so no wine. Is there a way to adapt it?
Just leave it out! maybe add a tiny splash of balsamic?
Wow, this is such a wonderful & yummy recipe! Thank you so much for posting it 🙂
I used this recipe as a base & used what I had available… which was pretty much everything except a few items.
I substituted zucchini for celery & also added canned beans and a handful of gluten free quinoa penne so it was all in the same pot & not separate. Sooo good!!
Hello. I have commented before on how priceless this recipe is to me. I have made it MANY times. I am noticing this time that the cream or half and half is no longer on the ingredient list. I know you had it the same time as the soy sauce,..but I can’t remember how much? Thank you!?
Hi Joleen, I ended up taking it out of the recipe. Im so sorry. It seemed unnecessary, but what do you think…is it needed?
Your probably right. If you don’t think its necessary, that’s good enough for me! Thanks for getting back to me?
Yes, and let me know if you feel differently after leaving it out. I’m curious!!!
I doubled it….I had family over. The “omg’s” were Profound! I used the same amount half and half as I did soy sauce (doubled) just because that’s what my gramma did…I couldn’t help myself, but it’s necessity is still not clear! I just know that your recipe was SO on point with my grammas…and I personally kept it the same. ALL the raves I get are All thanks to you! Thank you! ???
Made this for family and received raves! It was fantastic! I know the soy sauce sounds strange but it gave the sauce such a great flavor. Thank you for a great recipe! I will be coming back to your site for more!
I made this today and oh…my…gosh. It’s only been simmering a couple hours and I had to sneak a taste because it smells so good. And it tastes even better!!!
I omitted the mushrooms and the half and half and it still looks and tastes great. The depth of flavor in this sauce is amazing. I love that it is made with turkey. It tastes like the healthier version of my dad’s homemade bolognese made with sugar and beef and sausage. No guilt, and all the flavor!
This is a new favorite recipe for sure. Can’t wait to make this again and again for my loved ones. Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks for sharing Monique, glad you like it!!!
Delicious!! Cooked it on the stove top and ate it a couple of days later.
You’re a genius, through and through. I just made this dish for my wife and my two sons (ages 5 and 2), and, for the first time ever, there were no complaints at dinner and no distractions.
It was literally a mad rush to see who could get seconds first. My three buckaroos and I took down all 8 servings in one sitting. And I, having tasted the dish throughout the cooking process, only had a 1/2 serving!
The only change I made to your recipe was to use a homemade tomato sauce (made from fresh vine ripened tomatoes) instead of the canned tomatoes and tomato paste. I was a little dubious about the fish sauce, but it worked beautifully.
Cheers.
Yay Vik!! I’m sooooooo glad you and your family liked it!!! Thanks for notes on how you adapted too. AND thanks for trusting. Happy new year! Sylvia
This recipe is a complete winner. I’ve made it several times and it always turns out amazing. It freezes beautifully too and comes out tasting as good as when it went in. It takes some prep on the front end, but all that flavor development pays off when you taste it.
So great to hear. Thanks for the feedback!
Will ground turkey breast work? Any adjustments?
Yes Dan it’s meant for ground turkey. 🙂
I just stumbled upon this recipe and decided to make it for dinner tonight. It turned out SO GOOD! I have been trying to find healthier alternatives for cooking and this was the perfect recipe. I served this sauce on top of zucchini noodles and it was delicious. I highly recommend this recipe 🙂
Oh Anna- thanks so much for letting me know- glad you enjoyed it!
Been looking for this for ever!! My grandma made this…only with sausage and hamburger. She had a stroke and cant find it or remember it. For ever I just thought is was Reeeaaally good spaghetti… but it wasnt! It was this! I remember the nutmeg and cream and carrots etc.I’m making it now and it is a constant craving for my family and me! Love your explanations in the directions and how you cook with love!! Thank you soooooh much!!! It is beyond delicious!!
Ahhh.. thanks, glad you enjoyed it Joleen….. and appreciate your comment. I love how food and cooking brings us back to the people we love.
This recipe turned out SO GOOD! My whole family raved about how yummy it was. Thank you so much!
Yay, I love to hear that…makes my day, every single time. Thanks for sharing Laurie! Have a lovely weekend.
Hello Sylvia,
When do I add the fennel seeds please? And do I need to crush them?
Thank you very much,
Karen
Ooops, thanks I fixed the recipe 😉 No need to crush, add when you add the spices.
Fantastic, thank you very much Sylvia, I’m cooking this tonight and can’t wait!
Let us know how it turns out Karen!
It is fantastic Sylvia! Very rich and comforting… It tastes as good as your great images look. Always a bonus! Karenx
Oh Good!! Glad you like it!
OH my. Everything about this sounds wonderful, but your pictures completely seal the deal. Love your tips as well.
Thanks Lemony Thyme!
Wow this one heck of a sauce. It has to be outstanding.
Thanks Carol…hope life is treating you well? Have a beautiful week!
Wonderful recipe! You can use a couple of mashed anchovies instead of the fish sauce or soy sauce.
Such a great idea…thank you!!