Ground turkey is often seen as the healthier alternative to ground beef, but according to a professional chef, not all ground turkey is created equal.
In a TikTok video with over 59,900 views, chef Abby Cheshire (@abbyinthegalley) breaks down what to look for—so you don’t end up with dry, flavorless meat.
“Hi, little chef, we’re back and we’re talking about ground turkey,” Cheshire says, kicking off another installment of her Little Chef series, where she shares cooking tips and tricks.
What should you look out for, according to the chef?
Cheshire explains that while turkey is generally a leaner option, the fat content is what makes or breaks the dish.
“This is going to be a lot better for you than ground beef, but you have to make sure you get the one with fat in the turkey,” she says. “Because if you don’t, it’s going to be super dry and flavorless.”
Cheshire shows different types of ground turkey, pointing out the fat percentages on the packaging.
“I always go for the one like in 85/15,” she says, referring to the ratio of lean meat to fat. “So 85% of this is lean meat, 15% is fat.”
For the chef, this is the sweet spot. It keeps the turkey moist and flavorful without being overly greasy.
What to avoid
The leaner the turkey, the drier it gets, she explains—and the professional chef warns against buying anything too low in fat.
“I don’t go for anything like this,” she says, holding up a package labeled 93% lean, 7% fat. “It’s going to be so dry, flavorless.”
Then there’s the ultra-lean option: 99% lean, 1% fat.
“This one’s even worse,” she concludes.
Other experts agree with Cheshire, noting that ground turkey with higher fat content, such as an 85/15 blend, offers better flavor and moisture compared to leaner options.
What makes turkey healthier than beef?
A lot of people assume that ground turkey is the better choice over beef—but how big is the difference really?
According to a blog post by the University of Illinois, when comparing 93/7 ground beef to 93/7 ground turkey, the nutrition facts are surprisingly close.
A 4-ounce serving of ground beef has 172 calories, 7.9 grams of fat, and 3.3 grams of saturated fat, while ground turkey has 170 calories, 9.4 grams of fat, and 2.5 grams of saturated fat.
Yes, turkey has slightly less saturated fat, which is often why it’s considered the healthier option.
But the actual difference is only 0.8 grams—not exactly game-changing. Plus, beef has more protein, iron, and zinc, which are all important nutrients.
At the end of the day, choosing turkey over beef won’t make or break your health.
The key, experts say, is picking leaner options—at least 93/7—which makes Cheshire’s advice more about flavor and texture than strict health benefits.
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments, users had mixed opinions on Cheshire’s advice.
One person pushed back on the idea that leaner turkey is too dry, saying, “Respectfully disagree. 93/7, as long as you don’t overcook it, is great.”
Others shared their own cooking methods, like one user who wrote, “I mix ground turkey and ground beef and cook it off, bag it up, and freeze it. I pull it out and use it for so much.”
Some questioned whether turkey is really the better option, with one commenter asking, “If you’re using 85%, why is it better than 85% ground beef? Curious.”
@abbyinthegalley Picking Ground Turkey 🦃 #cooking #chef ♬ original sound – AbbyintheGalley
The Daily Dot has reached out to Cheshire via email for comments.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
