Slow Cooker Salsalita Turkey Chops
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A Couple of Small Points To Consider
Using the same serving size for turkey verses pork, there is a noticeable difference that can be important when considering a meal and trying to maintain a healthy life style:
- For example: 8 oz. of Pork has 451 calories, whereas the 8 oz turkey chop has only 236 calories
- The fat content on the same weight of pork is 20 grams, verses 4 grams on the same size turkey chop
- If cholesterol is a concern: Pork - 179 mg vs Turkey - 98 mg
These are just a few of the benefits of choosing the turkey over the pork!
Hmmm... Can Turkey Replace Pork?
Okay, here's the thing, in my own choice I have removed pork along with several other things when it comes to eatting. This is both for health and religion. That being stated, when my husband and I started dating, I introduced him to my own beliefs and offered to make pork for him and his kids, but I would merely cook something else for myself. My husband, who is truly amazing said that he would give up pork, especially after learning several of its negative points.. Nonetheless, he said he wished I could find some way to create something similar to the flavor of pork chops and that is when my mission began.
As I searched, I would also enter into the meat section at a local grocery store and discover "turkey chops" and with this discovery, a new idea began to form: I would test out the pork chops recipes, substituting the turkey for the pork. The first dish was an instant hit! Hubby and his kids admitted they actually prefer the turkey over the pork and so a new search began. The first recipe was a parmesan fried turkey chop, and even my mother decided to use this for our Thanksgiving dinner last year, which was also a hit!
Having discovered this, I then began to search for a slow cooker recipe that could easily allow me to prepare some amazing turkey chop recipes and I began to discover some awesome choices, which I hope to be able to begin adding here for others to enjoy! The Slow Cooker Paleo Salsalita Turkey Chops have a wonderous bold flavor that every is sure to enjoy! Not only this, but it is also a recipe that can be increased easily when trying to feed a crowd.
Unfortunately, since these are such a big hit, I have begun doubling the recipe because no one in our home seems to be content with a single serving! I hope that your family enjoys this as much as my own!
So What About the Taste?
One of the biggest concerns I had when entering into the recipes and replacing pork with turkey was how the taste was going to be affected. Would the recipe become useless? This is probably what is going through your own mind as well. Well, rest assured, I have tested the replacement in a ton of situations, and every time, I receive the same responses and they normally go along these lines:
- "These pork chops are amazing, how did you make them?" and I must immediately respond: "Well, not ssure about pork chops, but these are actually turkey."
- "I know these look like pork chops, but..." and while they are formulating the next part of the response, I usually jump in "Actually, they are turkey chops."
- "Okay, I am now convinced, I need to switch from pork to turkey, these are amazing! The flavor seems to have increased!"
When everyone is ready to make the switch from pork to turkey, it is a sure way to know that the recipe was not impacted in a negative manner!
So...
Okay, now that I have you ready to delve into the wonderful flavors of turkey chops, the most obvious question you have is: Where can I find them?
Normally, they can be found in the meat section within most grocery stores. Especially now that more and more people are becoming more cautious with what they eat. Normally, if you see ground turkey, then the turkey chops/turkey breasts are near by! Always check to make sure that the cuts are not already soaking in a marinade. This too is popular, and can impact the flavor that you are looking for. When you are searching the products, you need to look for something similar to the following picture of the Shady Farm, and as you can tell, it is located right beside chicken breasts:
How Long????
What do I need?
- 8 Turkey chops, (normally 2 pkgs of the Shady Farm brand)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- 2 c. salsa
- 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
So How Do I Mix All of This?
- Combine ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and fresh ground black pepper in a small bowl; using your fingertips, rub the spice mixture onto the turkey chops on both sides.
- Heat coconut oil in a heavy frying pan, add turkey chops and cook over medium heat until well-browned, about 5 minutes per side.
- Use either coconut oil or a liner on the inside of a slow cooker.
- Pour salsa-lime sauce over turkey.
- Cover. Cook on High for 2-3 hours, or until the turkey chops are very tender.
- Serve with reserved sauce for topping chops.
What Compliments this meal?
Now you have the main dish, what goes well with it? This is definitely a matter of taste and opinion. Since this dish has a Mexican flair, I like Mexican style rice, refried beans, a side salad, and even occassionally toss in some con quesa dip with tortilla chips. I like the flavors and how the compliment each other.
Another option is to replace the con quesa dip with either a pico de gallo dip, guacamole dip, spinach dip, or even just salsa. The options for side dips truly is limitless. Just remember, this is a Mexican side dish, so try Mexican style sides.
Another great option is to saute some corn, green and red peppers, onions, and a some tomatoes together. It also creates a great side!
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 4 oz turkey chop/breast | |
| Calories | 315 |
| Calories from Fat | 135 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 15 g | 23% |
| Carbohydrates 20 g | 7% |
| Sugar 1 g | |
| Protein 29 g | 58% |
| Cholesterol 65 mg | 22% |
| Sodium 1530 mg | 64% |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Just a little note
The information regarding the nutritional information in this recipe may be a little off. I acquired it via a calculator to determine numbers, and in the end, this was the information I received. Another point is that this is solely for the turkey chops and not any sides. You can either see if you can determine these values from other recipe sites or merely attempt to locate a calculator, such as the one on sparkpeople.com. I apologize for not being more sure about the values, but I combined and merged several recipes, none of which have the information themselves.
