Turkey & spinach wrap pizza
Six ounces of spinach disappear into a pan of spiced turkey, garlic, and red onion. That filling goes onto a chili-Sriracha-spread whole wheat wrap, topped with mozzarella, and baked at 400°F until the edges crisp.
37 grams of protein and 511 calories in 20 minutes. The turkey is 99% lean. The spinach starts as 168 grams raw and wilts down to almost nothing, which is the point. You get a full serving of greens packed into every bite without the bulk. One pan, one baking sheet, zero leftovers.
Six ounces of spinach disappear into a pan of spiced turkey, garlic, and red onion. That filling goes onto a chili-Sriracha-spread whole wheat wrap, topped with mozzarella, and baked at 400°F until the edges crisp.
37 grams of protein and 511 calories in 20 minutes. The turkey is 99% lean. The spinach starts as 168 grams raw and wilts down to almost nothing, which is the point. You get a full serving of greens packed into every bite without the bulk. One pan, one baking sheet, zero leftovers.
Ingredients
- red onion 0.25
- celery 1 stalk
- garlic 1 clove
- mozzarella, low-moisture part skim 1 oz
- olive oil 1 tbsp
- 99% lean ground turkey breast 3 oz
- paprika 0.5 tsp
- oregano, dried 0.5 tsp
- spinach 6 oz
- whole wheat tortilla wrap 1
- chili sauce 1 tbsp
- Sriracha sauce 1 tsp
Method
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (210°C).
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Slice the onion into thin half-rings and the celery into thin slices. Press the garlic clove and grate the mozzarella.
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Heat oil in a pan and cook the ground turkey until browned, along with the paprika and oregano. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and sauté until soft. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt. Season with salt and pepper.
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Place the wrap on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Mix the chili sauce with Sriracha and spread this mixture over the wrap. Evenly distribute the turkey-vegetable mixture over the wrap. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
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Bake in the oven for 8–10 minutes until crispy and the cheese is melted.
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Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Wilt the spinach fully and press it gently against the side of the pan before spreading it on the wrap. 168 grams of raw spinach holds a surprising amount of water, and that moisture will turn a crispy wrap base soggy if it stays in the filling.
If you have heard that spinach oxalates block iron absorption, this meal is a good place to revisit that. Researchers tested oxalic acid’s effect on non-heme iron absorption in composite meals and found no reduction (Bonsmann et al., 2008, DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602721). A composite meal is exactly what this wrap pizza is: spinach, whole wheat, turkey, garlic, onion, and cheese together on one plate.
Why This Works
Behind this recipe
Won’t the oxalates in all that spinach block iron absorption?
This is one of the most persistent nutrition myths around spinach. Researchers tested oxalic acid’s effect on non-heme iron absorption in composite meals, meals with multiple food components, exactly like this wrap pizza, and found no reduction in iron absorption (Bonsmann et al., 2008). The spinach, the whole wheat wrap, and the garlic-onion base all contribute iron here, and the oxalates are not getting in the way.
Does cooking the spinach remove the nutrients?
Cooking spinach changes the nutritional profile, but not the way most people assume. Heat reduces some vitamin C and folate, but it also breaks down plant cell walls that trap carotenoids like beta-carotene and lutein, making them easier for your body to access. With 168 grams wilted in olive oil, you get a dense serving of greens in a form your body can work with.
Can I use regular ground turkey instead of 99% lean?
You can, but the macros shift noticeably. 99% lean ground turkey is almost pure protein, 3 ounces deliver roughly 26 grams of protein with less than 1 gram of fat. Regular ground turkey (85 to 93% lean) adds 5 to 10 grams of fat per serving, which pushes the recipe’s total fat and calories up. If you are tracking macros, the swap matters. If you are not, it still tastes great.