Dice the yellow onion into small, uniform pieces and mince the garlic cloves fresh—this ensures maximum flavor impact when they hit the hot oil. Measure out all your dried spices (salt, pepper, cumin, and parsley) into a small bowl so they're ready to go when needed. This prep work takes just a few minutes and prevents scrambling once cooking begins.

Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the olive oil, letting it heat for about 30 seconds until shimmering. Add the ground turkey, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks—this ensures even browning and prevents large clumps. Once the turkey is mostly white and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes), add the minced garlic and diced onion, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant. I like to let the garlic cook just until it becomes aromatic because it develops a rich, mellow flavor without turning bitter.

Add the spice mixture from Step 1 (salt, pepper, cumin, and parsley) directly to the cooked turkey and aromatics, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes. This brief toasting step blooms the dried spices and distributes them evenly throughout the meat, ensuring every bite has consistent seasoning rather than pockets of flavor.

Add the carrots and peas, corn, and tomato sauce directly to the seasoned turkey mixture, stirring well to combine everything evenly. Cook on sauté mode for another 2 minutes, allowing the tomato sauce to warm through and the flavors to meld together. I prefer Hunt's tomato sauce here because it has a smooth consistency that distributes easily and won't create lumpy pockets in the finished dish.

Turn off the sauté mode and carefully ladle the ground turkey mixture into bowls or serving dishes. The dish is ready to serve immediately—it can be enjoyed as-is, over rice, or with your favorite sides.