These Asian Ground Turkey bowls are ridiculously flavorful and loaded with texture without loads of sugar! These nutritious bowls are packed with “hidden” veggies and fresh herbs. They’re kid friendly and ready in 30 minutes or less!
Pair these nutritious turkey bowls with a crunchy side like this Asian Cucumber Salad or these Roasted Carrots.
Asian Ground Turkey Bowls
These Asian Ground Turkey bowls are one of my kids’ favorite meals and they’re one of my favorites to make when I’m short on time. They come together quickly, and I’m always thrilled to “sneak” in some extra veggies in kiddos’ diets.
With a few prep short-cuts, you can have these turkey bowls on the table in 30 minutes or less! I’ll share about those short-cuts below as well as break down the components of this recipe.
Rice
We love serving this Asian Ground Turkey over cooked basmatirice. I like to start with the rice so it can be ready right around the time the meat is ready. While you can prepare rice however you’d like, this is my favorite “short-cut” method for preparing basmati rice:
- Measure the rice and place it in a bowl.
- Cover it with coldwater to soak for about 5-10 minutes.
- Rinse in a fine-mesh sieve.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Once the water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
- Cook without reducing the heat, for 5 minutes (taste and test to make sure it is tender, if not add an additional minute) and then drain and fluff with a fork.
For a lower-carb option, use cauliflower rice as the base for these Asian Ground Turkey Bowls.
Asian Ground Turkey
The ground turkey comes together quickly once the sauce is prepared. (See more on the sauce in the section below.)
Here are a few short-cut suggestions:
- Get pre-diced red onion from the produce section of your store.
- Use jarred mincedgarlic or a garlic press.
- Replace the minced ginger with gingerpaste.
- Instead of cutting carrots into matchsticks, buy packaged matchstick carrots.
- And in a pinch (or if you really don’t want to chop!) leave out the diced red bell pepper.
Want to bulk the Asian ground turkey up with even more veggies? You could add an additional 1/2 cup veggies. I’d recommend diced waterchestnuts and/or slicedmushrooms.
Asian Ground Turkey Bowls Stir-Fry Sauce
After the veggies have sautéed and the meat is mostly cooked, we add in this quick sauce — just whisk everything together in a bowl and pour it right into the skillet.
Here are the ingredients used in the sauce, as well as some notes on why we add each ingredient and possible substitutions.
- Cornstarch: Use just a little for thickening. We start by whisking cornstarch and water until smooth before adding in the other sauce ingredients. This ensures the cornstarch doesn’t end up in clumps.
- Soysauce: To ensure this dish doesn’t end up overly salty be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Oystersauce: Oyster sauce gives an amazing depth of flavor. (don’t worry– it doesn’t make the dish taste like oysters.) Oyster sauce is the “secret” to this sauce. See the “quick tip” below for more information on this ingredient.
- Chickenstock: I prefer the heartier flavor of stock, but broth also works here. Use low sodium if you’re concerned about the salt content.
- Ricevinegar and lime juice: Both of these ingredients add a hit of acid and a nice contrasting flavor.
- Honey: Use just a little to balance flavors and complement the savory aspects of this sauce.
- Sesameoil: This adds a great authentic flavor. (Toasted sesame oil is my favorite!)
- Whitepepper: This spice is typically milder than black pepper, with a less-complex flavor. You’ll find it among other spices/seasonings in the grocery store.
- Beef bouillon powder: This is the “secret” to a deeply savory and flavorful Asian Ground Turkey!
QUICK TIP
What is oyster sauce? Oyster sauce is a rich sauce with a syrup-like consistency that is frequently used in Asian cuisine. It is made from oyster extract, but it does not taste like fish (despite the name, oyster sauce has more of a sweet and salty taste.) Oyster sauce is typically found in the Asian section of the international food aisle and can also be found online. My personal favorite oyster sauce is Lee Kum Kee® (not sponsored). This is an instance where quality matters; lower quality sauces may have more of a fishy taste.
Sriracha-Mayo Topping
This Sriracha-Mayo sauce is completely optional, but it adds a nice hit of spice, broadens the dimension of flavor, and delicious creaminess to these Asian Ground Turkey bowls. And it’s only four ingredients — the zest and juice of two limes, Sriracha® sauce, mayonnaise, and a tiny bit of sugar to balance it all out.
We love Hellman’s/Best Foods® mayo best in the Sriracha Sauce (not sponsored). I recommend adding the Sriracha gradually, to personal taste and spice preference. If you’re not familiar with Sriracha, it’s potently hot! If the sauce ends up too hot, add more lime juice to offset it. Not hot enough? Add more Sriracha, slowly.
Drizzle the sauce over the bowls or serve on the side.
More ground turkey recipes
- Greek Ground Turkeywith lemon-parsley rice
- Ground Turkey Recipecabbage stir fry
- Turkey Chiliwith an amazing seasoning blend
- Turkey Taco Saladwith a creamy cilantro dressing
- Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballswith spaghetti sauce
Asian Ground Turkey Bowls
Asian Ground Turkey Bowls
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2teaspoonscornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
- 1/4cuplow-sodium chicken broth
- 2 and 1/2tablespoonslow sodium soy sauce
- 2tablespoonsoyster sauce
- 1teaspoon EACH: honey and sriracha sauce
- 1teaspoon EACH:rice (or rice wine) vinegar and freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3/4teaspoonsesame oil
- 1/4teaspoonground white pepper
- 3/4teaspoonbeef bouillon powder
Stir Fry
- 2tablespoonscoconut oil(measured when solid)
- 1tablespoon EACH:finely minced garlic, minced ginger(~3-4 cloves; 1-inch piece of ginger)
- 1/2cupfinely diced red onion
- 1/2cupfinely chopped red pepper
- 1cupmatchstick carrots
- 1pound (16 oz.)lean ground turkey (93/7)
- 1/2cupthinly sliced green onionsplus more for garnish (OR use 1/2 cup cilantro)
- ServingSuggestions: 2 cups cooked basmati rice(See Note 1)
- Toppings (optional): sesame seeds, additional green onions, lime wedges, and Sriracha mayo sauce(See Note 2)
Instructions
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SAUCE: Start by whisking cornstarch and water together with a fork in a very small bowl. Once completely smooth, add in the remaining sauce ingredients. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
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PREP: Prepare the veggies before beginning, because the cooking goes quickly. Finely mince the garlic and ginger (I peel the ginger first with a vegetable peeler then finely mince it), dice the red onion, finely chop the red pepper, and cut carrots into matchsticks (or use packaged matchstick carrots).
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COOK VEGGIES: Add coconut oil to a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in the onion, pepper, carrots, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Push veggies to the edge of the pan.
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COOKTURKEY: Add ground turkey to the center of the pan, and cook, breaking it up and crumbling as you go, and incorporating the veggies into the meat as it cooks. Cook until browned on the outside, but not fully cooked through– about 4-5 minutes. (If using a nonstick skillet, cook time is longer (it doesn’t hold heat the same as a cast iron!) and you might need to drain accumulated liquid from the ground turkey after it’s browned). As soon as the ground turkey is browned on the outside, use a spatula to get all of the sauce into the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly for 3-4 more minutes or until sauce is thickened and nicely coats the ingredients and turkey is fully cooked.
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SERVE: Remove from heat and stir in the green onions. Taste and adjust as needed, adding additional honey if you’d like it a touch sweeter or more lime juice for a touch more acidity. Add optional sesame seeds. Serve over cooked rice, garnished with additional green onions and a lime wedge if desired. Add a spoonful of sriracha sauce on top. Drizzle the lime over everything and stir the sauce in and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Measure the rice and place it in a bowl. Cover it with cold water to soak for about 5-10 minutes. Drain and rinse in a fine-mesh sieve. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot. Cook without reducing the heat, for 5 minutes (taste and test to make sure it is tender) and then drain and fluff with a fork.
Note 2: Here’s the Sriracha -mayo sauce we love with this dish. Whisk together:
- 1/4 cup (54g) mayonnaise (we love Best Foods/Hellman’s)
- 1-2 large limes (1/4 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
Nutritional information does not include rice.
Nutrition Facts
We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.
