Asian Ground Turkey bowls burst with flavor and texture. Packed with “hidden” veggies and fresh herbs, these protein-packed, kid-friendly bowls are ready in 30 minutes or less!
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
I love serving this Asian Ground Turkey over cooked basmati rice. 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 cold water 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 minced garlic or a garlic press.
- Replace the minced ginger with ginger paste.
- 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 water chestnuts and/or sliced mushrooms.
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.
- Soy sauce: To ensure this dish doesn’t end up overly salty be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce: 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.
- Chicken stock: I prefer the heartier flavor of stock, but broth also works here. Use low sodium if you’re concerned about the salt content.
- Rice vinegar 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.
- Sesame oil: This adds a great authentic flavor. (Toasted sesame oil is my favorite!)
- White pepper: 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
Oyster sauce is a thick, sweet, and salty sauce often used in Asian cooking. It’s made from oyster extract but doesn’t taste fishy. You can find it in the Asian section of grocery stores or online. I like Lee Kum Kee® (not sponsored) because it’s higher quality, and cheaper ones might taste more fishy.
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 Turkey with lemon-parsley rice
- Ground Turkey Recipe cabbage stir fry
- Turkey Chili with an amazing seasoning blend
- Turkey Taco Salad with a creamy cilantro dressing
- Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs with spaghetti sauce
Asian Ground Turkey Bowls
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 and 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon EACH: honey and sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon EACH: rice (or rice wine) vinegar and freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (measured when solid)
- 1 tablespoon EACH: finely minced garlic, minced ginger (~3-4 cloves; 1-inch piece of ginger)
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 pound (16 oz.) lean ground turkey (93/7)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions plus more for garnish (OR use 1/2 cup cilantro)
- Serving Suggestions: 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
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- COOK TURKEY: 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.
- 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
- 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this recipe. My kids LOVE it!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Vanessa! 🙂
As your sister I have to say this is one of my husbands favorite recipes! Such an easy and yummy way to cook with ground turkey!!
Yay! Glad it’s a favorite!
As your sister I have to declare this is one of my all time favorites!
So happy to hear that 🙂
How many traditional calories per serving in this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Nutrition Facts are at the bottom of the recipe card; there are 262 calories per serving
I have Better than Bouillon beef, can I substitute that for the beef bouillon powder? And would it be approximately the same amount (1 tsp of the better than bouillon makes 1 cup broth for comparison to the bouillon powder).
I believe better than bouillon is a little more concentrated/stronger flavor so I’d add that in slowly and to taste!
Thank You For Sharing this Recipe !!!
You’re so welcome! 🙂