Ground Turkey Bowls with juicy turkey, crisp veggies, steamy rice, and the easiest spicy mayo that takes it over the top.
author’s note
My Kids Ate Veggies Because of This Turkey Bowl!
I learned early on that plain ground turkey is a hard sell at my dinner table. My kids can spot it a mile away.
So I treated this stir-fry the same way I approach my Greek turkey bowls: pack in flavor, mix in plenty of veggies, and serve it all over fluffy rice. The first time I made it, there were zero complaints and two requests for seconds.
Now these bowls are on constant rotation because they stretch the grocery budget, sneak in produce, and taste just as satisfying as their beefy cousins.
Ground Turkey Bowls: Ingredients
- Ground turkey: I recommend 93/7 ground turkey. I’ve found 99/1 to be dry.
- Mushrooms: Any mushrooms will work fine, I typically use baby bellas or crimini.
- Green onions: Whites get sautéed with the mushrooms and greens add a finishing garnish.
- Red pepper: Any sweet bell pepper will work, even a green pepper will do!
Quick Tip
When browning the turkey, let it cook undisturbed in the skillet for a bit; we want to avoid stirring too much at the start, so it can get a nice brown crust. Browning equals flavor, so the more browning, the more flavorful the turkey will be.
Shortcuts
How To Make Ground Turkey Bowls (Shortcuts!)
- Minced ginger and garlic: For a quicker prep time, use Dorot’s® crushed garlic and ginger cubes. (Check if your local store carries them; they’re typically found with frozen veggies in the grocery store.) Another option is to use refrigerated garlic paste and refrigerated minced garlic.
- Matchstick carrots: Here’s another timesaver for these Ground Turkey Bowls — get shredded carrots from your store; this is so much faster than cutting your own matchstick carrots.
- Shredded cabbage: Instead of shredding a whole cabbage, grab a bag of already shredded cabbage — easy and it cooks down so quickly! You’ll find it near the salad kits. (The only ingredient on the package should be green cabbage; avoid the veggie blends.)
Ground Turkey Bowls Stir-Fry Sauce
| Sauce Ingredient | Quick Tip |
|---|---|
| Cornstarch | Thickens the sauce and gives it a shiny finish. |
| Soy Sauce | Stick with regular (not low-sodium) for deeper flavor. |
| Low-Sodium Chicken Broth | Controls salt while adding body to the sauce. |
| Chili-Garlic Sauce | Brings heat that balances sweet hoisin; swap in 1 Tbsp sriracha if needed. |
| Hoisin Sauce | Delivers sweet, tangy, smoky notes—Lee Kum Kee\ is my pick for great flavor. |
Ground Turkey Bowls Serving Suggestions
- Spicy mayo: Stir mayo, extra chili-garlic sauce, and a squeeze of lime for a quick, punchy drizzle. Skip it if you want. Just be sure to finish the bowls with a squeeze of fresh lime for brightness.
- Serve over rice: Pile the saucy turkey and veggie mix onto warm rice for an easy, flavor-packed meal.
More Ground Turkey Bowl Recipes
Ground Turkey Bowls
These Ground Turkey Bowls are a flavor-packed combo of sweet and spicy turkey and veggies over rice. Finish with spicy mayo for an extra kick!This dish is a bit spicy, but there is a good amount of sweetness to balance out the spice. If you are sensitive to spice, see note 5.
Equipment
Ingredients
Ground Turkey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cups diced mushrooms see note 1
- 1 bunch green onions divided
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1-1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 pound lean ground turkey 93/7
- 2 cups matchstick carrots or shredded carrots
- 1 (10-ounce) bag shredded cabbage see note 2
- Cooked rice see note 3, for serving
- 1 lime lime wedges for serving
- Cilantro for serving
Stir-Fry Sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce not lite
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce see note 4
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce divided, see note 5
Creamy Sauce (Optional)
- 1/2 cup mayo see note 6
- 2 limes
Instructions
- If making the creamy sauce, start it now, so the flavors have a chance to meld. Combine the mayo, 1/2 tsp lime zest, 3 tbsp lime juice, and 2 tsp (up to 3 tsp) chili-garlic sauce. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth, cover, and chill in the fridge until ready to use. (The sauce may make more than what you need for this recipe, but better more than less! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.)
- Wash, dry, and dice mushrooms into small pieces. Thinly slice green onions and separate the white parts from the greens. Dice the red pepper. Mince ginger and garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large, cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add in diced mushrooms, diced red pepper, and white parts of the green onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften, 3–4 minutes. Press to the edges of the pan and add turkey to the center. Cook, breaking up as you cook, until mostly cooked through, 3–5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and continue to cook and break up turkey until it’s no longer pink, about 2–3 minutes.
- While the turkey is cooking, make stir-fry sauce: whisk together cornstarch and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Once smooth, add chicken broth, hoisin sauce, and 2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- Back to the turkey: add in the cabbage and matchstick carrots. Stir for 1 minute, then add the sauce. Cook and stir until the sauce is thickened and glossy and veggies are tender, about 2–3 more minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the tops of the green onions.
- Serve over white rice drizzled with lots of sauce! Garnish plates with lime wedges and cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Pretty much any mushrooms work; I usually use baby bella or crimini. Two cups is about 5–6 ounces of mushrooms.
Note 2: Instead of shredding a cabbage, use a bag of pre-shredded cabbage—it’s easy and cooks down so quickly! (The only ingredient on the package should be green cabbage—avoid veggie blends.)
Note 3: Here’s my favorite quick way to cook rice: (This only works for basmati rice!)
- Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
- Once water is at a rolling boil, salt the water and add in rice.
- Cook without reducing the heat for 6 minutes (taste test to ensure it is tender), then drain and fluff with a fork. Easy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.3g | Protein: 29.7g | Fat: 7.4g | Cholesterol: 67.8mg | Sodium: 755.1mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Big fan of your blog and have made many a delicious meals from your recipes. Thank you, thank you ;-). I saw this recipe and wanted to make it for dinner. I am not big on spice of any kind, is there something not spicy or too hot we could sub out for the Chili-garlic sauce and still have it be less lacking in taste?