Ground Turkey Bowls

5 from 1 vote

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.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Healthy

Keyword: ground turkey bowl, ground turkey bowls

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $14.95

Equipment

Large cast-iron pan

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

US - Metric

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!

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!

Note 4: I recommend Lee Kum Kee’s® hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce varies from brand to brand, so if there is a brand you love, feel free to use that; otherwise, grab Lee Kum Kee’s for great results.

Note 5: Chili-garlic sauce is spicy and adds heat plus flavor! Without it, the flavor will be lacking, but if you’re overly sensitive to spice, you can slightly reduce it. If you don’t have access to this sauce, I did test this recipe with Sriracha; while not the same, it worked. (I liked 1 tbsp Sriracha best in the pork mixture and 1 tbsp in the sauce—2 tbsp was too hot!)

Note 6: Use a good mayo like Hellman’s/Best Foods® (not sweet). Skip the spicy mayo? Drizzle fresh lime for acidity and freshness. Want it spicier? Add more chili-garlic sauce.

Nutrition Note: Nutrition information is for the meat and veggie mix, not the sauce.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the turkey, veggies, rice, and spicy mayo separate, if possible, to maintain the best texture. Reheat the turkey and rice in the microwave and add fresh mayo before serving.

Nutrition