Asian Ground Turkey Bowls for the Table

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

It is satisfying to serving this Asian Ground Turkey over cooked basmati rice. You can 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 a reliable “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.
• While that cooks, 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 a reliable!)
• 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 skippable, but it adds a nice hit of spice, broadens the dimension of flavor, and satisfying 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.

home cooks enjoy Hellman’s/Best Foods® mayo best in the Sriracha Sauce (not sponsored). It is worth 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

Dinner

Greek Ground Turkey (Great Meal Prep!)

Dinner

Ground Turkey Stir Fry

Salads

Turkey Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed with 2 teaspoons water)
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2-1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
• 1 lime
• 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (measured when solid)
• 3–4 cloves garlic
• 1 -inch piece ginger
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 pound lean ground turkey (93/7)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 8 cups cooked basmati rice (see note 1)
• Toppings as desired (see note 2)

Method

1. Prepare the veggies before beginning because the cooking goes quickly. Finely mince the garlic to get 1 tablespoon, and peel and mince the ginger to get 1 tablespoon. Dice the red onion, finely chop the red pepper, and cut carrots into matchsticks. You can also use packaged matchstick carrots. Juice the lime using a citrus juicer to get 1 teaspoon lime juice.
2. 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 keep nearby.
3. Add coconut oil to a large cast-iron pan over medium-a hot burner. Once melted, add in the onion, pepper, carrots, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, about 5 minutes. Push veggies to the edge of the pan.
4. 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 pan, cook time is longer because it doesn’t hold heat the same as a cast iron. You might need to drain accumulated liquid from the ground turkey after it’s browned.
5. As soon as the ground turkey is browned on the outside, use a spatula to get all the sauce into the pan. Cook, stirring constantly for 3–4 more minutes or until sauce is thickened and nicely coats the ingredients and turkey is fully cooked.
6. Remove from heat and mix in the green onions. check the seasoning and adjust as needed, adding additional honey or lime juice to preference. Serve over cooked rice with skippable toppings.