Korean Style Ground Turkey (Printable)

Quick ground turkey with Korean-inspired spicy-sweet sauce and toasted sesame seeds

# What You Need:

→ Sauce

01 - 1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium preferred
02 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch
03 - 1/2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
04 - 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

→ Turkey Base

05 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 15 ounces ground turkey

→ Garnish and Finishing

09 - 6 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

→ Serving Accompaniments

11 - Steamed white or brown rice
12 - Steamed or sautéed vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, or carrots

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, and red chili flakes until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Set aside.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil. Once hot, add minced garlic and grated ginger; stir-fry for approximately 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add ground turkey to the skillet. Break it up with a spatula, cooking until no longer pink and fully cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Pour prepared soy sauce mixture into the skillet. Stir well to coat turkey evenly. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat, allowing sauce to thicken and become glossy. Add 1 tablespoon water if sauce becomes too thick.
05 - Stir in chopped chives, reserving some for garnish. Remove from heat immediately.
06 - Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and remaining chives. Serve hot over rice with steamed or sautéed vegetables.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in the time it takes your rice cooker to finish, which means dinner is truly done in thirty minutes.
  • That glossy, clinging sauce tastes like takeout but uses ingredients you probably already have tucked in your cupboard.
  • Lean turkey soaks up every bit of the spicy-sweet coating without feeling heavy or greasy.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have mingled overnight in the fridge.
02 -
  • Do not skip toasting your sesame seeds. Raw seeds taste flat, but a few minutes in a dry skillet transforms them into something nutty and almost buttery.
  • If your sauce will not thicken, make sure your cornstarch was fully dissolved before you added it. Lumpy cornstarch will not do its job, and you will end up with a watery mess.
  • Let the garlic and ginger cook just until fragrant, not brown. Burned garlic tastes bitter and will haunt the whole dish.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often, until they turn golden and smell nutty. It only takes three minutes but makes a world of difference.
  • Use the finest holes on your grater for the ginger so it melts into the sauce instead of leaving stringy bits behind.
  • If you want the sauce even glossier, stir in an extra half teaspoon of sesame oil right before serving.
Go Back