Korean Ground Turkey
Korean Ground Turkey is inspired by the flavors of traditional Korean bulgogi. Made with lean ground turkey and a quick, simple sauce, it’s a flavorful, 15 minute, easy weeknight dinner. Use it in a Korean turkey bowl paired with fluffy rice and carrot and cucumber salad — the whole family will love it!
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This Korean ground turkey is my family’s current favorite dinner in our weekly rotation. It’s SO good, inspired by all the flavors of Korean bulgogi, but made with ground turkey.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful – the sauce is simple, but deeply flavorful!
- Lean Protein – ground turkey is a leaner protein option, making this a great staple in your weeknight dinner rotation.
- Affordable – bulgogi often uses steak or even ground beef, but those can be more expensive options — especially for a staple meal! Using ground meat, especially ground turkey, can make it a more affordable option.
- Quick Cooking – this Korean ground turkey comes together in less than 15 minutes!
- Family-Friendly – obviously everyone has different preferences, but I’ve gotten reports of kids of all ages liking this dinner!
- Meal Prep-Friendly – I’m a huge fan of meal prep for making healthy choices easier in this busy life. This is a delicious protein that reheats great, whether from the fridge or freezer.
- Makes a Delicious Korean Turkey Bowl – highly recommend making my Asian-inspired carrot and cucumber salad to pair with this dinner!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Turkey: I use a 93% lean ground turkey (the label will likely say 93/7), but feel free to use whichever type of ground turkey you prefer. You can also use lean ground beef, ground chicken, or ground pork.
- Brown Sugar: I love how brown sugar tastes in this sauce, and the sweetness is necessary to help create the traditional Korean bulgogi flavors. I’ve also made it with honey, coconut sugar, and sugar substitutes, like Truvia’s Sweet Complete Brown Sugar Substitute.
- Soy Sauce: I recommend a low sodium soy sauce. Coconut aminos work beautifully, too, for a gluten-free and soy-free option.
- Sesame Oil: If you’re new to Asian-inspired cooking, this ingredient may not be in your pantry, but it should be! Sesame oil is a delicious oil that packs a ton of toasty, nutty flavor — a little goes a long way! You can use regular or toasted.
- Seasonings: fresh garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and ground ginger round out the seasonings to create this beautiful dish. If you’d rather use fresh, swap in 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger for every ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
- Garnish: I love using sliced green onions as a garnish that happens to add some lovely complementary flavors! Don’t have green onions? Chopped fresh cilantro is another lovely choice.
How to Make Korean Ground Turkey, Step-by-Step
- Brown turkey and garlic in a large skillet.
- Whisk remaining ingredients for the sauce.
- Pour sauce over turkey.
- Stir and simmer turkey with sauce.
Variations
This is a pretty straightforward recipe, but you can always change up the spice level:
- Add some spice – add chili pepper flakes and even a little buffalo sauce to make spicy bulgogi-inspired ground turkey.
- Swap the protein – Ground chicken, ground beef, or a plant-based crumble all work here if turkey’s not what’s in your freezer this week.
- Make it a wrap – Skip the rice and spoon the turkey into butter lettuce cups for a lighter, hands-on dinner.
- Top it with an egg – A fried egg with a runny yolk adds such a delicious touch!
- Bulk up the veggies – Stir in shredded carrots, snap peas, or broccoli slaw for extra crunch and color.
- Go low-carb – Serve over cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice for a lighter base.
- Gluten-Free – use coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Soy-Free – again, use coconut aminos!
- No Added Sugar – use a non-nutritive brown sugar substitute.
How to Make Korean Turkey Bowls
Hands down, if you’re going to make this recipe, you need to make the full Korean turkey bowl.
To make Korean turkey bowls, serve Korean ground turkey over a bed of fluffy white rice, and alongside cucumber carrot salad. Garnish with more sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Ways to Serve Korean Turkey
Again 10/10 recommend pairing with my carrot and cucumber salad and serving over rice. So delicious!
Alternatively, try serving the following ways:
- As tacos (serve in a tortilla with cucumber carrot salad and garnish with cilantro)
- On a salad as your protein
- Over any type of grain (wild or brown rice, quinoa, noodles)
- As a veggie bowl on top of cauliflower rice
Have fun with it!
Recipe F.A.Q.
Yes — this is one of the best components to prep on a Sunday. Cook the turkey, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container. It reheats in minutes for a fast dinner mid-week.
It’ll keep for 3–4 days in the fridge, so plan to eat it in the first half of the week or split the batch with the freezer.
Yes — freeze it flat in a zip-top bag for up to a month. It thaws quickly and stacks neatly in the freezer.
Swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos and it’s gluten-free with no other changes needed.
Rice bowls are the classic move, but it’s just as good in butter lettuce wraps or paired with the cucumber carrot salad for a fresh, crunchy contrast.
One serving has 22 grams of protein. Meaning, this is a great source of protein, especially when paired with a fiber-rich side like the cucumber carrot salad.
Meal Prep, Storage, & Reheating
If you like to meal prep, Korean turkey is a great option. Follow the recipe as is and you have an easy protein for a few days!
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. It can also be frozen up to three months.
To thaw, defrost in the microwave, or in a skillet on the stove top — you may need to add a little water to keep the turkey juicy.
You can reheat the turkey in a skillet on the stove or in the microwave for one minute, or until desired temperature is reached. With either option, if you find your ground turkey looking a little dry, try adding a couple teaspoons to tablespoon of water to help retain mositure.
Korean Turkey Nutrition
One serving (a quarter of this recipe) of Korean ground turkey has 235 calories, 22 grams protein, 12 grams fat, 11 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 9 grams sugar, 614 mg sodium, 2mg iron.
So is this Korean ground turkey healthy? It absolutely can fit into a balanced diet!
“Healthy” is Subjective – You Do You
Know, too, that “healthy” is subjective. The foods that help one maintain their health may or may not work for you – and that’s okay! Honor the body you have. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I suggest eating a variety of nourishing foods that help you feel good and achieve or maintain your health, balanced with the foods you love. Remember – an election isn’t won with every vote, but the majority. Your health is the same way – the overall dietary pattern is what matters most.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended (especially if you have young children!).
More Bowl Meals Recipes You’ll Love
- BBQ Pulled Pork Bowls
- Chicken Gyro Bowls
- Hot Honey Bowls
- Taco Potato Bowls
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Bowls
- Philly Cheesesteak Bowls
Did you make this recipe? Please give a rating and review below! For more balanced nutrition and no fuss, balanced recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram!
Korean Ground Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar or honey or other substitute
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Garnishes
- sesame seeds
- green onion
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and minced garlic and cook 5-6 minutes, until turkey has browned and is no longer pink. Be sure to crumble the turkey as it cooks.1 pound 93% lean ground turkey, 3 garlic cloves, minced
- While turkey is cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ground ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes.1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Pour sauce over turkey into the pan and stir. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When done, serve and garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion.sesame seeds, green onion
Made this with coconut aminos, some red chili flake chili crisp and added more ginger. Didn’t use brown sugar, the coconut aminos are alittle sweet to begin with. Loved! Almost like an egg roll in a bowl without the cabbage!
Thanks, Afton! I love making it with coconut aminos, too!
Absolutely delish! I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of I did double the red pepper flakes. Easy! We will be making this every other week to swap in for a Turkey taco bowl!
Absolutely delish! I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of I did double the red pepper flakes. Easy! We will be making this every other week to swap for a Turkey taco bowl!
Thanks, Desri, so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of my family’s favorite dinners, too!
I used coconut aminos without any sugar and it was great! I also used California chili crisp (from burlap & barrel).. I used a few dashes more of coconut aminos in the end, and fresh ginger that I minced, (at least a tablespoon) it came out great! Thank you 🙂
Delicious I didn’t have red flakes or sesame oil but used regular oil and sweet chilli sauce and it turned out great I think I’ll double the sauce if I have it with rice . I will definitely make this again
Thanks so much, Jackie!
This has become one of my family’s favorites. It’s quick, easy and very tasty. I add onion to the turkey meat and double the sauce and it’s perfect!!
Thank you, Norma! I love the onion addition to the turkey meat!
Excellent taste and quick!
So glad you enjoyed it, Stacie!
I will be making this again. You definitely need the cucumber carrot salad on it. It helps to cut with the richness of the Korean bowl. For some reason, it would not let me put 5 stars. I tried.
Thanks so much, Melissa! And thanks for letting me know – I’ve reached out to the company about the 4 star issue and getting your rating changed to a 5. Thank you again, and have a lovely day!
Great recipe! I used broccoli, and a lot more garlic and red pepper flakes. Husband loved it!
Love those additions! Thanks so much for sharing, Krista, and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, this is seriously good. I used half soy sauce, half coconut aminos. Cut down on the brown sugar to account for the sweetness of the aminos. Used grated ginger that I keep in the freezer instead of powdered. I also added a bag of spinach, and some blanched green beans that I had in the fridge, which made it a complete meal. Sprinkled on some furikake instead of plain sesame seeds, and it was terrific.
Next time I’ll probably add a bit more heat, and possibly double the sauce. I can see that this a very flexible recipe, make it hotter, or not, sweeter or not, add whatever vegetables you have on hand, or not. And really quick to make!
This recipe is a keeper!
Sounds amazing, and I LOVE the idea of keeping grated ginger in the freezer! Thanks, Marie!
Very quick, versatile, and delicious. I love the sauce. I added shiitake mushrooms for more umami and carrots chopped in the food processor. Served over brown rice. I bookmarked this recipe!
Absolute love the mushroom addition, I’ll try that myself next time! Thanks so much, Kay!
Just made this dish and it is excellent and quick-ish… I added fresh ginger for an added punch.
Thank you!
Love the fresh ginger addition! Thanks so much, Robert!
Super quick super easy, i didn’t have sesame oil, but I had tahini, so I mixed that with some avocado oil to make it more runny it worked great, i doubled the sauce and omitted the red pepper flakes because I have a picky toddler and he ate this up!!!
Nothing better than picky toddler approved! Thanks so much, Tanya, I’m glad y’all enjoyed it!
Do you use regular or toasted sesame seed oil in this recipe?
I typically personally prefer toasted for a slightly nuttier/ deeper sesame flavor, but I have used both and both work well!