• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nutrition to Fit

  • ABOUT
    • Press
    • FREE eBook
  • SERVICES
  • RECIPES
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • SERVICES
  • RECIPES
  • THE BLOG
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • SERVICES
    • RECIPES
    • THE BLOG
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Blog » Recipes

    Korean Ground Turkey

    Published: Mar 10, 2022 · Updated: Mar 13, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links. · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
    a bowl of carrot and cucumber salad, next to korean ground turkey over rice
    a bowl of white rice topped with saucy ground turkey, dotted with red chili flakes, green onions, and sesame seeds

    Korean ground turkey is inspired by the flavors of traditional Korean bulgogi, but made with ground turkey for a flavorful, 15 minute, easy weeknight dinner. Use it in a Korean turkey bowl paired with fluffy white rice and cucumber carrot salad, and the whole family will love it!

    a bowl of white rice topped with saucy ground turkey, dotted with red chili flakes, green onions, and sesame seeds

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to learn more.

    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. Why?

    Well as delicious as steak and ground beef are, lately they've been quite a bit more expensive at the grocery store! So for an easy weeknight meal, using ground meat helps make it cook faster, and turkey simply for a more affordable option.

    But as I'll share below, you can easily adapt the same recipe to your personal protein preferences! And no matter what, you've GOT to make my Asian-inspired carrot and cucumber salad to pair with this dinner!

    Ingredients

    ingredients to make Korean ground turkey
    • 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 or have access to.
    • Brown Sugar: I love how brown sugar tastes in this sauce, and the sweetness is necessary to help create the traditional Korean bulgogi flavors.
    • Soy Sauce: If using soy sauce, I always recommend a reduced or low sodium option. Coconut aminos work beautifully, too, if you need 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!
    • Seasonings: fresh garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and ground ginger round out the seasonings to create this beautiful dish.
    • 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

    process shots to make Korean-inspired ground turkey
    1. Brown turkey and garlic in a large skillet.
    2. Whisk remaining ingredients for the sauce.
    3. Pour sauce over turkey.
    4. Stir and simmer turkey with sauce.

    Substitutions

    While it's impossible to test all substitutions, here are some substitutions that I know work:

    • Ground turkey - you can substitute any ground protein you have on hand or prefer, like ground chicken, pork, beef, or venison.
    • Ginger - if you have it you can use grated fresh ginger instead of ground ginger. Use 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root for every ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
    • Soy sauce - I always use a reduced or low sodium soy sauce, but you can substitute coconut aminos for a gluten-free option.
    • Brown sugar - I prefer the flavor of brown sugar in this recipe. You can decrease the amount if you prefer, or use cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey, or a non-nutritive brown sugar alternative, like Swerve's Brown Sugar Replacement or Truvia Sweet Complete Brown Sweetener with Stevia.

    Variations

    This is a pretty straightforward recipe, but you can always change up the spice level:

    • Less Spicy - add chili pepper flakes and even a little buffalo sauce to make spicy turkey meatballs
    • More Spicy - double the chili pepper flakes and top with sriracha.
    a stone bowl full of fluffy white rice, korean ground turkey, cucumber carrot salad, and garnished with sesame seeds and green onion

    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 for your protein
    • Over any type of grain (wild or brown rice, quinoa)
    • As a veggie bowl on top of cauliflower rice

    Have fun with it!

    Meal Prep, Storage, & Reheating

    If you like to meal prep, Korean turkey is a perfect meal. 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!).

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    More Recipes You'll Love

    If you're a fan of ground turkey and looking for more recipes, I highly recommend my gluten-free turkey chili and taco stuffed peppers.

    Did you make this recipe? Give it a 5★ rating below! For more healthy recipes and tips to create your own balanced relationship with food and health, be sure to follow Nutrition to Fit on Instagram!

    a bowl of white rice topped with saucy ground turkey, dotted with red chili flakes, green onions, and sesame seeds
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Korean Ground Turkey

    Korean ground turkey is inspired by the flavors of traditional Korean bulgogi, but made with ground turkey for a flavorful, easy weeknight dinner. Use it in a Korean turkey bowl paired with fluffy white rice and cucumber carrot salad, and the whole family will love it!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 235kcal
    Author: Lindsey Janeiro, RDN

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
    • 3 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon 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.
    • While turkey is cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ground ginger, and 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 614mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
    « Carrot and Cucumber Salad
    Self Love Affirmations »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome, friend!

    Welcome to Nutrition to Fit! I'm Lindsey, a balanced nutritionist and Registered Dietitian obsessed with helping you find your healthy balance with food and health! I'm not going to tell you what I think you should do, but instead my goal is to empower you to create your own balance (which, PSA, absolutely includes delicious foods!). Learn More

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As Featured In:

    Featured Recipes

    overhead shot of 6 glasses of brightly and different colored agua frescas

    How to Make Agua Frescas

    Maple dijon brussels sprouts are your answer to add flavor to easy roasted brussels sprouts. Try this easy, healthy side dish recipe today!

    Maple Dijon Brussel Sprouts

    a bite from a decadently fudgy, ganache frosted avocado brownie on a white plate

    The Best Avocado Brownies

    green spinach banana muffins on a metal tray - some with almonds, some plain, some with blueberries

    Spinach Banana Muffins

    • ABOUT
    • SERVICES
    • RECIPES

    Footer

    Leave a ❤️ if you needed to see this. Leave a ❤️ if you needed to see this.
    Sacrificing your life for your "health" is a red f Sacrificing your life for your "health" is a red flag that diet or those methods may not be the healthiest for you.

Create a healthy balance that helps you feel at home in your body and lets you live your life!
    Feeling a little off-balance in your eating and he Feeling a little off-balance in your eating and health habits after the weekend? Or just in general lately?

It happens!

But if this has typically triggered restrictive or extreme habits or eating patterns, let's try something different:

Can you try to gently step back into caring for yourself?

Check in with your baseline habits.
+How are you sleeping?
+Managing stress?
+Has your water intake turned to mostly coffee intake? 
+Are you moving your body in a way that feels good right now?
+How are your eating habits?

Then, when the opportunity next presents itself to do something a little different, like adding vegetables to your lunch or skipping Netflix to actually go to bed at a decent time😘, act on it!

What's one thing you're going to do today to support nourishing and caring yourself and getting back to any of your health goals?
    Don't shoot the messenger!!🙈 I have nothing aga Don't shoot the messenger!!🙈 I have nothing against coffee or protein coffee, but neither👏are👏a👏meal👏

Per usual, remember to add - swipe for some ideas of protein coffee pairings that make a better balanced breakfast.

Are you a protein coffee fan?
    Friendly reminder for the first Monday of the new Friendly reminder for the first Monday of the new year: unless you're allergic or the food's gone bad, you don't have to cut any foods from your diet!

Instead, shift your focus to what you can add - like more fiber, more fruits and veg, more water, more joyful movement. It's going to be more enjoyable, sustainable, and may be the shift that helps you find your healthy balance!

#healthybalance #balanceddiet #foodfreedom #dietitian #nutritiontips #newyearnewme

    back to top | privacy policy | affiliate disclaimer | contact | © 2022 all rights reserved

    as an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Privacy Policy
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT