Korean-Style Ground Turkey (Printable version)

Quick ground turkey with Korean-inspired spicy-sweet flavors, ginger, garlic, and sesame.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sauce

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

→ Turkey

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

→ Finishes and Garnish

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

→ To Serve

11 - Steamed white or brown rice
12 - Steamed or sautéed vegetables

# 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 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add ground turkey to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Pour the prepared soy sauce mixture into the skillet. Stir well to coat the turkey. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat, allowing the sauce to thicken and turn glossy. Add 1 tablespoon water if sauce becomes too thick.
05 - Stir in the chopped chives, reserving some for garnish. Remove from heat.
06 - Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and remaining chives. Serve hot over rice with steamed or sautéed vegetables.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It delivers bold, restaurant-quality flavor in under thirty minutes with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The sauce clings to every bit of turkey, creating a glossy, savory-sweet coating that makes plain rice taste like a treat.
  • It's one of those rare weeknight meals that feels special enough to serve to guests without breaking a sweat.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting the sesame seeds, raw ones taste flat and almost chalky compared to the nutty richness you get from a minute in a dry pan.
  • If your sauce isn't thickening, turn the heat up and give it another minute, cornstarch needs heat to activate and create that glossy cling.
  • Let the garlic and ginger sizzle but not burn, thirty seconds is the sweet spot before they go bitter and ruin the whole base.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet or wok so the turkey can spread out and brown instead of steaming in its own juices.
  • Measure out all your ingredients before you start cooking, this moves fast and you don't want to be chopping garlic while the ginger burns.
  • Taste the sauce before adding it to the turkey and adjust the sweetness or heat to match your preference, it's much easier to tweak it in the bowl than in the pan.
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