A spicy, thai-inspired sauce layers loads of flavor into these Basil Ground Turkey Bowls.
With gochujang, ginger, and ribbons of fresh basil, each high protein bowl is loaded with flavor - for a weeknight meal that takes less than 30 minutes!
TLDR: Top Tips
BAKING SODA: Yes, mix a little baking soda with the meat! Baking soda helps tenderize the ground turkey. While you can make this recipe without it, the texture results are noticeable!
MISE EN PLACE: Meaning "everything in its place", this is just a recommendation to get all the ingredients measured and ready before beginning to cook! This recipe cooks up quick, so be prepared.
Jump to:
Ingredients of note
GROUND TURKEY: Use lean ground turkey for this recipe. Chicken also works well as an alternative.
BAKING SODA: A little baking soda mixed with the ground turkey tenderizes the meat by raising the pH level. The texture difference is noticeable! However, if you don't mind the end result being a little drier and tougher, feel free to skip it.
GOCHUJANG: This fermented chili paste is my go-to base for this Basil Turkey recipe! Gochujang can be found at your local Asian market or in the International aisle in many grocery stores. Alternatively, you can order it online.
Note that gochujang is NOT typically gluten free, as it contains barley malt. However, Sempio makes a gluten free gochujang!
TAMARI/SOY SAUCE: We typically use tamari to keep recipes on Chelsea Joy Eats gluten free.
GINGER: A little fresh ginger adds great flavor to the turkey and plays well with basil! I use fresh minced ginger, but if you only have dried, mix ¼ teaspoon into the sauce.
BASIL: Use whatever fresh basil you have access to. Thai basil would obviously be the go-to, but any basil will work just fine; the flavor may just be a bit different if you are using a sweeter basil, lemon basil, etc.
Instructions
The instructions here are pretty straightforward - and it all comes together quickly, so be prepared!
- Mix meat with baking soda - Combine the turkey, baking soda, a little oil, and salt.
- Mix sauce - Whisk the gochujang, tamari, fish sauce, and brown sugar together.
- Sauté onion & ginger - Soften the onion and ginger for a minute or two in a large skillet.
- Brown turkey - Add the turkey to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a spatula as you go, until mostly cooked through.
- Add sauce - Add the sauce and stir to coat the turkey. The sauce should thicken in just a few minutes.
- Add basil & lime - Remove from heat, stir in the basil, and squeeze lime juice overtop.
How baking soda impacts ground turkey
Why add baking soda to ground meat? As mentioned above, the baking soda slightly raises the pH level of the meat, making the meat more tender.
It's a natural chemical reaction, using science to make cooking better! That said, I'm not a scientific cook, so for a more thorough explanation, check out The Kitchn's article.
Serving suggestions
Once the basil ground turkey concoction is ready, I recommend serving with hot cooked rice.
A few other great options include cauliflower rice, roasted sweet potatoes, or roasted potatoes.
While we often eat this without additional sides, you can pair veggies like bok choy, broccoli, snap peas, or beans with Basil Ground Turkey! Honestly adding fresh green beans to the skillet when you add the turkey sounds fantastic.
FAQs
Yes, feel free to swap in ground chicken or ground beef. Ground chicken is a closer swap, but beef will still taste great!
Gochujang provides the backbone of spice for this recipe, so if gochujang is too spicy for you that should give you an idea of what to expect here. You can tone down the spiciness by adding less gochujang or more brown sugar, or using a milder chili paste.
Yes! While this recipe may appear gluten free on the surface, it has one sneaky ingredient that is not typically gluten free: gochujang.
I use Mother-in-Law's gochujang (which is not gluten free). However, Sempio makes a gluten free gochujang! Make sure to grab that to make this recipe gluten free.
Alternatively, you can swap the gochujang for another chili paste, such as Sambal Oelek.
More weeknight dinner bowl recipes
If you're a fan of fast ground meat meals, you've got to try Ground Beef Teriyaki Bowls with Bok Choy - flavorful, quick, and nutritious!
Another fast ground beef bowl, Plantain & Olive Beef Bowls, incorporate one of my favorite ingredients (plantains).
But quick weeknight dinners don't end with ground meat. Try these weeknight dinner bowls, too:
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Thai-Style Basil Ground Turkey Bowls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
With gochujang, ginger, and ribbons of fresh basil, each high protein bowl is loaded with flavor - for a weeknight meal that takes less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ½ large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cups loosely packed fresh sweet basil leaves, ribboned (about 6 ounces)
- ½ fresh lime (about 1 tablespoon juice)
- Rice and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Combine ground turkey, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of oil, salt, and 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl. Stir well, until mixture is smooth and starts to stick to the side of the bowl.
- Stir tamari, gochujang, fish sauce, brown sugar, and ginger together in a small bowl.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes until softened. Add the turkey mixture, pressing into an even layer with a spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes, breaking large chunks up with a wooden spoon as you go, until mostly browned. Pour in the tamari mixture and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has reduced and clings to the meat. Remove the skillet from heat and add the basil, stirring until the basil has wilted. Squeeze ½ a lime over the meat and give a quick stir. Taste and season with salt if needed.
- Serve over rice, with more lime wedges for squeezing over.
Notes
Gochujang is not typically gluten free. To make this recipe gluten free, swap the gochujang for another chili paste (such as Sambal Oelek) or grab a gluten free gochujang.
Leave a Reply