Korean Style Ground Turkey (Printable)

Quick ground turkey with Korean-style spicy-sweet glaze, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds.

# What You'll 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

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

# How to Make It:

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. Cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until no longer pink and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Pour 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. If sauce becomes too thick, add 1 tablespoon water.
05 - Stir in chopped chives, reserving some for garnish. Remove from heat.
06 - Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and remaining chives. Serve hot over steamed rice with vegetables of choice.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like your favorite Korean restaurant came to your kitchen, but you're done in half an hour.
  • The sauce clings to every bit of turkey, creating glossy, savory bites that make plain rice taste luxurious.
  • You can dial the heat up or down without losing any of the depth or sweetness.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day when the flavors have melded.
02 -
  • Don't walk away during the garlic and ginger step, they go from perfect to burnt in seconds and there's no coming back from bitter.
  • Let the sauce actually bubble and thicken on high heat, if you reduce the heat too soon it stays watery and won't coat properly.
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan until they smell nutty and turn light golden, raw seeds taste flat and chalky by comparison.
03 -
  • Use a wide skillet or wok so the turkey browns instead of steams, crowding the pan makes everything soggy.
  • Grate ginger on a microplane or the small holes of a box grater to avoid stringy bits that get stuck in your teeth.
  • If you love extra sauce for drizzling over rice, double the sauce ingredients and keep the extra warm on the side.
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