Ground Turkey Rice Bowls (Print Version)
Seasoned ground turkey over rice with crisp veggies and sweet-spicy Bang Bang sauce, ready in 35 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Rice
01 - 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Ground Turkey
04 - 1 pound ground turkey
05 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
08 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
→ Bang Bang Sauce
12 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
13 - 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon sriracha
15 - 1 teaspoon honey
16 - 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
→ Toppings and Vegetables
17 - 1 cup shredded carrots
18 - 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
19 - 1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
20 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
21 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
# Directions:
01 - Rinse rice under cold running water until the runoff turns clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff grains with a fork before serving.
02 - While the rice simmers, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground turkey, breaking it apart with a spatula, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until evenly browned and no pink remains.
03 - Pour soy sauce, hoisin sauce, black pepper, and sriracha over the browned turkey. Stir thoroughly to coat every piece and cook for 2 additional minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and clings to the meat. Remove from heat.
04 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and lime juice until completely smooth and uniform. Taste and adjust the heat level to your preference.
05 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among 4 bowls. Layer each with seasoned ground turkey, shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, red cabbage, and green onions. Drizzle generously with Bang Bang sauce and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The Bang Bang sauce is the kind of thing you will want to put on everything from roasted broccoli to Tuesday night leftovers.
- It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like you spent far more time than you actually did.
- Everything cooks in one skillet and one pot, which means cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy.
02 -
- Do not rush the rice rinsing step, excess starch is what makes rice gummy and clumpy instead of fluffy and separate.
- Let the turkey sit undisturbed for the first minute of cooking so it actually develops some color and flavor before you start breaking it up.
- The Bang Bang sauce thickens slightly as it sits in the fridge and tastes even better the next day, so make extra if you can.
03 -
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for about 90 seconds until golden and fragrant, it takes almost no time and adds a nutty depth that raw seeds simply cannot match.
- Make a double batch of the Bang Bang sauce and keep it in the fridge for sandwiches, roasted vegetables, or dipping leftover anything throughout the week.