Ground Turkey And Cabbage Recipe

This Ground Turkey Stir Fry is packed with good-for-you ingredients including lean ground turkey, an array of veggies, and a quick stir-fry sauce. This high-protein, low-carb recipe is so tasty and even better with the (optional) creamy Sriracha-mayo sauce!

We love using ground turkey as a ground beef replacement; some of our favorite ground turkey recipes to try next: Turkey Chili, Turkey Sloppy Joes, or this Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet.

Overhead image of Ground Turkey Stir Fry

Ground Turkey Stir Fry

This recipe is "volume eating" at its finest! If you've never heard of volume eating, it's all about consuming large volumes of food without consuming a large number of calories at the same time. This is based on the energy density of food; this means that for the same weight, the number of calories can vary greatly from food to food. For example, you could eat 3 whole cucumbers, 2 entire heads of lettuce, or 3 whole carrots for roughly the same amount of calories you'd get from 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

So this ultra-filling Ground Turkey Stir Fry is a great recipe for those watching their overall calories or macronutrients while still wanting to feel more satiety after meals.

And if you could care less about the macronutrients of this recipe (or volume eating in general), this stir fry is also ridiculously tasty! It is packed with good-for-you ingredients and so simple to prepare — especially with a couple of store-bought shortcuts (see below)!

Shortcut: Coleslaw mix

Want to do as little chopping as possible? Use packaged matchstick carrots and packaged coleslaw mix! With these two short-cuts, this Ground Turkey Stir Fry prep is a cinch! If you opt for using a bag of coleslaw, get one that is 12-16 ounces. Already minced garlic is another great time saver!

Process shots--ground turkey being cooked; the cabbage and carrots being added on top and sautéed

How To Make Ground Turkey Stir Fry

Prep the veggies first. Thinly slice the cabbage, grate the zucchini, slice the green onions, grate the ginger, and mince the garlic. Once all the veggies are prepped this dish takes just minutes to prepare! And if you're using pre-shredded cabbage, it goes even faster.
Cook meat. Start by browning and crumbling the ground turkey with aromatics and some salt and pepper.
Whisk together the sauce. The ground turkey cooks through in about 5-7 minutes and while it is cooking, you can prepare the easy stir fry sauce by quickly stirring together the four ingredients.
Cook veggies. Add the cabbage and carrots to the ground turkey. Once those cook down a bit, add the zucchini, green onions, and sauce. Cook, then garnish and enjoy!

Process shots--ground turkey stir fry being cooked; the sauce being added in

Soy sauce: We like using regular soy sauce (not lite/low-sodium) in this sauce. Lite soy sauce doesn't offer enough seasoning (saltiness).
Sesame oil: For a great authentic flavor, sesame oil really delivers. If you can find toasted sesame oil, that's even better! This oil is typically found with Asian ingredients, not near the other oils in the grocery store.
Brown s ugar: Here's another balancing ingredient. Light or dark brown sugar will work; honey will also do the trick if you're avoiding refined sugars. Honey and brown sugar don't sweeten the same, so you'll want to use slightly less honey if substituting it for the brown sugar. If you're focusing on keto cooking, use one of the keto brown sugar substitutes.
Sriracha® sauce: Use this to add heat and flavor. You can, of course, reduce (or even omit it entirely) if you're not a fan of heat. Alternatively, add more or drizzle extra on your bowl if you love the heat! Note that if you do reduce or leave out the Sriracha sauce, the flavors will be slightly lacking.

QUICK TIP

While the sauce reduces and coats the veggies quite nicely, if you want a more velvety/thick sauce, whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch with the soy sauce first before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients.

Process shots-- images of the sauce being prepped and added to the dish

Ground Turkey Stir Fry Quick tips

Make sure to use a really large skillet or wok. There is a lot of volume in this recipe, so you'll have a hard time mixing everything together if you're working in a small skillet. I recommend a 12-inch or larger pan.
Prep ahead. The cooking goes really quickly, so you'll want to have all the veggies prepared before starting to cook.
Use good ground turkey. We recommend ground turkey that is sold in a carton, rather than in a chub. Chub-style ground turkey is the kind that comes in the plastic tube and it tends to be less flavorful. I recommend 93/7 ground turkey (we love JennieO® or Butterball® ground turkey). We've found 99/1 ground turkey too dry and flavorless.

Serving suggestions

In a lettuce wrap: This filling is delicious rolled up in a few butter lettuce leaves.
With Sriracha mayo: To add in a creamy element, I recommend a scoop of Sriracha mayo (more on this below).

Sriracha-Mayo Topping

This Sriracha-Mayo sauce is completely optional, but it broadens the dimension of flavor and adds a nice hit of spice and delicious creaminess to this Ground Turkey Stir Fry. Bonus — it's only three ingredients — the juice of 1-2 limes, Sriracha® sauce, and mayo.

We love Hellman's/Best Foods® mayo best in the Sriracha Sauce (not sponsored).
We recommend adding the Sriracha gradually, to personal taste and spice preference. If you're not familiar with Sriracha, it's potent! If the sauce ends up too hot, add more lime juice to offset it. Not hot enough? Add more Sriracha, slowly. If the sauce ends up too hot, you could also add a pinch or two of sugar.
For a stronger citrus flavor, add the zest of a lime as well to the sauce.
For an overall sweeter sauce, add a teaspoon or two of white granulated sugar.

Ground Turkey Stir Fry

Is this ground turkey stir fry keto friendly?

Yes it is! It's also low carb and low calorie. Make sure to check out the nutrition label below the recipe for more information.

Dietary concerns

Ground Turkey Stir Fry Whole30: If you're on Whole30, use canola oil instead of vegetable oil. Make sure the Sriracha sauce you use is compliant. If making the Sriracha mayo, be sure the mayo is also compliant. Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and omit the brown sugar in the sauce. Use your best judgment for leaving in the sesame oil. (Some say it's okay while others say to limit it.) You will also want to confirm the ground turkey you use is compliant (make sure no sugar has been added) or substitute different ground meat. Don't serve this dish over white rice; use cauliflower rice instead! More recommendations on the Whole30 diet here.
Making it keto friendly: Make sure the Sriracha is compliant, or use Frank's Red Hot® sauce instead. Use Lite Tamari or Bragg's Aminos® instead of soy sauce, and leave out the brown sugar in the sauce.

Quick note: I'm not an expert at Whole30 or Keto diet, so please, use your best judgment or do some research regarding this recipe and your dietary restrictions.

Dinner in a bowl, ready to be eaten

More Easy Dinner Recipes

Chicken Stir Frywith veggies
Asian Ground Turkey with an incredible stir-fry sauce!
Turkey Bolognesewith loads of hidden veggies
Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballsand marinara sauce
Turkey Meatloafwith a tangy saucy topping

6 cups (425g) thinly sliced green cabbage (~1/2 large head) or shredded cole slaw mix
3/4 cup (90g) shredded zucchini, (~1 small zucchini)
1 bunch of green onions, separated
1 tablespoon (9g) fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon (12g) canola or vegetable oil
1 pound (16 oz.) lean ground turkey (93/7%)
4 tablespoons (62g) regular (not lite) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (25g) toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons (12g) sriracha
1 tablespoon (12g) light brown sugar
1 cup (85g) shredded/matchstick carrots
Fine sea salt & pepper, to taste

Sriracha Mayo (Optional)

1/3 cup (67g) good quality mayo
1 tablespoon (16g) sriracha
1 tablespoon (16g) lime juice

PREP THE VEGGIES: Cut the cabbage in half, remove the core, and then thinly slice to get 6 cups. Alternatively, use a package of cole slaw mix and save the slicing! Using a box grater, grate the zucchini on the large holes to get 3/4 cup. Thinly slice 3-4 green onions to get a heaping 1/2 cup (37g). Peel the ginger and then finely shred using the small side of your grater or a microplane grater. Mince the garlic.
COOK GROUND TURKEY: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the vegetable oil, ground turkey, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of fine sea salt and pepper. (I add 1/4 teaspoon of each.) Cook until the ground turkey is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes breaking it up as you cook. If there is an excessive amount of liquid, drain that off here.
SAUCE: While the ground turkey is cooking, prepare the sauce by stirring together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and brown sugar. Set aside.
COOK VEGGIES: Add the cabbage and carrots to the skillet with the ground turkey and continue to stir and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 2-4 minutes. Add in the zucchini, green onions, and the sauce. Stir for another 1-2 minutes and then remove from heat. Garnish dish with additional sliced green onions as desired. Taste and add a pinch more of salt if needed.
SRIRACHA MAYO (OPTIONAL): If desired, serve with sriracha mayo. To make sriracha mayo: whisk together the mayo, sriracha, lime juice, and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. See Note 1.

Note 1: Sriracha mayo sauce: Play around with the Sriracha mayo to make it exactly how you'd like. Add the sriracha gradually, to personal taste and spice preference. If the sauce ends up too hot, add more lime juice to offset it. Not hot enough? Add more Sriracha, slowly. If the sauce ends up too hot, you could also add a pinch or two of sugar. For a stronger citrus flavor, add the zest of a lime. For an overall sweeter sauce, add a teaspoon or two of white granulated sugar.

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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This flavor-packed ground turkey and cabbage stir fry is packed with good-for-you veggies and an amazing stir fry sauce! via chelseasmessyapron.com

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