Bang Bang Ground Turkey Bowls (Printable Version)

Ground turkey in tangy chili mayo over rice with crisp vegetables, sesame, and lime. Quick Asian-inspired bowl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bang Bang Sauce

01 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
02 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
03 - 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
04 - 1 to 2 tablespoons Sriracha
05 - 1 tablespoon honey
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

→ Ground Turkey

08 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
09 - 1 pound ground turkey
10 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
11 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
12 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Bowl Components

13 - 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
14 - 1 small carrot, julienned
15 - ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
16 - ½ cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
17 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
18 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
19 - Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
20 - Lime wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Cook rice according to package directions. Keep warm until assembly.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Taste and adjust Sriracha or honey to achieve desired balance of heat and sweetness. Reserve sauce.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until no longer pink, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper to cooked turkey. Stir thoroughly and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes to allow flavors to integrate. Remove from heat.
05 - Distribute warm rice evenly among four serving bowls. Top each portion with seasoned ground turkey.
06 - Arrange julienned carrot, sliced cucumber, and shredded red cabbage around or atop the turkey in each bowl.
07 - Generously drizzle bang bang sauce over the turkey and vegetables in each bowl.
08 - Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds over each bowl. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges. Squeeze lime juice over bowls before consuming.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce is so good youll want to eat it with a spoon, and I have absolutely done that.
  • Everything comes together in one skillet and one pot, so cleanup is shockingly fast for something this flavorful.
  • You can dial the heat up or down without losing that tangy sweetness that makes each bite feel balanced.
  • It looks like you ordered takeout, but you didnt, and that feeling is unbeatable on a busy Tuesday.
02 -
  • If you cook the turkey too long, it will dry out and turn crumbly, so pull it off the heat as soon as its just cooked through.
  • Make the sauce ahead and store it in a jar; it keeps for a week and tastes even better after the flavors marry overnight.
  • Dont skip the fresh vegetables; their crunch is what makes this bowl satisfying instead of just saucy rice and meat.
03 -
  • Use a high-sided skillet so the turkey has room to brown instead of steaming in its own juices.
  • Grate the ginger on a microplane so it melts into the sauce instead of leaving fibrous bits.
  • Let the rice sit covered for five minutes after cooking, then fluff it with a fork so it stays light and separate in the bowls.
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