Bang Bang Ground Turkey Bowls (Printable)

Savory turkey in spicy-sweet chili mayo sauce over rice with fresh vegetables

# 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 - 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
16 - 1/2 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

# Method:

01 - Cook rice according to package directions and keep warm until serving.
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 heat and sweetness balance. Reserve sauce.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook while breaking apart with a spatula until fully cooked with no pink remaining, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper to cooked turkey. Stir thoroughly and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Remove from heat.
05 - Divide warm cooked rice equally among four serving bowls.
06 - Top each rice portion with an equal amount of seasoned ground turkey.
07 - Arrange julienned carrot, cucumber slices, and shredded red cabbage around or over the turkey in each bowl.
08 - Drizzle generous amounts of bang bang sauce over the turkey and vegetables in each bowl.
09 - Top each bowl with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges on the side.
10 - Squeeze fresh lime juice over bowls immediately before eating. Mix ingredients if desired and consume at once.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in one skillet and one pot, so cleanup is shockingly easy for how impressive it tastes.
  • The bang bang sauce is dangerously good—you will want to drizzle it on everything from grilled chicken to roasted vegetables.
  • It is endlessly customizable, so you can swap proteins, add more veggies, or dial the heat up or down without losing the magic.
02 -
  • Do not overcook the turkey or it will turn dry and crumbly, so pull it off the heat as soon as it is just cooked through and still glistening.
  • Taste the bang bang sauce before you drizzle it because heat levels in Sriracha can vary wildly, and you want it to match your own tolerance.
  • Prep all your vegetables before you start cooking the turkey so you can assemble the bowls quickly while everything is still hot and fresh.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to grate the garlic and ginger directly into the sauce so they blend in smoothly and do not overpower any single bite.
  • Let the cooked turkey rest in the skillet for a minute before assembling the bowls so the juices redistribute and it stays moist.
  • Slice the vegetables as thin as you can manage because the texture contrast between crisp veggies and tender turkey is what makes every bite so satisfying.
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