Today we serve up our Turkey and Cabbage Skillet recipe, cooked with a vibrant miso soy stir-fry sauce. This delicious, healthy meal is a great way to use cabbage and ground turkey!.
Looking for a quick healthy and flavorful meal? Look no further than this Ground Turkey and Cabbage Stir Fry. This dish is packed with lean protein, fresh vegetables, and a delicious stir-fry sauce that will have you licking your plate.
This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, as it comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s also incredibly versatile, so feel free to customize it with your favorite vegetables, protein, or sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- 1 bunch of green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- Fine sea salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Sriracha Mayo:
- 1/3 cup good quality mayo
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions:
- Prep the veggies: Thinly slice the cabbage, grate the zucchini, slice the green onions, grate the ginger, and mince the garlic.
- Cook the ground turkey: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil, ground turkey, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper. 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.
- Make the 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 the 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.
- Make the 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.
Tips:
- 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.
- Serve in a lettuce wrap or with Sriracha mayo for a creamy element.
- This recipe is Whole30 and keto-friendly. Make sure to check out the nutrition label below the recipe for more information.
Variations:
- Add other vegetables, such as broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
- Use a different protein, such as chicken, beef, or tofu.
- Make a vegetarian version by omitting the ground turkey and adding more vegetables.
- Change up the sauce by using different spices or herbs.
This Ground Turkey and Cabbage Stir Fry is a delicious, healthy, and easy meal that is perfect for busy weeknights. It’s also incredibly versatile, so feel free to customize it with your favorite ingredients. Give it a try tonight and see for yourself!
What to serve with this recipe
We serve this turkey cabbage skillet over brown rice.
Recently, we ate corn on the cob with this stir-fry, which went well with the flavors of the turkey and cabbage dish.
We originally posted this recipe along with a French Winophiles event focused on the Loire Valley. Thus, we provide the details from that first pairing as well as the most recent pairing we’ve had with the recipe.
The Loire Valley wine region might not be quite as famous as say, Burgundy or Bordeaux, but it is certainly another very special part of France to know. It’s on my short list of wine regions to visit when travel becomes a thing again!
The Loire Valley is located in the center of France and stretches from the Atlantic, where Muscadet is found, to the more inland appellations, such as Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre.
I adore Chenin Blancs like Vouvray in addition to white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc, like the ones we discussed today. To demonstrate the versatility of its pairing, I have paired Vouvray with everything from corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day.
I also could have easily focused on the Loire Valley reds for today’s event. Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir are among the light, food-friendly red wines produced in the Loire Valley thanks to its cool climate.
The Pouilly vineyards are located approximately two and a half hours’ drive south of Paris on the right bank of the Loire, toward the eastern end of the region. The area has been producing wine since the fifth century, and in 1937 it was granted AOC status.
Pouilly-Fumé wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and exhibit a crisp, dry white wine style. They can be a more moderately priced Loire Sauvignon Blanc compared to the pricier neighboring AOC, Sancerre.
Some time ago, I noticed that people were frequently visiting Cooking Chat to try to figure out what foods to serve with Pouilly-Fumé and Pouilly-Fuissé and how to distinguish between the two. You should be aware that I’m constantly trying to expand on my well-liked Food Pairings for Pouilly-Fuissé and Pouilly-Fumé post. (The main distinction is that Pouilly-Fuissé is made from Chardonnay grapes in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, as opposed to Sauv Blanc-based Pouilly-Fumé.)
Tips for making this recipe
The recipe card below has all the specific instructions, but here are some quick tips:
- Get the veggies chopped before you start cooking. Things move fast once you get it started!.
- I use a cast iron skillet to make this recipe, which I originally called turkey and cabbage skillet, but if you’d rather, you could use a wok.
- If you have more greens on hand, feel free to add them. When I made this recipe the last time, I chopped some Brussels sprout leaves and it gave the dish a lovely pop of color.
- The ingredients for the stir-fry sauce can be changed to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. I adjusted the amount of sriracha and left out the jalapeños, and it turned out well. When I went shopping for the ingredients, they weren’t in when I was going to try adding cilantro.
To ensure that everything fits in your skillet—like I do—you must add the cabbage in a few batches. Before adding the cabbage, you cook the onions to soften a bit, then add the ground turkey.
Add about half of the cabbage, and stir it in with the turkey. Let it cook for a minute or two so it starts cooking down. Then add the second batch of cabbage, followed by greens if you are using them.
Keto/ Low Carb Turkey and Cabbage Stir Fry! Quick, East & Delicious
FAQ
What can I add to ground turkey to make it taste better?
Why is Napa cabbage good for stir frying?