Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry
If you’re a fan of Thai food you have to try this amazing Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry; you’re going to love this recipe! And this tasty stir fry dish with ground turkey, peppers, onions, and fresh basil is extra low in carbs.
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One of the things that’s a blessing-in-disguise about being a food blogger is the need to constantly update older recipes with new and improved photos. And today I’m happy to have new photos for this ultra-popular Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry.
This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite Thai dishes from a restaurant in Salt Lake, and Thai food has a lot less sugar when you make it at home! And we loved everything about this ground turkey stir fry when we re-tested the recipe! If you like Thai flavors, peppers, and Thai basil or sweet basil, you have to try this recipe!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
- fish sauce, preferably Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link)
- Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link)
- soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link)
- Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice
- onion
- red bell peppers
- Peanut Oil (affiliate link) or any neutral-flavored oil
- large cloves garlic, cut in slices
- lean ground turkey
- basil leaves or Thai basil leaves
What gives this ground turkey stir fry the Thai flavors?
In this dish the oil is seasoned with garlic, and the cooked turkey is flavored with a stir-fry sauce that has lime juice, Red Boat Fish Sauce, Sriracha Sauce, Soy Sauce and just a touch of Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (or sweetener of your choice.) And the recipe also uses basil, or Thai basil if you can find it.
Is this ground turkey stir fry an authentic Thai recipe?
This recipe was created by me and my nephew Jake, based on a dish we both loved in a Thai restaurant, so I am certainly not claiming it’s an authentic Thai recipe. But the recipe does have the sour-sweet-spicy-salty-bitter flavor notes that make Thai cooking so distinctive.
How low in carbs is the ground turkey stir fry?
This flavorful stir fry recipe with ground turkey, peppers, and basil only has 6 net carbs per serving!
My Tips for Stir-Frying:
If you’re new to stir-frying, before you make this Thai Turkey Stir-Fry you might want to read the basic rules for stir-frying that I learned many years ago when I studied Chinese cooking. Once you’ve mastered those basic techniques, you can make an endless variety of good-tasting dishes!
Want More Tasty Stir Fry Dinners?
Check out the Stir Fry Category to see all the stir fry recipes on this site!
How to Make Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Whisk together lime juice, Red Boat Fish Sauce, Sriracha Sauce, soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce, and sweetener to make the stir-fry sauce.
- Cut the onion and red bell pepper into same-size strips. We doubled the amount of red pepper in the updated version.
- Cut the garlic cloves into slices.
- Coarsely chop the basil after you’ve prepped the other ingredients; this would be a great reason to splurge on Thai Basil if you don’t have fresh basil growing.
- If you don’t have a Wok, use a large heavy frying pan. Heat the pan for one minute over high heat before you add the oil.
- Add oil and when it’s hot add garlic and cook just until it’s fragrant. Remove garlic and discard. (This is called “seasoning the oil.”)
- Then add red bell pepper and onion and stir-fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
- Add the other teaspoon of oil if needed, add turkey, and stir-fry about 5 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks.
- Cook the turkey until any liquid has evaporated and it’s starting to brown slightly.
- Add the peppers back to the wok with the cooked turkey and cook 2 minutes more.
- Add the chopped basil and cook 1 minute.
- Add the sauce and cook until it’s absorbed into the meat and the whole dish is hot, about 2 minutes.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
More Tasty Stir Fry Dinners:
- Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
- Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas
- Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry with Ginger
Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry
Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry with basil and peppers is great for a quick stir-fry meal!
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
- 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (see notes)
- 1 T fish sauce (see notes)
- 1 T Sriracha Sauce
- 1 T soy sauce (see notes)
- 1 T sweetener of your choice (see notes)
Ingredients
- 1 onion, cut in slivers
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into long strips
- 1 T + 1 tsp. peanut oil (see notes)
- 3 large cloves garlic, cut in slices (for seasoning the oil)
- 1 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 cup chopped basil leaves or Thai basil leaves (see notes)
Instructions
- Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, Sriracha Sauce, soy sauce, and Agave nectar (or preferred sweetener) to make the stir-fry sauce.
- Cut the onion into thin slivers.
- Cut the red bell pepper into strips.
- Peel and slice the garlic.
- Heat the wok or large heavy frying pan over high heat for about 1 minute before you add the oil.
- Then add the 1 tablespoon of oil, heat about 45 seconds (or until it looks shimmery).
- Add the garlic cloves, and cook the garlic just until it’s fragrant. When you smell garlic (less than one minute) remove the garlic and discard.
- Add the onion slivers and bell pepper strips to the wok and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes (just until they’re starting to soften), then remove to a bowl.
- Add the other teaspoon of oil if it seem like you need it.
- Then add the ground turkey and stir-fry 5 minutes, breaking apart with a turner as it cooks.
- Cook the turkey until any liquid evaporates completely and the turkey is starting to get lightly browned.
- Add the vegetables back into the wok, stirring to combine with the meat, and cook about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped basil and cook about 1 minute more, just until the basil starts to wilt.
- Then add the stir-fry sauce and stir to distribute it in the meat/veggie mixture.
- Cook about 2 minutes more, or until the sauce is mostly absorbed into the meat and the whole dish is hot.
- Serve right away.
Notes
I make this with my fresh-frozen lime juice. I love Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) and it’s gluten-free and Paleo. I used Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link). If you don't have Peanut Oil (affiliate link) or can't use peanuts, use a high smoke-point oil such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil.) Use more or less basil to taste and depending on whether you have to buy basil.
I used to make this recipe with agave nectar, which is good to hold the sauce together if you don't mind the carbs. But now I would probably use Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) for this recipe.
Recipe created by Kalyn and Jake
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 279Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 118mgSodium 555mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 32g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
If you’re eating this Ground Turkey Stir-Fry for a low-carb diet or Phase One of the original South Beach Diet, you’ll need to use an approved sweetener in the sauce. Everything else here should be approved for low-carb, Keto, and low-glycemic diets, as well as South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stir-Fry Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This ground turkey stir fry recipe was posted in 2014. It was updated with better photos in 2020 and was last updated with more information in 2024.
97 Comments on “Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry”
This dish was not only quick and easy to make, it was also so yummy! Leftovers were eaten for lunch the next day! Loved it!
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know!
Made this last night and swapped out the Sriracha sauce with chili garlic sauce. I used half the amount of sweetener (agave nectar) but otherwise followed the recipe. It was good but I felt it needed something with it. I’m going to pick up some lettuce leaves today and put the leftovers in it (creating a boat/taco).
I think this would be tasty in lettuce wraps, or it could also be just one dish in an Asian meal! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Made this tonight due to an abundance of Thai Basil from my herb garden. It’s fantastic!
So glad you enjoyed it and lucky you to have lots of Thai Basil!
We grew Thai basil in our garden this year so this recipe was great find. I doubled the sauce like other suggested for the ground turkey dish. I also made plant based (vegan) version) by crumbling up extra firm tofu and using vegan fish sauce in the stir-fry sauce. My other alterations were 1 green and 1 red pepper and a little bit of red cabbage b/c I had it in the refrigerator so the dish was colorful! Both versions were delicious! Definitely making this again!
I bet the Thai Basil was amazing in this. I used to grow that when I had a big garden! So glad you enjoyed it and were able to make it vegan, sounds good to me!
Any idea of this can be made in a pressure cooker or slow cooker? Thanks!
I don’t think either of those methods are suitable for this type of recipe. Stir-fry is cooking quickly at high heat so the food stays slightly crisp.
How much is one serving in cups? Thanks!
I don’t measure the recipes out in cups or by weight; that’s not how my nutritional program calculates it. This recipe is calculated as being six servings, so a serving is one-sixth of the total amount.
I made this for lunch today. Super yummy! I half the recipe but I left the same amount of sauce so it would have some sauce when finished to our over rice. I put honey in mine for the sweetener and used regular sweet basil.
Will make again!!!
Hi Brie, so glad you enjoyed it!
Soooo good! I didn’t have peanut oil and so I used sesame oil…STILL YUM! Also, I did double the sauce just because I like it a little SAUCCCY! Had it over brown rice and then another time stuffed in Afghani Bolani bread (lol)…DELICIOUS.
A new recipe for my rotation.
Thank you Kalyn!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m in Maintenance Phase I of the RENEW diet program. Loved this recipe! It was really good. Will definitely make this again. Was quick and easy to make. Cut up the veggies earlier so all I had to do was “stir fry”. Took less than 15 minutes….just another bonus!
So glad you enjoyed it! I am not familiar with that diet but I’m happy it worked for you.
This is the worst mexican food I’ve ever had. But as far as thai inspired food goes, it’s amazing
Found this recipe today and made it for dinner. OMG this is amazing!! Definitely going to make it again.
Oh good, so glad you enjoyed it! This is one of my own favorites!
This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. My husband loved it so much, he said if the leftovers were gone in the morning, he got up in the middle of the night to eat the rest. And he’s never done that. I didn’t have any fresh basil, so I used dried basil in with the veggies when sauteing them. I also doubled the sauce recipe to make a “saucier” sauce. Served it over rice.
EXCELLENT!
What a fun story! So happy to hear you enjoyed it so much!
This looks so good! My husband is allergic to shellfish so I get a little nervous using sauces like fish sauce. Any substitutions you could recommend that wouldn’t alter the flavor profile too much? Or do they make certified shell-fish free fish sauce? Thanks!
I think you’re smart not to use fish sauce. I know there are some recipes online for Vegan fish sauce (which wouldn’t have any actual fish) but I think just using more soy sauce would also work just fine for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
This was really good! I doubted the sauce like others suggested. I’m wishing it had a thicker texture. Maybe add some oyster sauce next time.
Glad you enjoyed! I don’t want to add thickener to the sauce because of the carbs, but if you don’t care about that you could add a little cornstarch. Oyster Sauce is pretty high in carbs too.
Hello, other than agave nectar and maple syrup, what else can I use, maybe honey?
It’s a bit higher in carbs, but honey will certainly work for the recipe.
So so so good!! Wonderful flavor. Thank you.
Thanks Melissa, so glad you liked it!
Just made the recipe tonight. Wife really liked it. I think I would increase the Sriracha and sweeter (used Agave Nectar) sauce items by about 1/2 T. The sauce is good but I could use a little more of those items.
Glad you liked it, and definitely experiment and make it to your own taste!
I was looking for a quick dish with ground turkey. This was perfect. Very easy and so tasty. That stir fry sauce is such a winner. I used all the ingredients and surprisingly the full amounts and the flavor combo was perfect. We have leftovers and can see that filling in a lettuce wrap.
So glad you enjoyed it. I love the idea of eating the leftovers in lettuce wraps.
I never post about a recipe but this one was too good not to say something. My husband HATES ground turkey and asked me to make this again. His only suggestion was to add pineapple to brighten it up. Will try next time. Thank you!
Glad it was a hit!
I just made this today. I tweaked the recipe by adding some oyster sauce, sesame oil and a touch of MSG.
The ting was banging.
I’ll definitely make it again.
Glad you enjoyed it. Tweak it to your heart’s content!
I made this tonight and it was amazing; the whole house loved it! I served it in butter lettuce cups over brown jasmine rice. I doubled the turkey and bell pepper, and tripled the sauce. This will definitely be added to my regular dinner recipes 🙂 thank you!
So glad you enjoyed! I love the idea of eating in lettuce wraps.
I love one pot meals especially when it’s my wok. Easy peasy and my family will love all the flavors. Great recipe. I can’t wait to make it for my family!
Hope you enjoy!
My wife and I made this last night for dinner and it was so delicious!! I’ll be eating the leftovers today for lunch and cant wait, lol 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe and I can’t wait to come back and try some more!!!
Thanks Kylie, so glad you enjoyed it!
This sounds really good. I’m going to make it tonight. I’m also going to take the advise of one of the other commenters and double the sauce so I will be “saucier” to serve over rice.
Hope you enjoy Sheila!
Made this last night. It was fabulous. And I did make more of the sauce. I also added back in the garlic that I removed from the oil, along with the veggies. We love garlic. Thanks again. This is definitely a keeper.
Thanks for reporting back, so fun to hear that you enjoyed it so much!
I made this last night and subbed chicken instead, SUPER FANTASTIC!!!! Very thai flavor like which I loved. THANK YOU THANK YOU for this addition to my meal prep. 🙂
Thanks, so glad you liked it!
Just wondering if there is a substitution for the fish sauce I don’t do sea food
I would just use more soy sauce.
I just made this and it was delicious! The only thing I changed was that I minced the garlic and added it in with the veggies, because I LOVE garlic. Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s going in the kitchen recipe book.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Eve!
Which onions did you use ? White or yellow ?
I always buy yellow onions unless I’m making something that specifically calls for white, but I think either one will be fine.
it’s*
This is what I hate about commenters like this, they don’t even know the difference between its and it’s.
Were you raised by wolves? What do you get out of being such a dick?
Cricket, so many rude people in the world. It has gotten easier and easier for me to ignore them, or just delete the comment, but thanks for the back up!
Sorry for my ignorance, when you said 1 T, did you mean 1 Tea spoon or 1 Table Spoon.
In my recipes T = Tablespoon and tsp. = teaspoon.
I don’t ever comment, but I am OBSESSED with this recipe. Wonderful as written, but I have played with it some as well. I’ve been using ground pork, added diced water chestnuts and five spice. I’ve been using it as a filling for lettuce wraps – top with crushed cashews…. CRAVE WORTHY!
Thank you!!!!
PS – my gluten free co worker smelled and tried a bite. I had to forward the recipe ASAP. True winner here
Hi Abbie! So glad you are enjoying it so much!
It is meant to just have enough sauce to hold it together, plus I don’t serve with noodles of any kind. The only thing I can think of is to add even more sauce if you want a saucy dish, but this isn’t a thick sauce so I am not sure how that will work. Maybe serve with another type of sauce like the sauce on this chicken served over the top?
I made this tonight and it was amazing! The whole family loved it, thank you!
So glad you guys enjoyed it!
my boyfriend and i are obsessed with this recipe. we have made it once a week for almost a year now – no joke. LOVE IT!
How fun; I love hearing that! Thanks for telling me!
Wow!, great recipe for light lunch, lots of flavor , I increased a little more of the wet ingredients and added serrano chillies & scallions and used a ton of Thai basil as you said. "A+" dish .
I am a avid cook, I thank you for the recipe.
Regards,
Rene & Karen
Sarasota, Florida.
So glad you liked it! Wish I had lots of Thai basil!
This has become my favorite meal. Now, I add a side of rice for my husband, but I absolutely love it!!
Jen, I love that you are enjoying it so much!
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. I will definitely be making it again! Thanks a bunch for posting it!
Thanks for telling me and so glad you enjoyed it!
This is one of those recipes that I want to eat again, right after I finished the first plate! I have made this several times and there's something completely and utterly addictive about it! I LOVE IT! Thanks so much!
Holly, so glad you are enjoying it so much!
I Loved It! My extremely picky 15 year old son Loved It! I always change a recipe to make it my own. I found not one thing that I would change about this recipe. Placed the Thai-Inspired dish on some Butter Lettuce and it needed nothing else. Thank you, Kalyn. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it!
First of all, not sure why you felt the need to make such a rude comment. If it doesn't appeal to you, just don't make it. And I guess you didn't notice the recipe title said THAI-INSPIRED. So I wasn't claiming it is authentically Thai, but it's delicious as you can see from all the comments from other people who have enjoyed it.
Great recipe!! Thank you for sharing a unique, low-carb way of using ground turkey. We will definitely be making this again and again.
I love hearing that, so glad you liked the recipe.
Delicious! The sauce has lots of great flavor and its easy to make.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I can't believe I've never made this! It may be my new favorite Kalyn recipe. It was simple to assemble and sooooo flavorful and delicious. My wok is a pain to use, so I made it in a big cast iron skillet that worked beautifully. I could also see adding some veggies like mushrooms. I had the leftovers tonight over lettuce with just a tiny bit of creamy Caesar dressing thinned out with vinegar – so good!!!
Heidi, so glad you enjoyed it! Love the idea of eating it over lettuce.
Just finished eating this tonight. Absolutely delicious. I served it over brown rice. Just the 2 of us, so lots of leftovers. Was thinking of putting it in a tortilla with lots of trimmings for a tasty burrito tomorrow. You really figured out a good sauce. Thanks!
Maureen, so glad you enjoyed it!
Was browsing for "ground turkey recipes" and stumbled across this page. So glad I did! It was incredibly flavorful. My only modification was to double the stir-fry sauce. I wanted it moist because it was so flavorful. Question, though, Kalyn: what do you suggest serving this with? I want to make this again for my family but need advice on what else to pair it with for a true family dinner.
You could definitely eat it with rice if you don't care about having a low-carb meal. I would eat it with something like this Green Beans Stir Fry or another type of vegetable stir fry.
I've made this now 3 times since first trying it just a few weeks ago! It is so quick and healthy but also SO flavorful. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you have enjoyed it!
Thank you so much! SO excited about this recipe.
Thanks Ashley; hope it works well for the event!
Do you know approximately? I really want to make this for a luncheon we are having at my workplace and was going to portion it out. 🙂
Sorry if I am being bothersome.
No, sorry.
Aw gee, thanks so much!
Very glad to hear you are well! You are a treasure 🙂