One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry is an easy but flavorful recipe that can help you satisfy those cravings for Thai food, without so many carbs! And this recipe is also a great way to use some zucchini whenever you have it on hand.

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One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry shown in pan with limes and cilantro in background

One type of cuisine I am wildly crazy about is Thai food and I have to get some in a restaurant occasionally, even though I know it’s a carb splurge. Most Thai food in America is loaded with sugar (which I discovered was not true in Thailand when I went there.) And many Thai recipes might be easy enough to make at home, but they call for unusual ingredients that can be hard to find.

But if you like Thai flavors and also like one-pan dinners that are easy and don’t use too many unusual ingredients, I hope you’ll try this new recipe for One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry! The recipe uses ground turkey combined with onion, red bell pepper, and zucchini, seasoned with Thai Red Curry Paste and coconut milk, and finished off with some cauliflower rice and a bit of lime juice.

We did experiment with cooking the cauliflower rice separately and serving the turkey and vegetable curry mixture over it, and that was also tasty if you prefer that method. But we loved the result when we turned this into a one-pan dinner! This turkey curry recipe may not be authentically Thai, but it’s loaded with those flavors that make me love Thai food so much!

What ingredients do you need?

(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.)

  • Peanut Oil (affiliate link), or any neutral-flavored oil 
  • ground turkey
  • onion
  • Thai Red Curry Paste (affiliate link)
  • unsweetened coconut milk (affiliate link)
  • chicken broth
  • red bell pepper
  • zucchini
  • frozen cauliflower rice
  • chopped cilantro (see notes if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy cilantro)
  • fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
  • fresh lime pieces to squeeze on at the table (optional)

What is Thai Red Curry Paste?

Thai Red Curry Paste is a flavoring paste that is made from ingredients like red chili peppers, garlic, galangal, sea salt, lemongrass, turmeric, shrimp paste, and sometimes others. The Red Curry Paste is widely available in regular grocery stores, and it’s only slightly spicy. However different brands vary in their spiciness, so when you’re using it in a recipe you might want to start with a smaller amount and then add more after you taste it.

Is this Ground Turkey Curry an authentic Thai Curry?

I’m not claiming this recipe is an authentic Thai Curry, although I did use some easily-obtainable Thai ingredients to add those flavors I love. Read more about Thai Curries if you want to see what ingredients they often include.

Can you make the Ground Turkey Curry without cilantro?

Cilantro leaves and the stems are commonly used in Thai cuisine. However if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy cilantro, just replace it with thinly-sliced green onion in this recipe.

What pan did we use for the Ground Turkey Curry?

For this recipe that cooks ground turkey, onions, curry paste, coconut milk, chicken broth, red bell pepper, zucchini, and cauliflower rice all in one pan, we used a large 12″ frying pan with fairly tall sides.

More recipes on my blog with Thai flavors:

In 2015 I went to Thailand and while I was there the blog turned 11 years old. To celebrate the occasion I wrote a post featuring 11 Favorite Recipes with Thai Flavors. Check that out if you like Thai food and want some easy dishes with Thai flavors to make at home.

One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry collage showing recipe steps

How to Make One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry:

(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.)

  1. Take cauliflower rice out of the freezer and let it thaw.
  2. Heat one tablespoon oil, add ground turkey and cook over medium-high heat, breaking turkey apart. Let it brown well.
  3. Cut up onion into slivers while the turkey browns. (You could also cut up the red bell pepper and zucchini now if you prefer.)
  4. Remove browned turkey to a plate and wipe out pan.
  5. Heat the other tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat, add onion, and cook about 3 minutes.
  6. Add curry paste and cook one minute. (You might want to use a bit less curry paste if you’re not sure how spicy you like it.) 
  7. Then add coconut milk and chicken broth and heat over medium heat for a few minutes. Taste after it has simmered and see if you want more curry paste.
  8. Cut up the red bell pepper and zucchini while the mixture simmers.
  9. Add zucchini and red pepper strips to the coconut milk mixture and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes.
  10. Add thawed cauliflower rice and cook about 6-8 minutes. (You can also simmer the turkey and vegetables longer, cook the cauliflower rice separately, and serve the turkey-vegetable mixture over cauliflower rice if you prefer.)
  11. Add the browned turkey and any juice on the plate and stir to combine.
  12. Cook another 2-3 minutes, just until they turkey is completely heated through.
  13. Stir in chopped cilantro (or green onion) and lime juice.
  14. Serve hot.

One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry shown in frying pan

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

This Ground Turkey Curry can definitely be a one-pan meal with nothing else added, but if you’d like something more it would taste great with Thai Cucumber Salad.

More Thai-Inspired Dishes that use Ground Turkey:

One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry shown in pan with limes and cilantro in background
Yield: 6 servings

One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry is full of amazing flavors and super quick and easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 2 T peanut oil, divided (see notes)
  • 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
  • 1 onion, cut into slivers
  • 4 T Thai Red Curry Paste (more or less to taste)
  • one 13.6 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed and cut into strips
  • 2 medium zucchini, but into half-moon slices
  • 16 oz. frozen cauliflower rice, thawed
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (see notes)
  • 1-2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • fresh lime pieces to squeeze on at the table (optional)

Instructions

  1. Take 16 oz. cauliflower rice out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter. 
  2. Heat one tablespoon oil, add the ground turkey and cook over medium-high heat, breaking turkey apart as it cooks. Turkey takes at least five minutes to release release water and then brown, don't rush that step.
  3. Cut up onion into slivers while the turkey browns. (You might also want to cut up the red bell pepper and zucchini now if feel more comfortable having things chopped ahead.)
  4. Remove browned turkey to a plate and wipe out pan.
  5. Heat the other tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat, add onion, and cook about 3 minutes.
  6. Add curry paste and cook one minute. (You might want to use a bit less if you're not sure how spicy you like it.) 
  7. Then add coconut milk and chicken broth and heat over medium heat while you cut up the red bell pepper and zucchini. (Taste after the coconut milk and broth has simmered and see if you want more curry paste.)
  8. Add zucchini and red pepper strips to the coconut milk mixture and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes.
  9. Add thawed cauliflower rice and cook about 6-8 minutes, or until it's cooked through. (You can also just simmer the turkey and vegetables, cook the cauliflower rice separately, and serve the turkey-vegetable mixture over cauliflower rice if you prefer.)
  10. Add the browned turkey and any juice that has accumulated on the plate and stir to gently combine.
  11. Cook another 2-3 minutes, just until they turkey is completely heated through.
  12. Stir in chopped cilantro (or green onion) and lime juice.
  13. Serve hot.
  14. This will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two and heated very well in a pan on the stove over low heat.

Notes

You can use any neutral-flavored oil if you don't have peanut oil or can't use it.

Use thinly-sliced green onion if you're not a cilantro fan.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 407Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 121mgSodium 516mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 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.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

square image of One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry in pan

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry is perfect easy dinner for any low-carb diet or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Skillet Meals 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 or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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