Turkey Curry with Chickpeas is a tasty stew that includes Greek yogurt, and people who like curry flavors will love this dish. This has a generous amount of turkey for only about 16 net carbs per serving, but skip the beans and double the turkey or add more vegetables if you want even fewer carbs. 

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Turkey Curry with Chickpeas shown in square serving bowl on red napkin.

This Turkey Curry with Chickpeas with ground turkey (or leftover turkey), chickpeas, tomatoes, yogurt, and curry powder was one of those recipes that end up tasting a lot better than they look, and I thought this was a delicious quick dinner option.

I spotted the recipe on a blog that’s no longer online, but I skipped the rice and served it as a stew. And you know how I always like to “improve” recipes I’m trying, and I did change the preparation method a little, simmering the meat, chickpeas, tomatoes, and curry powder for a few minutes before I stirred in the yogurt.

This turkey curry was inspired by a recipe from Rachel Ray, and I haven’t tried many recipes from her, but I think anyone who can get more people into the kitchen cooking at home deserves some credit. This recipe from Rachel was definitely a keeper for me, loaded with flavor, frugal, and easy to get on the table in less than 30 minutes.

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.)

  • Olive Oil (affiliate link)
  • ground turkey (or leftover turkey)
  • onion
  • Sweet Curry Powder (affiliate link)
  • can of petite dice tomatoes
  • can of chickpeas
  • Greek yogurt
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • chopped cilantro for garnish, see notes

Can you make the turkey curry recipe with leftover turkey?

See tips in the recipe for making this recipe with leftover turkey if you’re lucky enough to have some!

Can you make this turkey curry with chicken?

You can definitely make this curry dish with ground chicken or even chicken breasts cut into small pieces if you prefer.

How can you make the turkey curry recipe lower in carbs?

This recipe has a generous amount of turkey, so it only has about 16 net carbs per serving if served as a stew. I made this when I was following the original South Beach Diet; now I would make it into a lower-carb dish by adding even more turkey in proportion to the amount of beans. You could also replace chickpeas with more vegetables like red bell pepper and cauliflower and skip the beans completely for fewer carbs.

What if you’re not a cilantro fan?

If you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy cilantro, just replace it with thinly sliced green onion.

Ground Chicken (or Turkey) and Chickpea Curry Stew with Yogurt and Cilantro found on KalynsKitchen.com

How to Make Ground Turkey and Chickpea 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. The recipe called for ground chicken, but the ground turkey I used was fine and easier to find!
  2. Brown the turkey in the olive oil. (Don’t add the diced cooked turkey yet if you’re using leftover turkey.)
  3. Push the browned turkey over to one side of the pan, add a little more oil, then add the chopped onions and saute onions for 3-4 minutes, until they are just starting to get some color.
  4. Sprinkle onions with the curry powder and cook a couple of minutes, stirring a few times, then stir the onion mixture into the browned turkey.
  5. Drain one can of chickpeas in a colander placed in the sink, rinse well with cold water, and let drain.
  6. Add chickpeas and canned tomatoes to the chicken-onion mixture and let simmer for 5 minutes. (To use leftover turkey, add it when this mixture has simmered for about two minutes.)
  7. Then stir in the yogurt, turn heat to low, and simmer 3-4 minutes or until flavors are well blended.
  8. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.

Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry finished dish in serving bowl on napkin

Make it a Meal:

This recipe would be delicious served over Easy Cauliflower Rice with Garlic and Green Onion if you want a more substantial meal. Spicy Mexican Slaw or Kalyn’s Keto Coleslaw would make a great side dish.

More Turkey or Chicken with Curry Flavors:

Weekend Food Prep:

This Turkey Curry recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Turkey Curry with Chickpeas
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Turkey Curry with Chickpeas

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes

Turkey Curry with Chickpeas is creamy from Greek yogurt, and this is a tasty stew.

Ingredients

  • 1 T + 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb. package ground turkey (see notes)
  • 1 large onion, chopped in medium dice
  • 2 T sweet curry powder (see notes)
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
  • one 15 oz. can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
  • 12 oz. Greek yogurt (see notes)
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 T olive oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan, then add ground chicken or turkey, breaking it apart with the turner and sauteing until it is well cooked and lightly browned.
  2. This will take 7-9 minutes, don’t rush the browning step. (If you're using leftover turkey, don't add it yet.)
  3. Push the chicken or turkey to one side of the pan, add the extra tsp. olive oil, then add chopped onions and cook 3-4 minutes, until onions are just starting to get some color.
  4. Sprinkle onions with the curry powder and cook about 2 minutes more, turning a few times, then stir the onion mixture into the chicken.
  5. Add tomatoes with juice and drained chickpeas and let simmer about 5 minutes, or until some liquid has evaporated and flavors are well blended. (Add the diced leftover turkey after this has simmered for about 2 minutes.)
  6. Turn heat to low, stir in Greek yogurt, and simmer about 3 minutes more. (Don’t let it come to a boil after the yogurt has been added.)
  7. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
  8. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
  9. This can be served over rice, but I just ate it in a bowl as a stew.

Notes

Use ground turkey or chicken, whichever you prefer. You can also use 2-3 cups of diced leftover turkey to replace the ground turkey, see notes in the recipe to adapt for that.

I used Penzeys Sweet Curry Powder, but use any curry powder blend that you like. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, I would drain the yogurt in a fine strainer for at least 30 minutes to remove some of the liquid.

This recipe adapted from Chicken Chickpea Curry Bowls by Rachel Ray and found on Everything Rachel Ray.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 449Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 123mgSodium 390mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 6gSugar 6gProtein 40g

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.

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Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry in square bowl

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Served as a stew or with cauliflower rice, this low-glycemic dish is perfect for any phase of the original South Beach Diet as well as other low-glycemic eating plans. You could make a low-carb version of this by skipping the chickpeas and doubling the amount of ground turkey, and I think that sounds delicious!

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stew Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find 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:
The Turkey Curry with Chickpeas was first posted in 2010. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.

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