Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry
Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry is a tasty stew that includes Greek yogurt, and people who like curry flavors will love this dish. This recipe is probably lower in net carbs than you might think, but skip the beans and double the turkey or add more vegetables if you want a curry dish that’s lower in carbs.
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This Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry with ground 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. 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 was inspired by a recipe from Rachel Ray, and I haven’t made too many recipes from her. I know some people love to criticize her for her perky personality and 30 Minute Meals, 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?
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- ground 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 this turkey chickpea 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 this recipe lower in carbs?
This is a recipe I made when I was following the original South Beach Diet, and now I would make it into a lower-carb dish by adding more turkey in proportion to the amount of beans. You could also replace the chickpeas with more vegetables like red bell pepper and cauliflower if you wanted it to be even lower in 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.
Can you make this a vegetarian dish?
You could make this recipe into a vegetarian chickpea curry by skipping the ground turkey and doubling the amount of beans. You might also add other vegetables if you’re taking that option.
How to Make Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry:
(Scroll down for the complete recipe including nutritional information.)
- The recipe called for ground chicken, but the ground turkey I used was fine and easier to find!
- Brown the turkey in the olive oil.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drain one can of chickpeas in a colander placed in the sink, rinse well with cold water, and let drain.
- Add chickpeas and canned tomatoes to the chicken-onion mixture and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Then stir in the yogurt, turn heat to low, and simmer 3-4 minutes or until flavors are well blended.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.
Make it a Meal:
Spicy Mexican Slaw would make a great side dish for this recipe. This recipe would be delicious served over Best Easy Cauliflower Rice if you want a more substantial meal.
More Turkey or Chicken with Curry Flavors:
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole
Chicken and Asparagus Bake with Creamy Curry Sauce
Weekend Food Prep:
This 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!
Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry
This Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry 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
- 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.
- This will take 7-9 minutes, don’t rush the browning step.
- 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.
- Sprinkle onions with the curry powder and cook about 2 minutes more, turning a few times, then stir the onion mixture into the chicken.
- Add tomatoes with juice and drained chickpeas and let simmer about 5 minutes, or until some liquid has evaporated and flavors are well blended.
- 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.)
- Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
- 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. 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:
6Serving Size:
1Amount 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.
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 or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
86 Comments on “Ground Turkey and Chickpea Curry”
Anonymous, I like the way you spiced it up. Did you simmer on low for only a few minutes as the recipe says? Curdling would be caused by cooking at too high of heat or for too long. I didn't have a problem when I did it, sorry to hear this happened for you.
really delicious flavors, though i added crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne to spice it up… the only issue i had was that the yogurt curdled as it heated up….i used the greek, thick yogurt. wonder what i did wrong!
Sophie, getting a mental image of you tasting it through the computer!
Anh, I used chicken, but I think they're equally good.
A great recipe, Kalyn! I will have to resort to chicken mince, but turkey does have better flavours for stewing?
What a lovely dish, Kalyn!!
MMMMMM,..I can practically taste it through my mac!!
Roxan, thanks!
Cara, the Greek Yogurt was fantastic in this.
Paula, I agree, grumpy and condescending isn't that appealing. Happy that this will work for your daughter.
Lydia, definitely hot curry powder for yours!
Tasteofbeirut, That's always a plus for a recipe, when you have all the ingredients!
Margot, we're channeling each other on ingredients it sounds like!
Joanna, glad you like it.
Marisa, hope you will try it.
This looks fab! Easy, healthy and tasty – just what the doctor ordered.
I have mixed feelings about Rachel but she does have some winning recipes. This one is right up my alley.
What a coincidence… I just have chick peas, minced turkey, yogurt and coriander to make for dinner, I was planning to make curry burgers with coriander, hummus and cucumber raita but I may as well make your dish :)))
Mouthwatering curry! Love it! Especially since I don't need to buy fifty spices for it, I have got most of what is required!
I love quick curries like this. Of course I'd pass on the cilantro, and use some parsley instead. And maybe I'd have to sneak in some hot curry powder….
The recipes I've had from Rachel Ray have always been good. I'll take happy and perky over grumpy and condescending any day. I'll also take a few servings of this curry! I bet my daughter would like this, and since it's gluten free, she can have it! YUM!
I would do the same thing and eat it as a stew, or maybe over cauli-rice! I like the use of the yogurt to make this a creamier dish. yum!
Thanks for the recipe and all the suggestions on variations. It looks delicious and full of nutrients. I love that.
Olivia, thanks.
TW, agreed, and I always have ground turkey in the freezer.
Dara, I really loved the addition of Greek yogurt!
Maria, thanks.
Heather, I can't really answer that because I always use Penzeys curry powder. I both both the Sweet and the Hot curry powder from them. I think curry powder is a personal preference, so any brand is "good" if you like the flavor of it.
Is there anywhere locally where I can get good curry powder?
I don't use curry enough in the kitchen. I love the color and flavor. Great recipe.
This dish appeals to me in so many ways. Creamy but light and full of curry flavor. Really, really nice!
The photo looks pretty tasty to me. This is a great "pantry meal." I like the use of ground chicken or turkey as it reduces the amount of chopping and prep.
Hi,
That looks so good!!
I will have to try it out!!