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”
My husband and I really liked this one. It tasted fresh and healthy. It was a tiny bit bland for our tastes, so I think I will try one reader's suggestion of a bit of garlic.
I have an electric stove so my pan was too hot and the yogurt curdled. Be careful about that!
Great one Kalyn! As always, thanks so much for the pics showing each step. They are a HUGE help!
Just made it! YUM! I'm thinking of adding some mushrooms next time. 😀
Sandy, so glad you enjoyed it. Glad you're enjoying the blog.
This was wonderful! I have tried many of your recipes and they never disappoint, but this one was really delicious. I also added some peas and might throw in cauliflower as well next time. Thanks so much for all your work. Sandy
Brandon, that sounds like a great addition!
Another great recipe. I added fresh pressed garlic just before the curry powder, allowing the garlic to cook for 30 or 40 seconds.
It might work with coconut milk, but it would be a lot thinner. Since coconut milk shouldn't be boiled to reduce, I would definitely use less. No idea how much though, since I haven't tried it.
This sounds delicious.
Could I substitute canned light coconut milk for the yougurt? If so, how do you think I should adjust the recipe?
MCH, so glad you liked it. I thought this was really good too.
Once again, another terrific recipe! Quick and easy. I am always looking for unique ways to use ground turkey also.
Georgia, so glad you enjoyed it!
I just got around to making this tonight, and man, is it good! I used ground turkey, and my package was closer to two pounds, so I didn't have a lot of liquid in the "stew", which was fine with me. I used Madras curry powder, which has a little heat to it. I'll definitely make this one again!! Thanks, Kalyn, for another keeper!
Yum, sounds like something my mom would love too! I'll have to give it a try (and maybe my chickpea hating husband will end up liking it?? 🙂
Anonymous, I'm thrilled to be receiving your first comment on a recipe; so glad you liked it!
Okay, I know this sounds like a cliche, but I honestly have never commented on an online recipe IN MY LIFE; this was so so good and leftovers maybe even better. Thank you very much!
Mike so glad you liked it. Spice it as much you like next time. I hope this will freeze well, although I'm not entirely sure about the yogurt. (Although I've frozen lots of things with sour cream, which seems like the same idea.)
Was a little unsure as to how this one would come out but I figured Kalyn's Kitchen has never done me wrong so I dove in. I wasn't disappointed. Loved it.
Only thing I would have done differently is gone a little heavier on the curry (or gone with a spicy curry) because I love the flavor.
Just hoping it freezes well as I am a single guy and I do all my cooking for one.
Thanks Kalyn!!
You had me from the point you said curried chicken!! Gotta try this…nice site too!
what a great recipe! yummy!
This looks delicious and it's full of ingredients that are already in my fridge. Thanks for the dinner idea..might be making it tonight even!!