One-skillet ground turkey Thai yellow curry with rice. This quick and easy one-pot recipe makes a complete meal of lean protein and aromatic coconut milk sauce with vegetables.
When I go out for Thai food, I immediately combine the bowl of rice with my bowl of curry, and eat it like so. With a spoon.
For me, the best way to enjoy curry is to have the rice soaking in the sauce for as long as possible for optimal flavor and creamy texture.
This recipe serves up curry in the exact way I enjoy it: with the rice already mixed in, sufficiently soaked in sauce.
For this particular recipe, I used ground turkey, which I have found to be one of the sources of animal protein my digestive system readily accepts with joy.
You can replace the ground turkey with one pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, pork, steak, shrimp, salmon, or white fish. Almost any form of animal protein works!
During those times you’re looking for a meatless meal, you can skip the animal protein and add one can of chickpeas.
This one-skillet Thai yellow curry recipe couldn’t be any easier to make. Here’s how it goes down:
How to Make One-Skillet Thai Yellow Curry:
This recipe does require a bit of forethought, as I recommend soaking the rice prior to preparing this recipe. Soak the rice for at least 1 hour, up to 24 before using it in this recipe. I soak mine in a tupperware container and keep it in the refrigerator.
Once your rice is sufficiently soaked, drain the water from it and set aside until ready to use.
Pour ⅓ cup of coconut milk into a skillet add the ground turkey. Brown for 3 to 4 minutes, flip to other side and continue browning another 2 to 3 minutes. Essentially, you’re browning the turkey meat in its cube form prior to breaking it into smaller pieces.
Add ginger and spices and stir, chopping up the turkey.
Add the carrots, remaining coconut milk, broth, coconut aminos, and fish sauce, and stir well. Stir in the rice. Cover, and bring to a full boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
Stir in the zucchini, cover, and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until much of the liquid has been absorbed and the vegetables are cooked to desired done-ness. Stir in the chopped basil and taste the curry. Add sea salt to taste and serve in bowls.
What Type of Rice Should I Use?
To keep the prep time on this recipe low, use white rice. If you don’t mind adding another 30 to 40 minutes onto the cook time, feel free to use brown rice.
I use Lundberg Organic Sushi Rice (not sponsored) because it is so, so stinking starchy and delicious. It soaks up the sauce so well, which results in the most flavorful, amazing, chewy delightfully carby meal.
My preference when it comes to brown rice is Lundberg Organic Sprouted Brown Rice (again, not sponsored). The sprouting helps unlock the protein contained in the rice. Without sprouting, the protein in rice isn’t actually bioavailable.
Regardless of which rice you choose, be sure you do soak it for at least one hour prior to using it. Every single time I prepare rice, I soak it overnight (up to 24 hours) prior to cooking it.
The soaking process helps remove the oxalates and phytates, which ensures the rice doesn’t act as an anti-nutrient and ensures your body is able to absorb the vitamins and minerals in your meal.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace the ground turkey with chicken breasts, shrimp, pork, beef, or animal protein of choice.
- For a saucier curry, reduce the amount of rice from 2 cups to 1 cup.
- Skip the animal protein and add one can of drained chickpeas for a protein source.
- Add ½ yellow onion and 4 cloves of garlic if you can tolerate them.
- Add 1 to 3 Tbsp sriracha to spice it up (the curry is very mild the way the recipe is written).
I use this ground turkey curry as meal prep for the week. I’ve been meal prepping every Monday for the last couple of months, and this exact recipe (or some rendition of it) has been on the menu each week. It covers all my macro bases and is just so tasty!
More Curry Recipes:
- Thai Paleo Panang Curry
- 30-Minute Green Chicken Curry
- Nightshade-Free AIP Curry
- Chicken Massaman Curry
- Red Curry Chicken with Vegetables
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this One-Skillet Ground Turkey Curry Skillet, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Ground turkey curry each and every week!
One-Skillet Ground Turkey Thai Curry with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1 1/2 cups white rice soaked at least 1 hour
- 1 2/3 cups chicken broth
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 to 3 Tbsp fish sauce to taste
- 1 medium zucchini squash chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Place rice in a bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak rice at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours).
- Pour ⅓ cup of coconut milk into a skillet add the ground turkey. Brown for 3 to 4 minutes, flip to other side and continue browning another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add ginger and spices and stir, chopping up the turkey.
- Add the carrots, remaining coconut milk, broth, coconut aminos, and fish sauce, and stir well. Stir in the rice. Cover, and bring to a full boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
- Stir in the zucchini, cover, and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until much of the liquid has been absorbed and the vegetables are cooked to desired done-ness. Stir in the chopped basil and taste the curry. Add sea salt to taste and serve in bowls.
Nutrition
Sounds amazing! I know coconut milk is the way to go for curry, but is like to keep the fat down for now. My own personal preference. We use good karma flax milk which is amaxing6and a no e creamy texture. What do you think?
?? tyty
Hi Donna!
You can substitute using flax milk or broth. If you use the flax milk, just be sure to not cook it at too high of a temperature for too long, or else it may separate. Let me know how it works out! Enjoy! xo
Any recipe which directs me to “brown” ground meat in coconut milk is a recipe written by morons. I’m sorry I wasted my time reading this far.
Hi Scott,
Did you read the recipe? The coconut milk is used in place of oil for browning the meat. Thai people sometimes use coconut milk the same way one would use oil in their cooking. Because you’re so resistant to the concept, try it yourself! What is more moronic, someone who has over a decade of recipe development experience using a fat to brown meat, or someone who trolls websites to be an asshole and doesn’t try the recipe before commenting? Peace be with you, Susan.
@Julia, lmao. Good on you!
Made this dish tonight and it was very tasty. Love one pot meals and when I can go in the garden to pick the veggies and herbs it makes it so delicious
I will definitely be making that this week! Just wondering what I can sub in place of coconut aminos? Cheers!
Soy sauce!
Yes, as Debi mentioned, you can do soy sauce, tamari, or regular liquid aminos. Hope you enjoy! xo
Delicious. I used cauliflower rice and it was brilliant!
Ooooh, I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks for the sweet note, Kimberly! xo
just meal prepped this for work lunches, it is so delicious!!!!!
Yaaaaaas! I’m so thrilled to hear it! It’s definitely one of my favorites too. Thanks so much for the sweet note! xo
Mmmm, who doesn’t combine their rice and curry together? A madman, that’s who. This recipe looks delicious and I really appreciate a cook that can do it all in one pot. Washing dishes is such a pain. Do you think this would be good to add to a weight management diet? I’m not looking to gain or lose, just maintain what I have. I read about it here https://www.ez.insure/2019/07/fitness-goals-vs-your-nutrition/ and I think because you used ground turkey it should be okay lol
Soooo delicious and easy, but oh man – TWO cups of rice?! Way more than 4 servings and totally overwhelmed the dish! It ended up being more of a porridge consistency. Maybe I read incorrectly? The turkey got totally lost and the spices/flavors toned way down because of it. Loved this recipe, but will definitely be doing 1 cup at most next time.
Thanks for the feedback, Victoria! I love lots and lots of rice with my curry, but can definitely see how others would want less. Appreciate the note. xo
Do you think this would freeze well?
I do! I actually made it for a trip this last weekend and froze it to bring with. It reheated just great! Hope you enjoy! xo
I’m confused about the rice! Do you pre-soak the uncooked rice? And then cook it regular (water and salt)? Or is the cooking of the rice happening in the coconut milk? Or are you adding already cooked rice into the coconut milk curry sauce? I’ve reread the article multiple times and still cannot figure this out.
Hi Emily,
You soak the rice and then drain it after soaking. Add the drained rice to the skillet with the rest of the ingredients to cook it into the recipe. In other words, you don’t cook the rice separately…everything gets cooked in the same skillet. Hope that makes sense! xoxo
I might be missing something here, but I didn’t see any curry mentioned in the prep or listed in the ingredients list. How much yellow curry would I need and at what time would I add it?
Thank you so much!
@Mary, Me too, I didn’t find how much curry for this recipe. I did find that was integrated with the chopped basil almost at the end. I hope someone reply. Thank you
This was so flipping yummy. I will definitely be making this again. I followed the recipe nearly to a T, but based on some comments, I only added about 1 1/3 cup rice, and added onions and green pepper. I found a sriracha spice at the grocery store when shopping for this recipe, and added a teaspoon and wow. It was awesome. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy you like it, Elizabeth! Thanks so much for the sweet note and your feedback! xo
Can you use black rice in this dish?
How many calories are in one cup of this dish?
Just made this with brown rice and it’s amazing! Instead of carrots I used red pepper and added in a cup of edamame for more protein. Perfect for meal prep! I got about 8 servings.
Ooh, bell pepper sounds great! So happy you like it, Karen! xo
@Karen, did you use the same rice/water ratio when you subbed brown rice?
How is it “browning” if you put ground turkey in coconut milk to cook?
You use the coconut milk the same way you would oil. Try the recipe – you’ll see that it’s only a small amount of coconut milk when dispersed throughout the large skillet.
Another winner from @theroastedroot! I only have, maybe three, websites that I trust fully to make recipes without reading reviews, looking for ways to modify, etc. and The Roasted Root is one. This is delicious exactly as written. Sure you could add a little more broth, a little less rice, but it is not necessary. My only suggestion is to not double (like I did!) unless you are really feeding a crowd (not that it will go to waste). Thanks, Julia! Love love love.
I’m so thrilled you love it, Nanette! Thank you for the suggestions and the support! xoxo
Has anyone tried doing this recipe in the Instant Pot? I feel like it would be perfect but wondering about the timing?
Hi Kristina,
I haven’t tested it yet, but when I cook rice in the Instant Pot, I typically do 8 minutes on high pressure then let it naturally release for about 3 minutes. Let me know if you try it!
I was also wondering about the curry. The title says it has curry but the recipe makes no mention of it.
Hi Stephy,
Curry is a blend of spices. It’s typically made up of cumin, coriander, garlic powder, ground ginger, and turmeric 🙂 You can replace the spices in the recipe with curry powder if you’d like.
What are the black seeds in the curry – looks much thicker than pepper?
Hi there! They’re sesame seeds 🙂
Loved this! My guys asked for twice the protein. So I will figure out how to do that for next time.
I’m so happy you and your guys loved it!! xoxo
Maybe it was just me, but the liquid was all gone before the zucchini got in. I would recommend using less rice
Hi Jared,
Thanks so much for the feedback. Seems like that was a common piece of advice, so I’ll lower the amount in the recipe. Many thanks!
Eek! Ran out of liquid before adding the zucchini! Added more broth. Will reduce rice to 1 cup next round. Also used ground beef because that is what I had. Hubs loved it.
Oh no, sorry about that, Mary! So happy you were able to make it work out. Thank you for sharing! 🙂 xoxox
My husband made this last night and it was SOOOOO delicious!!!
I’m so happy you and your husband enjoy it! Thanks for the sweet note! xoxo
We found this spice profile too much on the sweet side with the cinnamon and ginger so we didn’t even eat it 🙁 However, the texture and overall ease of making this was great so I will definitely make this again but just use a premade curry powder or just a slightly different spice profile.
Hi Dottie! I’m so sorry to hear that! I’m glad you’ll try it again but bummer about the first round. 🙁 Thanks so much for the feedback! xoxo
To cut down on calories, couldn’t I use no-fat coconut milk? I could brown the turkey without any fat (as I usually do) and just add the coconut milk later?
Hi Kate!
That will work. The dish won’t taste as rich or creamy, but if you’re fine with that, a lower fat option will work just fine 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe – this was delicious! We adjusted the seasoning to our liking with a bit more salt / pepper / sugar at the end, but otherwise loved it’s versatile flavor and can’t wait to try this dish with nuts, raisins, bell peppers, peas, etc.
I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe! I love the idea of adding those ingredients – I’ll have to try that, myself! xo
Thanks for this recipe! My family loves it! My kids aren’t huge zucchini fans so I just substitute red pepper for zucchini and leave out the cinnamon since my husband is allergic. I have made it quite a few times now.
Love that! I’m so happy your family enjoys the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing your changes! xo
Hi! Do I follow the same instructions if I use chicken breast?
Hi Katherine! That’s correct! Simply chop the chicken into bite sizes and proceed as normal 🙂 I hope you enjoy!
This was really good! I was wondering what do you consider a serving size?
Delicious and easy!!!
So happy you enjoy it!
This looks so good, but I’m vegan. Do you think I could crumble extra firm tofu and use in place of the turkey? I could of course substitute vegetable broth for chicken and omit the fish sauce. Just wondered what you thought about the tofu substitution. Thank you so much.
Hi Mary! I don’t have a huge amount of experience cooking with tofu, but I would think it would work. Since it doesn’t need to be cooked for very long, I would probably add it at the end of cooking to preserve the texture. The veggie broth substitution and omitting the fish sauce will work just fine. If you’d like, you can add a little soy sauce to get some umami flavor 🙂 Hope you enjoy! xo
What are the coconut animosity for and what can I use as a sub? Thx 🙂
Hi Jamie! The coconut aminos are for sweet, umami flavor. You can use liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce as a replacement. Hope you enjoy!
Lol. Not animosity! Animos
Hi!
This dish sounds yummy! I don’t have fish sauce and I don’t really want to buy a bottle of it for one recipe. Is it a major flavor here or if I omit it will it not be a big deal?
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! You can omit it! If you’d like, you can replace it with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos to add some umami flavor. Hope you enjoy the dish! xo