Thai Turkey Cabbage Bowls with red bell pepper, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, and an amazing sweet and tangy sauce. This easy meal comes together in 30 minutes or less and is jam packed with flavor!
These Thai Turkey Cabbage Bowls are loaded with all sorts of colorful veggies and lean ground turkey. Cabbage (I use both green and purple, but you can use either), bell pepper, onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots bring Vitamins and antioxidants to the table for an anti-inflammatory meal.
Everything is tied together with a sweet and savory umami sauce that you may just want to chug, it’s so tasty.
Truly, when I’m feeling ravenously hungry and am looking to feel not just satisfied, but full, I make sure to include a huge amount of veggies and plenty of protein in my meal.
My Teriyaki Ground Turkey Skillet with Vegetables, my 30-Minute Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet and my Hearty Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables are all great examples of meals I make regularly.
And a big side of Crowd-Pleasing Roasted Vegetables is always welcome, because I’m a true lush for veggies.
Let’s dive into the details of these Thai Turkey Cabbage Bowls!
Ingredients for Thai Turkey & Cabbage Bowls:
For the Bowls: Onion, ground turkey, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, cabbage (I use both green and purple), bell pepper, carrots, green onion.
For the Sauce: Sunflower seed butter (or peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, tahini, or nut or seed butter of choice), coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sriracha, pure maple syrup, and curry powder.
The combination of all of the fresh ingredients together with the sauce makes for a flavorful, nourishing meal that goes down super easily.
Let’s make them!
How to Make Thai Turkey and Cabbage Bowls:
Prepare the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a small blender or bowl and blend until well-combined and creamy.
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or thick-bottomed pot and add the onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion just begins turning brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Move the onion off to the side and add the ground turkey. Allow it to brown on one side for 2 to 3 minutes before breaking it into smaller pieces and mixing it in with the onion.
Add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, and green onions the remaining ingredients) and stir well. Cover the skillet (or pot) and cook until the vegetables have wilted and are easier to stir, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve in bowls with sauce drizzled on top (note: you can also mix the sauce into the stir fry, but I prefer drizzling it on top for funsies).
You can sprinkle bowls with chopped nuts such as almonds, peanuts, or roasted cashews (I did Brazil nuts), or some sesame seeds.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you love vegetable and protein-loaded meals that are infused with cabbage, also try these healthy recipes!
More Cabbage Recipes:
- Ground Turkey Egg Roll Bowls
- One-Pot Ground Beef and Cabbage
- Unstuffed Cabbage Bowls
- Ground Turkey Bowls with Cabbage Rice
- Instant Pot Sausage and Cabbage Stew
Enjoy this quick and easy healthy meal!
Thai Turkey and Cabbage Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage 1 medium-sized head
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 1 large carrot grated
- 4 green onions chopped
For the Sauce:
- ¼ cup sunflower seed butter peanut butter, or almond butter*
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or liquid aminos
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sriracha optional
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey optional
- ½ tsp curry powder
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a small blender or bowl and blend until well-combined and creamy.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or thick-bottomed pot and add the onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion just begins turning brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Move the onion off to the side and add the ground turkey. Allow it to brown on one side for 2 to 3 minutes before breaking it into smaller pieces and mixing it in with the onion.Â
- Add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, and green onions the remaining ingredients) and stir well. Cover the skillet (or pot) and cook until the vegetables have wilted and are easier to stir, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with sauce drizzled on top (note: you can also mix the sauce into the stir fry
Notes
Nutrition
this look great – but when I print it only the ingredients are included – no instructions.
My apologies! It’s fixed now! There was a technical issue with my recipe cards, but it’s all good to go now. Thank you for your patience! xo
I have been on a cabbage kick lately, and this sounds absolutely right up my taste-buds alley! Now my only dilemma is whether to use peanut butter or tahini in the sauce….. Oh well, this makes enough for 4 meals, so I’ll just make both and enjoy the variety in the re-runs 😉
Ooh, I love that idea! I typically have a slight preference for peanut butter over tahini, but both will taste great! xo
This looks delicious! I am serving lunch to some guests on Friday. Can you suggest what else I should serve to make the meal complete?
Hi Rebecca! You could serve any type of salad with the bowls and I think that would pair nicely! Here are some recipe ideas:
https://www.theroastedroot.net/easy-asian-cucumber-salad/
https://www.theroastedroot.net/strawberry-spinach-salad-with-poppy-seed-dressing/
https://www.theroastedroot.net/roasted-beet-arugula-salad-maple-balsamic-vinaigrette/
https://www.theroastedroot.net/roasted-sweet-potato-salad-with-spinach-and-grapes/
Let me know if you need any other suggestions! xo
I’m thinking of trying this with extra-firm tofu crumbled up and cooked in place of the turkey. I think it will be delicious with the sauce and veggies!
I made this tonight for a vegetarian friend, using tofu crumbled in place of the turkey. It was absolutely perfectly delicious. We did lick that sauce dish clean….yummy!!
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Sherry! Thanks for letting me know! 😀
Delicious recipe! Rather than ground meat, I used left over dark meat from a smoked Turkey. I pulverized the dark meat in a food processor and added it to the wilted cabbage mixture. I was a great way to use up less desirable turkey bits (legs and wings). My husband loved it and we will definitely make it again! Thank you for such a flavorful dish.
Oooh, yum! That sounds amazing! I’ll have to try that myself with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Thank you for sharing! xo
Made this as written, except I forgot to put curry in the sauce. Very flavorful and healthy. I will make it again, and next time, I would probably make a little more of the sauce since I like strong flavors. Also, want to try it with tofu. I mixed the sauce into the turkey and vegetables. Thank you for this very good, and easy, recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe, Carol! I love the idea of adding more sauce and trying it with tofu. Sounds delicious! xo
This was absolutely delicious! I used a splash of agave in place of maple syrup and soy sauce instead of coconut amino‘s because I didn’t have any. Yum!!!!
Yaaay! So thrilled to hear it, Laura! I’m happy you were able to make it work with what you had on hand! xo
does this taste just as good without using the meat? thanks
Hi Grace! I haven’t tested it without the ground turkey 🙂 I imagine it will still be flavorful.
OMG absolutely delicious! My new favorite cabbage and ground turkey recipe. Easy, flavorful and healthy! Thank you for creating and sharing
My pleasure! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe – it’s one of my personal favorites! xo