Healthy Ground Turkey Pad Thai | 30 Minute Recipe (2024)

Ingredients For Ground Turkey Pad Thai

• Stir-fry rice noodles: I used Thai Kitchen brand of rice noodles. If you cannot find rice noodles you can also use linguini for this recipe.
• Cooking oil: I recommend a high-heat cooking oil such as organic canola oil or avocado oil. Vegetable oil is another option or if you have grapeseed oil or peanut oil, they’ll work too.
• Ground turkey: For the best texture do not use 99% lean ground turkey. Instead use 85% to 95% lean. Note: You can also make this recipe with leftover turkey, so if you’re wondering if it will work with chopped cooked turkey meat you can read how here.
• Scallions: Chopped green onions (or scallions) are used to cook with the turkey and cabbage and to finish the dish. When you slice the green onions make sure to separate the green parts from the whites.
• Napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage: To bulk up the amount of fresh veggies in this Turkey Pad Thai I added in about 1 small head of Napa Cabbage. Here’s a primer on how to cut cabbage. You’ll want to slice it so that it blends in with the Pad Thai noodles. If you have a large head Napa, use the leftovers to make sauteed Napa Cabbage,Napa Caesaror thisNapa and Ramen Salad.
• Coconut milk: To cook the cabbage mixture down and help thin out the sauce a little so that it coats the noodles nicely. I use light coconut milk, but full fat works too.
• Brown sugar: The sauce is a little sweet which balances the tangy acidic flavors. You can sub in maple syrup instead of brown sugar
• Thai fish sauce and Salt: For the sauce we call upon a classic Thai ingredient: Fish Sauce. It has a funky smell but in small amounts it adds umami flavor to Thai cooking. I like Red Boat or Golden Boy fish sauce. Keep it refrigerated and it will last for years! We also add in a tiny bit of salt too to help bring the flavors alive. If you are on a sodium restricted diet, simply remove these items and only add to taste.
• Tomato paste: The tomato paste thickens the sauce
• White vinegar and Lime juice: For acidity we added both white vinegar and fresh lime juice to the sauce. This has to balance the sweet and savory ingredients in the Turkey Pad Thai.
• Garnish: To garnish, top off your Ground Turkey Pad Thai with chopped peanuts or cashews plus cilantro and Thai basil (or regular basil if you can’t find Thai basil.)

How To Make Turkey Pad Thai

Step 1: Prepare noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the stir-fry noodles according to their package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Step 2: Combine the sauce ingredients

Meanwhile, whisk brown sugar, fish sauce, tomato paste, lime juice, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 3: Cook the turkey

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey and scallion whites. Crumble and stir the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns. Cook until the meat is cooked through, 6 to 9 minutes.

Step 4: Cook Cabbage

Add cabbage and coconut milk and reduce heat to medium. Stir until the cabbage is just slightly wilted, 1 to 4 minutes. Transfer the turkey mixture to a large bowl.

Step 5: Cook noodles in Pad Thai Sauce

Add the reserved sauce to the skillet and the drained noodles and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the noodles are heated through, about 1 minute.

Step 6: Finish and serve

Combine the noodle mixture with the turkey, add the scallion greens and toss to coat. Serve each portion topped with the herbs and nuts.

UnitsScale

• 6 ounces Thai stir-fry rice noodles
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced and whites and green parts divided
• 8 cups sliced Napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage, (about 1 small head)
• 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
• 1/3 cup chopped roasted cashews or peanuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil, preferably Thai

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1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the stir-fry noodles according to their package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Meanwhile, whisk brown sugar, fish sauce, tomato paste, lime juice, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey and scallion whites. Crumble and stir the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns. Cook until the meat is cooked through, 6 to 9 minutes.
4. Add cabbage and coconut milk and reduce heat to medium. Stir until the cabbage is just slightly wilted, 1 to 4 minutes. Transfer the turkey mixture to a large bowl.
5. Add the reserved sauce to the skillet and the drained noodles and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the noodles are heated through, about 1 minute.
6. Transfer the noodle mixture to the bowl with the turkey, add the scallion greens and toss to coat. Serve each portion topped with the herbs and nuts.

How to reheat leftovers:

Place the Pad Thai in a covered microwave safe dish, add a bit of water and reheat in 30 second increments.