I’m sharing an easy ground turkey and peppers stir-fry from my Ground Turkey Recipes that pairs protein and colorful veggies for a simple weeknight dinner you can serve over rice or noodles.
I throw this Easy Ground Turkey And Peppers Stir together when I need dinner fast. Ground turkey browns quick and it gets great with thin slices of red bell pepper.
It’s not fussy, but never boring and that’s why it lives in my Ground Turkey Recipes folder. If you want something that wont leave you hungry later try it, it’s one of those Healthy High Protein Meals that actually tastes like you put effort into it.
Sometimes I miss the timer and things get more caramelized than planned, but somehow it still comes out bright, bold and satisfying.
Ingredients
- Ground turkey: Lean protein, fills you up, versatile, mild flavor so it takes on sauces.
- Bell peppers: Crunchy, high in vitamin C and fiber, add sweet color and fresh bite.
- Garlic: Sharp aromatics, adds depth and a little heat when cooked, kids may not.
- Ginger: Warm, zippy scent, helps balance sweet and sour, real fresh punch.
- Soy sauce: Salty umami base, boosts savory notes and gives that deep brown glaze.
- Honey: Adds quick sweet, helps sauces caramelize, optional if you want less sugar.
- Cornstarch slurry: Thickens sauce fast so it clings to meat and veggies, no lumps.
- Sesame oil: A tiny drizzle goes a long way, gives nutty aroma and finish.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 lb (450 g) ground turkey, 85% lean (93% ok if you want it leaner)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce or oyster sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1-2 teaspoons sriracha, optional
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional
- cooked rice or noodles, for serving
How to Make this
1. Prep everything: thinly slice the red and green bell peppers and the yellow onion, mince 3 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger, slice 2 green onions and set aside, measure out the sauces and liquids (3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp hoisin or oyster sauce if using, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or 1-2 tsp sriracha if you want heat). In a small cup whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry.
2. Make the stir sauce: in a bowl combine the soy sauce, hoisin/oyster if using, rice vinegar, honey, chicken broth (or water), and the red pepper or sriracha. Stir till the honey dissolves, set near the stove.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high and add 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil. Once hot add 1 pound ground turkey, break it up, season lightly with salt and black pepper and cook until it’s no longer pink and starting to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes; if theres a lot of grease drain or blot with a paper towel.
4. Push the turkey to the side or remove briefly, add another splash of oil if the pan looks dry, then add the sliced peppers and onion. Stir-fry on medium-high until they are crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, you want them still colorful not mushy.
5. Add the minced garlic and ginger to the veggies and cook just 30 seconds until fragrant, dont let them burn.
6. Return the turkey to the pan (if you removed it), pour the prepared stir sauce over everything, stir to combine and let it come to a gentle simmer for about 1 minute so flavors start to marry.
7. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir then pour it into the skillet, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy and coats the meat and veggies, about 30 to 60 seconds.
8. Turn off the heat and drizzle the 1 teaspoon sesame oil over the stir, toss in the sliced green onions and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds if using, taste and adjust salt, pepper or more sriracha/honey if needed.
9. Serve immediately over cooked rice or noodles, and enjoy — leftovers reheat great for quick lunches.
Equipment Needed
1. Large skillet or wok, 12-inch works best for browning the turkey and stir-frying the veggies
2. Cutting board, sturdy so you can slice peppers and onion safely
3. Chef’s knife, sharp — makes everything faster, and safer
4. Measuring spoons plus a 1/4 cup measure for the sauces and broth
5. Small bowl and whisk or fork for mixing the stir sauce
6. Small ramekin or cup for the cornstarch slurry (easy to pour)
7. Spatula or wooden spoon for stirring and scraping the pan
8. Tongs or slotted spoon for moving the turkey and serving, and some paper towels to blot excess grease
9. Rice cooker or pot for cooking rice or noodles, optional but handy
FAQ
Easy Ground Turkey And Peppers Stir Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Ground turkey → ground chicken, lean ground pork, or plant-based crumbles. Chicken cooks the same, pork adds more fat so use less oil, and vegan crumbles give the same texture but add them later and taste for seasoning.
- Red/green bell peppers → poblano, cubanelle, or a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies (broccoli, snap peas, carrots). Denser veg like broccoli need a little more time, frozen stuff is great for quick meals.
- Low-sodium soy sauce → tamari or coconut aminos. Tamari is gluten free and same salty umami, coconut aminos are sweeter so cut the honey a bit.
- Cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water) → arrowroot or tapioca starch (use same ratio), or skip and simmer the sauce down to thicken. Arrowroot gives a clearer glossy sauce, tapioca works well but can get stringy if overcooked.
Pro Tips
1. Get the turkey nice and brown for flavor. Heat the pan until its really hot, add oil, then let the meat sit a bit instead of stirring every second so it can form those brown bits, they add tons of flavor. If the meat looks watery blot or drain it, too much moisture stops browning. If you used very lean turkey add a little extra oil so it wont dry out.
2. Keep the veggies crisp and colorful. Cook them fast on high heat so they stay slightly firm, and add the garlic and ginger at the very end so they dont burn and turn bitter. If the pan looks dry but the veg are starting to char too fast add a splash of broth or water to loosen things and finish cooking.
3. Build and balance the sauce before you thicken it. Make the sauce a touch stronger than you think cause rice or noodles will mellow it, taste and tweak the sweet or acid as needed. Stir the cornstarch slurry well and add it slowly while stirring until it just thickens, if it goes too thick add a little warm broth to loosen.
4. Finish smart and save flavor for later. Turn the heat off before you drizzle the sesame oil so the aroma doesnt evaporate, toss in green onions right at the end. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for a minute for better nuttiness, and when reheating leftovers add a splash of water and heat gently so the turkey doesnt dry out.
Easy Ground Turkey And Peppers Stir Recipe
I’m sharing an easy ground turkey and peppers stir-fry from my Ground Turkey Recipes that pairs protein and colorful veggies for a simple weeknight dinner you can serve over rice or noodles.
4
servings
396
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large skillet or wok, 12-inch works best for browning the turkey and stir-frying the veggies
2. Cutting board, sturdy so you can slice peppers and onion safely
3. Chef’s knife, sharp — makes everything faster, and safer
4. Measuring spoons plus a 1/4 cup measure for the sauces and broth
5. Small bowl and whisk or fork for mixing the stir sauce
6. Small ramekin or cup for the cornstarch slurry (easy to pour)
7. Spatula or wooden spoon for stirring and scraping the pan
8. Tongs or slotted spoon for moving the turkey and serving, and some paper towels to blot excess grease
9. Rice cooker or pot for cooking rice or noodles, optional but handy
Ingredients
-
1 lb (450 g) ground turkey, 85% lean (93% ok if you want it leaner)
-
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
-
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
-
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
-
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
-
3 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
-
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
-
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce or oyster sauce, optional
-
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
-
1 tablespoon honey or packed brown sugar
-
1 teaspoon sesame oil
-
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
-
1 teaspoon cornstarch
-
1 tablespoon water
-
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1-2 teaspoons sriracha, optional
-
salt and black pepper, to taste
-
2 green onions, sliced
-
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional
-
cooked rice or noodles, for serving
Directions
- Prep everything: thinly slice the red and green bell peppers and the yellow onion, mince 3 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger, slice 2 green onions and set aside, measure out the sauces and liquids (3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp hoisin or oyster sauce if using, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or 1-2 tsp sriracha if you want heat). In a small cup whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry.
- Make the stir sauce: in a bowl combine the soy sauce, hoisin/oyster if using, rice vinegar, honey, chicken broth (or water), and the red pepper or sriracha. Stir till the honey dissolves, set near the stove.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high and add 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil. Once hot add 1 pound ground turkey, break it up, season lightly with salt and black pepper and cook until it's no longer pink and starting to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes; if theres a lot of grease drain or blot with a paper towel.
- Push the turkey to the side or remove briefly, add another splash of oil if the pan looks dry, then add the sliced peppers and onion. Stir-fry on medium-high until they are crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, you want them still colorful not mushy.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger to the veggies and cook just 30 seconds until fragrant, dont let them burn.
- Return the turkey to the pan (if you removed it), pour the prepared stir sauce over everything, stir to combine and let it come to a gentle simmer for about 1 minute so flavors start to marry.
- Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir then pour it into the skillet, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy and coats the meat and veggies, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Turn off the heat and drizzle the 1 teaspoon sesame oil over the stir, toss in the sliced green onions and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds if using, taste and adjust salt, pepper or more sriracha/honey if needed.
- Serve immediately over cooked rice or noodles, and enjoy — leftovers reheat great for quick lunches.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 238g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 396kcal
- Fat: 26.1g
- Saturated Fat: 5.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 6g
- Monounsaturated: 14.3g
- Cholesterol: 112mg
- Sodium: 313mg
- Potassium: 369mg
- Carbohydrates: 14.5g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Sugar: 6.8g
- Protein: 34.8g
- Vitamin A: 1250IU
- Vitamin C: 75mg
- Calcium: 34.5mg
- Iron: 1mg