Ground Turkey Stir Fry With Cabbage

by Dana Sandonato // January 23, 2024

With bright & tasty orange ginger sauce, this veggie-packed ground turkey stir fry with cabbage will be an absolute hit at your dinner table!

Cast iron pan brimming with completed ground turkey stir fry.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Ground Turkey Stir Fry

Light but satisfying, this stir fry is loaded with lean protein, nutrient-dense vegetables, and it has a TON of flavor. The orange ginger sauce really amps things up here by creating a bright and sunny tone. You could also personalize it by using different veggies.

The kicker? This stir fry is SO easy to make. And once all your veggies are prepped and chopped, it’s quick and painless.

What to Serve With This

Seared baby bok choy is one of my go-to’s when making this stir fry with cabbage. I’m always in for extra greens!
Rice is another great companion for this stir fry, and I’m no stranger to a quick 90-second microwaveable rice packet! But if you’re looking to be extra, coconut ginger rice is fantastic.
Smashed Cucumber Salad is a favorite in this house. It’s crisp, cool, and goes wonderfully with Asian-inspired dishes.

A plate of rice with ground turkey stir fry with cabbage served on top of it.

Quick Tips

You can get creative with the vegetables and add or omit whatever you like. Just be sure to sautée the vegetables that take longer to cook (in this case it’s broccoli, peppers, and scallions) for about 3-5 minutes before adding the more delicate vegetables (carrots, mushrooms, cabbage) that take less time. We don’t want to overcook anything.
To save time, you can buy your veggies pre-cut or pre-shredded (think: bag of coleslaw).
If you decide to roughly chop the cabbage instead of thinly shaving with a mandolin it like this recipe calls for, add it into the pan with the broccoli and peppers in the beginning since it will take longer to soften.
This is a fantastic meal prep option. Cook a pot of rice in addition to this recipe, then divy it all up into containers for a few days worth of lunches!

Ingredients

*Exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.

Olive or avocado oil. For sautéing.
Ground turkey. You can go with whatever lean-to-fat ratio you prefer. I typically use 93% lean / 7% fat, but when testing this recipe I used 99% fat free and it worked out great. No dry turkey!
Fresh ginger. We’ve already got ginger in the sauce, but I like adding it to the stir fry as well. You could easily omit this, however.
Garlic. Minced or thinly sliced is fine.
Red cabbage. I love stir fry with cabbage. It reminds me of an egg roll bowl of sorts. I used red for an extra pop of color, but green works just fine.
Other vegetables. I use broccoli, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, carrots, and red cabbage. However, any of these can be omitted or swapped out for another veg you love!
Water chestnuts. Optional, but who doesn’t love that crunch?
Stir fry sauce. I’ve included my orange and ginger stir fry sauce recipe in the recipe card. You’ll love it! It’s bright and refreshing while still maintaining the depth and umami of other stir fry sauces.

How to Make Ground Turkey Stir Fry

Start by making the stir fry sauce. All you have to do is pop the ingredients into a bowl and mix well with a fork, then set it aside.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron pan or wok over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook it until it’s half cooked, breaking it apart as it simmers. Add half of the stir fry sauce to the pan and continue to cook the turkey, still breaking it apart until it’s nicely crumbled.

Raw ground turkey in a pan over the stove.

Half-cooked ground turkey in a pan with a bit of stir fry sauce.

Once the turkey is cooked, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl. Pour the pan sauce over the turkey and set it aside.

Heat the other Tablespoons of oil in the same pan. When hot, add the garlic, ginger, broccoli, peppers, and scallions. Stir until they’re tender but still crisp—about 3-5 minutes. Then add the reminder of the vegetables along with the water chestnuts and sauté for another 3-5 minutes, or until they’re tender. At first, it will look like you’ve got way too many veggies going into this stir fry, but they shrink down as they cook. (Tip: if you’re pan starts to dry out, just add a few splashes of water.)

Broccoli, scallions, and red peppers in a cast iron pan.

A variety of veggies in a cast iron pan being stirred.

When the veggies are cooked down, add the ground turkey back to the pan as well as the rest of the stir fry sauce. Stir well to combine; if you used cornstarch in the stir fry sauce as suggested in the recipe card, the sauce will thicken as it heats up. Serve over rice or enjoy it on its own!

Ground turkey added to vegetables in a cast iron skillet.

Close up of ground turkey stir fry with cabbage in a skillet.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

This ground turkey stir fry will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
To freeze, pack the stir fry in an airtight freezer-friendly bag and lay it out flat, letting all of the air out. Seal it up and pop it in the freezer for 3-4 months.
When reheating leftovers, you can either heat it up slowly in a pan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave at 25-second increments.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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