This Easy Ground Turkey Curry has it all — it’s healthy, full of flavor, and so easy to make! You only need ground turkey, spices, rice, and 30 minutes and you’ll be digging into a delicious dinner even the pickiest eaters will love!
Table of Contents
We all have our go-to dishes. Sometimes they’re quick, other times they are super tasty.
But every now and then, a little bit of magic happens in the kitchen and you get a dish that is BOTH easy and delicious.
And boy does this dish fit the bill.
Why Is This Recipe the Best?
- It’s ready in under 30 minutes.
- The spices give the ground turkey a ton of flavor (with some common pantry staples).
- The full-fat coconut milk makes it so creamy and keeps it dairy free.
- Even the PICKIEST eaters will love it.
Ingredients
Notes about the ingredients needed for this Ground Turkey Curry recipe are below. Jump to recipe for the exact measurements.
- Ground turkey. Choose a lean 85/15 blend of turkey to keep the dish light, plus it absorbs the spices beautifully. You can go with another ground meat, like chicken or beef, as well.
- Onion. A finely chopped white onion is needed to create the base of the flavor.
- Coconut milk. Definitely go for full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest texture and absolute best taste.
- Spices. While this list might seem a little daunting, most of these can be found in the spice aisle. You’ll need curry powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Do NOT skip the garam masala.
- Rice. Basmati rice will yield the most authentic dish, but another type of white rice will work as well.
How to Make Ground Turkey Curry
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts. Jump to recipe for the printable instructions
1. Cook the onion and ground turkey.
Heat a large skillet over medium, then drizzle the olive oil over the bottom. Carefully add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. The onions should become translucent.
Stir in the garlic and ground turkey. Cook for another 7 to 8 minutes. Be sure to crumble the turkey with a meat or potato masher as you’re cooking.
2. Add the seasonings and coconut milk.
In a small bowl, stir together the curry powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.
Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the turkey and onion, then stir in the coconut milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes.
3. Serve the turkey curry.
Add some cooked basmati rice (you can make Instant Pot basmati rice, too).
Add a scoop of turkey curry on top, then sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve it with a side of grilled or steamed veggies and you have yourself a healthy and filling dinner!
FAQs
While both turkey and chicken are quite healthy, turkey does have a lower fat content than chicken.
Garam masala is a flavorful and warm blend of spices, typically cloves, cardamon, peppercorns, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon.
What to Serve with Ground Turkey Curry
This ground turkey curry is just what the doctor ordered, full of healthy ground turkey and finished with some easy to find Indian spices. Add these sides for a complete meal.
Keep it easy with Steamed Broccoli, or go with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower.
You can also choose Herb Roasted Carrots, Air Fryer Carrots, or even Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes.
More Curry Recipes
Curry is so satisfying, dig into a bowl of any of these recipes for a perfect meal.
- Crockpot Curry Chicken
- Pumpkin Curry
- Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Salmon Curry in Coconut Milk
- Thai Yellow Chicken Curry
- Curry Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Sauce
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Easy Ground Turkey Curry
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Ingredients
- ½ white onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 pound 90/10 ground turkey
- 1 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Cooked basmati rice for serving
- Finely chopped cilantro for serving, optional
Instructions
- Add olive oil and onion to a large skillet or pan over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until onions become translucent.
- Add garlic and ground turkey. Cook for another 7-8 minutes over medium heat, crumbling as you do, or until meat is cooked no longer pink.
- Whisk together the curry powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Add seasonings and coconut milk to the pan and stir until combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve turkey curry over rice and sprinkle with cilantro.
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Notes
- Feel free to add in additional vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, or peas.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Easy to make and delicious. I put it over cauliflower rice
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Connie! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
I only want to eat this for the rest of my life.
I added bell pepper, petite diced tomatoes(from the can), and chopped cashews. Extra cayenne, and cinnamon. Served over sushi rice. Full stop.
The ground turkey is so much more palatable than dried out cubes of chicken. Delicious comfort food. This will be coming to work with me for lunches from now on! And so easy to make.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jill! This sounds delicious. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Update: this turkey meatloaf is what my family requested for Christmas dunner! Not salmon, roast beef or a whole turkey. 100% wanted turkey meatloaf. I made a 2nd one for my daughter-in-law to take home. My slight modifications are using garlic-infused olive oil instead of garlic and I add ground flax seeds, which have no real taste but are healthy for digestion. What a great simple meal!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Carole! This would be a tasty Christmas dinner. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
My family’s crazy about this curry. Can I substitute tofu for a variation?
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Carole! You could absolutely try, though I’ve never done it. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I love this recipe. I make it often. But what makes the saturated fat so high? 27 grams per serving is over 60% from fat. Is it the coconut milk?
Yes, the coconut milk has a lot of fat. It is only 18 grams of saturated, 25 grams total fat. If you are looking to lower the fat content, you could always try using a lite milk instead. I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe, though!
This was utterly tasty and ridiculously easy to make. Many thanks, we’ll be making this for years!
I substituted coconut cream for coconut milk and ate it with homemade naan bread rather than rice.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Edward. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I just made the recipe and pretty much made it according to the recipe. I used unsweetened almond milk to because I didn’t have any coconut milk. I didn’t have Garmin Marsala either and substituted a little allspice. My husband and I thought it was very good. I love curry. I made roasted asparagus spears on the side. Thanks.
Yay! So happy it turned out even with your substitutions. I love hearing that you enjoyed this recipe, Sheri! Thanks for leaving a comment and rating!
Good! Will make again. Next time will use max cayenne suggested. Had used about 2/3 of that.
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Josie! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂