Asian Turkey "Fried" Rice (Meal Prep)

Amp up your meal prep routine with this healthy Asian Ground Turkey Fried Rice! A healthy twist on a Chinese take-out classic! Leftover cooked rice is mixed with crisp veggies, lean ground turkey, fried eggs and an easy Asian stir-fry sauce! 

Spice up your meal prep rotation with this Healthy Turkey Fried Rice recipe!

We all know that meal prep is best done during the weekend. But let's be real. Sometimes life just gets in the way of things. So, imagine it's a weeknight, you are exhausted from work and don't want to go out to eat, but you also don't want to get delivery because you still want to eat something healthy.  And there's more - you actually want to cook up a whole bunch of food to take to the office the next day.

Enter this healthy fried rice recipe. A healthy flavor-bomb weeknight dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes and can be packed right into meal prep boxes for the entire week!

This is what I call an autopilot recipe. I've been making this Asian Turkey Fried Rice at least once a month for almost two years now and am finally sharing the recipe here! It hadn't even crossed my mind to share it before now because cooking this easy weeknight dinner has become as unconscious of an act as picking the shortest check-out line at the grocery store: a quick bit of mental arithmetic is involved but you've done it so many times that it's effortless.

Why you will love this healthy fried rice recipe:

I love love LOVE quick easy healthy recipes like this ground turkey fried rice.  This one is packed with lean protein thanks to turkey, edamame beans and fried eggs, which should be mandatory if we are talking fried rice. Not only does it add protein to this healthy fried rice recipe, but also a deep richness!

Seriously, if you love fuss-free, headache-free Asian inspired dishes this easy one-pan dinner is for you.  Fried rice is such a family favorite that you can absolutely never go wrong with. And if you have ever cooked any Asian dish at all, chances are you have all the "special" ingredients in your pantry that we need for the stir-fry sauce.

The sweet and savory richness of the stir-fry sauce goes so well with the flavors of the ground turkey. To cut down on the carbs this healthy fried rice recipe is loaded with veggies!

How to make this Healthy Fried rice recipe:

Step 1 - Prepare the stir-fry sauce by mixing soy sauce, fish sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 2 - Make sure to have all the ingredients prepped before starting. Chop your veggies, whisk your egg, measure out the rice.

Step 3 - Heat two teaspoons of oil in a very large skillet. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Once cooked, take out of the skillet in a bowl and set aside.

Step 4 - Add the remaining two teaspoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), stirring often.

Step 5 - Add the veggies (carrots, cabbage, and bell pepper) and sautée for 3-4 minutes, or until they start to soften.

Step 6 & 7 - Push the veggies to the side of the skillet and pour the whisked eggs into the skillet. Scramble the eggs by stirring them with your spoon. Once cooked, combine with the veggies.

Step 8 - Add the meat back to the skillet, along with the edamame and the cooked rice. Stir the healthy fried rice until well combined. Pour sauce and stir until well combined. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions and cilantro.

Serve immediately with a drizzle of sriracha (if using) or place in containers for later.

Tips for cooking and storing ground turkey:

You can store the ground turkey in its original packaging. However, if you are not cooking it right away and want it to last longer, consider repackaging it in a freezer bag and then place it into a freezer. When storing ground turkey ALWAYS make sure it's wrapped with as little air as possible to avoid bacteria growth.

To cook a turkey perfectly, make sure your skillet is HOT before adding it to the pan. Take the ground turkey out of the package and blot it using a paper towel to dry it fully.

Add your vegetable oil to the skillet. Break the ground turkey meat into chunks and drop them one at a time into the skillet. Sautée over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a spatula or spoon in the same way you would ground beef.

Drain excess fat from the pan by pouring it off or blotting it in the pan with paper towels.

Tips for making Healthy Asian Fried Rice:

• Try to use day-old cooked rice: This healthy fried rice recipe is awesome for repurposing leftover cooked rice from the day before.  Freshly cooked rice doesn't work too well because it is still moist and steamy, and might end up mushy. For perfect fried rice, it should definitely be refrigerated before use.
• When it comes to the type of rice, I feel simple long grain is totally fine, but jasmine is even better.
• Forgot to cook rice the day before? There is a little restaurant trick: Spread a layer of freshly cooked rice onto two large baking sheets and let the rice air out for about 2 hours. The grains of rice will dry out during this process.

Variations on this Turkey Fried Rice recipe:

• You can use white or brown rice but quinoa will also work. If you are on a low carb or keto diet, consider using cauliflower rice.
• If you're short on time, you can use a frozen veggie mix with carrots, bell peppers and peas work perfectly for this dish.
• And if ground turkey isn’t quite your jam, you can substitute ground chicken, pork, beef or tofu.
• Feel free to add a dash of Chinese five-spice, if that's your thing.

How to store leftovers:

This dish stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes very well for about 2 months!

5 from 5 votes

Print

Asian Turkey Fried Rice

Amp up your meal prep routine with this healthy Asian Ground Turkey Fried Rice! A healthy twist on a Chinese take out classic! Leftover cooked rice is mixed with crisp veggies, lean ground turkey, fried eggs and an easy Asian stir-fry sauce! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword fried rice with turkey, ground turkey fried rice, healthy fried rice

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 24 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 506 kcal

Author Marie

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons sesame oil 2 tsp + 2 tsp - You can substitute with coconut oil or olive oil)
• 1 lb ground turkey / 450 grams
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced (or 2 teaspoons ground ginger)
• 2 large carrots shredded (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups white cabbage chopped (about ¼ cabbage, depending on the size)
• 1 bell pepper chopped (any color but red looks great!)
• 4 eggs whisked
• 1 ½ cups edamame shelled
• 3 cups cooked rice you can also use cauliflower rice
• 4 scallions green + white parts, thinly sliced
• fresh cilantro - a large handful roughly chopped
• Sriracha to serve, optional

Sauce

• ½ cup reduced salt soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Instructions

1. Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
2. Have all the ingredients prepped before starting. Then, heat two teaspoons of oil in a very large skillet. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Once cooked, take out of the skillet in a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the remaining two teaspoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), stirring often.
4. Add the veggies (carrots, cabbage, and bell pepper) and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they start to soften.
5. Push the veggies to the side of the skillet, pour the whisked eggs and scramble them (by stirring them with your spoon). Once cooked, combine with the veggies.
6. Add the meat back to the skillet, along with the edamame and the cooked rice. Stir until well combined.
7. Pour sauce and stir until well combined.
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions and cilantro.
9. Serve immediately with a drizzle of sriracha (if using) or place in containers for later.

Recipe Notes

This dish stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes very well for about 2 months!

Nutrition Facts

Asian Turkey Fried Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 506 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 226mg75%

Sodium 1893mg82%

Potassium 1004mg29%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 46g92%

Vitamin A 6445IU129%

Vitamin C 58.9mg71%

Calcium 118mg12%

Iron 4.4mg24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Healthy Fried Rice Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More healthy Asian recipes you will love:

• Asian Slaw with Peanut Ginger Dressing
• Ground Turkey Rice Bowls 
• Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Glazed Chicken Meatballs