Spicy Turkey Stir-Fry With Crisp Garlic and Ginger
Published May 14, 2019
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or grapeseed
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (2-inch) knob ginger, cut into matchsticks
Fine sea salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil or more neutral oil
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat (or use ground pork)
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon soy sauce, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon sugar or honey (optional)
Cooked sticky or white rice, for serving
⅔ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
⅓ cup torn basil leaves (or use more cilantro), for serving
1 fresh bird’s-eye or serrano chile, thinly sliced, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
26 grams carbs; 71 milligrams cholesterol; 352 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 484 milligrams sodium; 28 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a cold 12-inch skillet, combine oil, garlic and ginger. Place over medium heat until sizzling, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, until garlic and ginger are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Step 2
Add coconut oil to pan, then stir in scallion whites and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in red-pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
- Step 3
Stir in turkey, raise heat to medium-high, and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Don’t stir the meat too much, so it can turn deep brown.
- Step 4
Remove pan from heat and stir in lime juice, fish sauce and soy sauce. Taste and add more lime juice, red-pepper flakes, soy sauce and sugar or honey if you like.
- Step 5
Gently mix about two-thirds of the fried garlic and ginger into the turkey. Serve turkey over rice, topped with cilantro, basil, scallion greens and fresh chile, and garnished with remaining fried ginger and garlic.
Private Notes
Comments
Great! Doubled the scallions, used about 1/4 cup soy sauce, added a teaspoon of rice vinegar, and left out the honey. (I prefer savory to sweet). Next time, I will add sugar snap peas for crunch. I cooked the turkey first, then added the scallions, garlic, and ginger. I'd rather not have to scoop out food only to add it back later. This worked just fine.
I'm not a fan of the fish sauce. Is there something else that I could substitute that's not fishy?
I’ve made several larb recipes, and I like this one the best. Browning the meat and the inclusion of ginger make it wonderful. To avoid confusion with other recipes, I’ve taken to calling this one “Melissa Clarb.” I hope you will too.
After making this flexible and delicious recipe dozens of times, I’ve found my favorite adaptation is to add zucchini with the ginger and garlic, and brown the turkey separately before adding to the zucchini/garlic/ginger mixture. I sometimes even add Chinese 5 spice to the turkey meat which adds some extra dimension. I also throw in some sliced jalepenos or other spicy pepper in at the end, which adds spice and crunch. I really recommend trying the recipe as written (delicious!!) and then experimenting with added veggies etc. Delicious!!
Wow! This recipe was delicious and easy. I doubled the sauce and added two small zucchinis at the end to the crisped ground turkey. Nice one dish meal. Next time I will opt for green beans and serve on a bed of greens.
Been making this one since last November. Comes out perfect every time. I keep it as is except I add green beans and mushrooms sometimes. There’s a massive difference in flavor when I use my colatura di alici which is Sicilian fermented anchovy sauce, basically a very refined and powerful fish sauce.
Followed suggestions and doubled the sauce, but it still wasn't at all saucy so next time will add a bit of hoisin. These were great with all of the toppings (garlic, ginger, Thai chili) just sauteed with the turkey and served in lettuce cups, sprinkled with some minced salted peanuts, scallion greens and a bit of slivered mint. Will happily make again.