This ground turkey and rice skillet is the kind of dinner that feels a little special without being complicated. The ground turkey and rice cook together with warm spices, garlic, and tomato paste, giving everything tons of flavor. Then you pile on a fresh, tangy sumac-cucumber salad and a spoonful of lemony yogurt. The combination is so good. Warm and savory from the skillet, cool and crisp from the salad, with just enough brightness from the yogurt to bring it all together.
And the best part? Most of the meal comes together in one skillet, so cleanup is pretty easy too.
Ingredients
Ground Turkey and Rice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dry long-grain white rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati, rinsed
- 2½ cups lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Sumac-Cucumber Salad
- ½ cup shaved or very thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ground sumac
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Lemony Yogurt
- ½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics
First, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften. Next, stir in the garlic, tomato paste, turmeric, paprika, coriander, and black pepper. Cook everything together for another 2 minutes, just until the garlic and spices become fragrant. Your kitchen should already be smelling pretty good at this point!
Step 2: Brown the Turkey
Add the turkey to the skillet and season it with kosher salt. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, breaking the meat apart with a spatula or wooden spoon as it cooks. Keep stirring and breaking up the turkey until it’s nicely browned and cooked all the way through.
Step 3: Add the Rice
Once the turkey is cooked, stir in the rinsed rice and then give everything a good stir, making sure the rice gets coated in the flavorful spices. Let it cook for about 1 minute. This quick step gives the rice a chance to toast slightly and adds another layer of flavor.
Step 4: Simmer Everything Together
Next, pour in the broth and give everything another good stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Let the mixture to simmer gently for about 25 minutes, until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Step 5: Start the Sumac-Cucumber Salad
While the turkey and rice simmer, place the sliced red onion in a medium bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, sumac, and kosher salt, then toss everything together so the onions are evenly coated. Let the onions sit for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour if you’d like to make them ahead of time. Give them a quick toss every so often.
Step 6: Make the Lemony Yogurt
While the onions are doing their thing, make the yogurt sauce. Grab a small bowl and stir together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and grated garlic. Mix until smooth, then set it aside. It’s quick, creamy, and adds a nice bright contrast to the seasoned turkey and rice.
Step 7: Finish the Salad
Just before the turkey and rice are finished cooking, add the cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and olive oil to the bowl with the pickled onions. Toss everything together until the vegetables and herbs are evenly mixed.
Step 8: Assemble the Bowls
Once the rice is tender and everything is ready, it’s time to put your bowls together. Spoon the warm turkey and rice into bowls. Then, add a generous spoonful of the sumac-cucumber salad and a dollop of the lemony yogurt on top.
Step 9: Add the Finishing Touches
Finally, sprinkle everything with a little extra cracked black pepper and some fresh herbs if you’d like. Then dig in!
You’ve got warm, spiced turkey and fluffy rice paired with crisp, refreshing cucumber salad and creamy lemony yogurt. Every bite brings something a little different, making this a fresh, hearty, and seriously flavorful way to turn simple ground turkey into something special.
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