This Thai-style ground turkey with green beans is so flavorful and so quick to make. It’s a really simple and tasty weeknight dinner.
I love simple, flavorful dinners, and this has become a family favorite! PS: It’s also great for making leftovers for lunch.
This recipe is as simple as:
- brown the ground turkey or chicken
- add the sauce and green beans
- cook for a few minutes until the beans are crisp-tender
- stir in the basil
- serve and devour
It’s tasty served with rice and flatbread or naan, but it’s extremely delicious served without carbs (I never thought I’d say that, as I love carbs).
If serving with rice, start cooking the rice before you begin this recipe. This meal comes together so quickly that you’ll easily be waiting for the rice to finish cooking if you don’t start with the end in mind.
The flavor is in the sauce.
This Thai-style ground turkey and green bean sauce is packed with flavor.A hint of sweetness, a hint of salt, and a hint of spice.
- Oyster sauce or hoisin
- Broth
- Soy sauce
- Garlic and chili sauce
- A little brown sugar
The spiciness level can be moderated quite a bit by the amount of chili garlic sauce you add. As written, it’s a bit spicy, so add more or less chili garlic sauce depending on how spicy you like it.
Thai Basil vs Sweet Basil
If you can find Thai basil, it’s exceptional in this case. (I tend to grow it in my minimalist garden every year, just for recipes like this one.) It adds distinctive earthy, anise-flavored notes that perfectly complement the simple ground beef and green beans.
Thai basil can be substituted for regular sweet basil (like the kind used in pesto or Italian dishes). The flavor will be a little different—less peppery and more herbaceous and spicy—but equally delicious.
Either way, fresh basil really elevates this dish to something special.
The finished dish is not very spicy, but wow, this sauce sure packs a punch. I think more sauce can easily overpower the other ingredients (and make everything too salty) but if you want more you can try doubling the sauce.
We have been eating this food again and again. And I’m hoarding leftovers, I’m not going to lie about it. Excellent lunch.
I’m not sure why everyone insists that they still need to eat dinner in the summer months when it’s a million degrees and dinnertime is weird and I’m not into dinner. Want a break from everything related (note that I still want to eat dinner. However, I’d rather not make dinner..
Thank God for such food. It ticks all the boxes: quick, easy, healthy and delicious. And since it’s on the table in 30 minutes and requires very little brain power, my will to survive can last until it’s time for the next dinner.
20-Minute Thai-Style Ground Turkey and Green Beans Meal
Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup oyster sauce or hoisin
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground turkey or ground chicken
- Cut and trim 12 to 16 ounces of fresh green beans into 1-inch chunks.
- ½ cup fresh Thai or sweet basil, chopped or finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster or hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and garlic-chili sauce in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the ground turkey with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, cutting the meat into bite-sized pieces, until no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Off the heat, drain off any excess fat.
- Return the skillet to medium heat. Whisk the sauce to recombine and add to the skillet. Stir the meat and sauce together briefly.
- Add the green beans. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the beans are crisp-tender (add more time for more tender green beans).
- Add the basil. Stir everything well so the sauce rises from the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately. It is delicious alone or served over hot cooked rice with flatbread or naan.
Note:
Rice: If you are serving it with rice, start cooking it before starting the recipe.
Chutney: The finished dish doesn’t have much chutney, but the chutney definitely adds a lot of flavor. If you add more sauce, it can easily overpower the flavor of the other ingredients (and make everything too salty), but you can try doubling the sauce if you want more. are
