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These spicy ground turkey noodles have about 36 g of protein per serving and take 35 minutes from first chop to table. The protein comes from ground turkey, spaghetti and a little peanut butter, not powder, so it tastes like the real thing.
The recipe makes 4 bowls of about 350 g each. You brown 570 g of 93% lean turkey in a skillet, then toss it with spaghetti, red peppers and a sauce of gochujang, soy sauce and peanut butter.
The heat is medium. My two kids don’t care about macros, but they’ll eat it when I leave the chili flakes out and put them on the table for the adults.
The trade-off is sodium, about 850 mg per serving, mostly from the soy sauce and gochujang. Low-sodium soy sauce keeps it from climbing higher.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 36 g protein per bowl from turkey and pasta
- Everything cooks in one pot and one skillet
- Sauce comes together from pantry staples in 2 minutes
- Reheats in a skillet for weekday lunches
Ingredient Notes
- 93% lean ground turkey: Buy 93% lean. 99% lean turns dry and chalky, and 85% leaves extra fat in the pan. Ground chicken swaps in at the same weight.
- Gochujang: Brands vary in heat and sweetness, so taste yours first. If you only have sriracha, use 1 tbsp and add 1 extra tsp of brown sugar.
- Creamy peanut butter: Use a smooth, no-stir style, or stir a natural jar well before measuring. Sunflower seed butter works at the same amount if you need to avoid peanuts.
- Spaghetti: Any wheat noodle works, including linguine or lo mein. Weigh it dry, because the 225 g sets the protein count.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: Regular soy sauce works but pushes sodium up. Use tamari if you need the dish gluten free.
Spicy Ground Turkey Noodles with Peanut-Gochujang Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Fill a 5-quart / 4.7 L pot two-thirds full of water, add the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. While it heats, dice the peppers, slice the scallions, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and whisk the soy sauce, gochujang, peanut butter, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and pepper flakes in a small bowl until smooth. Add 1 to 2 tbsp warm water if the peanut butter is stiff.
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and set a timer for 1 minute less than the package says, usually 8 to 9 minutes. Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup / 240 ml of the cooking water. Drain, return the noodles to the empty pot, and cover to keep warm.
- While the noodles cook, heat the oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch high-sided skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes until it shimmers. Add all the turkey, press it into one flat layer, and leave it alone for 3 minutes until the underside is deeply browned. Break it into crumbles only after that, because turkey stirred too early steams, turns grey and dries out. Cook 5 to 6 more minutes until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 165 F / 74 C.
- Push the turkey to the sides of the skillet. Add the peppers, scallion whites, garlic and ginger, and stir for 2 minutes until the peppers brighten and soften slightly and the garlic smells fragrant.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet with 1/2 cup / 120 ml of the reserved noodle water. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it coats the back of a spoon. Add the noodles and toss with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes, adding more noodle water 2 tbsp at a time until the sauce is glossy and clings to every strand.
- Take the skillet off the heat and stir in half of the scallion greens. Serve right away in wide bowls with the remaining greens and a lime wedge.
Notes
- Use 93% lean turkey. 99% lean turns dry and 85% leaves a pool of fat.
- Salt the pasta water, but taste the finished sauce before adding any more salt.
- Heat level is medium. Cut the gochujang to 1 tbsp for a mild version.
- Weigh the dry spaghetti. 225 g is what gets each bowl to about 36 g protein.
Tips for Success
- Cook the spaghetti 1 minute short of the package time, since it finishes in the sauce and keeps its bite.
- Scoop out 1 cup / 240 ml of noodle water before draining. Its starch loosens the peanut sauce and helps it cling.
- Whisk the sauce in a bowl first, adding 1 to 2 tbsp warm water if the peanut butter is stiff, so it blends without lumps.
- Check the turkey with an instant-read thermometer in the center of a thick clump for 165 F / 74 C before adding vegetables.
- Slice the scallion whites and greens separately, cook the whites with the garlic, and add the greens raw at the end.
Variations
- Stir in 2 cups / 140 g shredded green cabbage with the peppers for extra crunch and volume without changing the sauce.
- Finish with 1 tbsp chili crisp and 1 tsp lime juice for more heat and a sharper edge.
- Top each bowl with a fried egg, which adds about 6 g more protein per serving.
Storage and Reheating
Spicy ground turkey noodles keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Cool them within 2 hours of cooking. The noodles drink up sauce overnight, so the dish looks drier the next day.
Reheat in a 30 cm / 12-inch skillet over medium heat with 2 to 3 tbsp water for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until steaming hot throughout. In the microwave, cover and heat for 90 seconds, stir, then heat 30 to 60 seconds more.
Freezing works for the turkey and sauce, not the noodles, which turn soft. If you plan to freeze, scoop some turkey and sauce into a container before tossing in the spaghetti. It keeps up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and toss with freshly boiled noodles.
Serving Suggestions
Spicy ground turkey noodles are best served straight from the skillet in wide bowls, topped with the scallion greens and a lime wedge. The lime cuts through the peanut butter and softens the heat.
For something crisp on the side, make a quick cucumber salad with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Steamed broccoli works too, and 1/2 cup / 80 g shelled edamame adds about 9 g of protein.
Put chili flakes, chili crisp or sriracha on the table so each person sets their own heat.
FAQ
How do I know when the ground turkey is done in spicy ground turkey noodles?
The turkey is done when no pink remains and an instant-read thermometer reads 165 F / 74 C in the thickest clump. It should look browned in spots, not grey. Pressing the meat flat for the first 3 minutes gives it that color before you break it up.
Can I use ground chicken or beef instead of ground turkey in these noodles?
Ground chicken swaps in at the same weight with about the same protein and cooking time. 85% lean ground beef works too, but it releases more fat, so spoon off all but 1 tablespoon before adding the vegetables. Expect roughly 80 to 100 more calories per serving with beef.
Can I freeze spicy ground turkey noodles?
Freeze the turkey, peppers and sauce, but not the noodles. Spaghetti turns soft and watery after thawing. Portion the turkey mixture into containers before tossing in the noodles, keep it up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then simmer it and toss with freshly boiled spaghetti.
What goes well with spicy ground turkey noodles if I want something crunchy?
A quick cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar cuts the heat and adds crunch. Steamed broccoli or 1/2 cup / 80 g shelled edamame also works, and the edamame adds about 9 g of protein. Serve either on the side, not stirred into the pan.
How do I make spicy ground turkey noodles gluten free?
Use tamari instead of soy sauce, a gluten-free spaghetti, and check the gochujang label, since many brands contain wheat. Brown rice pasta has less protein than wheat spaghetti, which lowers the total by about 3 g per serving. Chickpea pasta keeps the protein close to the original.
How do I make spicy ground turkey noodles milder for kids?
Cut the gochujang to 1 tablespoon and skip the red pepper flakes. Add 1 extra tablespoon of peanut butter so the sauce still coats the noodles, and leave chili flakes or sriracha on the table for the adults. The protein per serving stays about the same.
