Spicy Turkey, Green Bean, and Mushroom Stirfry

This ground turkey stirfry is becoming a staple in our house. It's so quick and easy that I can always find time to make it and the taste - it's amazing. Serve it with some healthy fried rice or sesame soy edamame for a delicious meal.

We're all pressed for time — sure, sometimes of the year are busier than others but lately I feel like those busy times seem to come closer and closer together lately. When we have a particularly busy week (or month), I look for the fastest recipes I can find.

Of course, I like them not only fast but also healthy. Contrary to popular opinion you CAN cook fast and healthy without resorting to drive-thrus or pizza delivery.

Case in point: This 20-minute Spicy Turkey, Green Bean, and Mushroom Stir-fry is full of flavor and packed with good-for-you veggies and lean turkey. And with this dish comes plenty of protein, nutritious veggies, and a taste that will leave you wanting to make this dish again and again.

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Remember, you don't have to give up on making a healthy, home-cooked meal just because you're busy. As a bonus, this dish freezes up great so you can even make a double batch and save some for another day. I like to serve it with some brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice (which can now be found in the freezer aisle for faster prep!). There are many ways to have a delicious meal you can feel good about, so let this be a springboard for your culinary imagination!

Side Dishes to Serve with a Turkey and Veggie Stir Fry

As I mentioned, I do like to serve this stir-fry over a grain like white or brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Other sides that would work well include:

• Zucchini or other veggie noodles.
• Add on another roasted veggie to eat as a healthy side.
• A side salad goes well with just about any dish. Keep it simple to go with the quick theme of the meal and add a yummy Asian vinaigrette.
• You could also eat this stir-fry alone in a dish and just add some sprouted-grain bread on the side or a crusty roll.
• Na'an isn't just for Indian food — I love this bread (or pita) with just about any dish.
• Instead of veggies, how about some fresh-cut fruit like pineapple, oranges or cantaloupe?
• Veggie Baked Egg Rolls or Spring Rolls make a yummy side. Don't forget the dipping sauce!

Ideas for Customizing Ground Turkey Stirfry

Some of the ingredients in this dish can be polarizing. (Show of hands for who likes mushrooms? A room always seems to be divided on this one.) Don't worry though, you can change it up easily:

• If you don't like mushrooms, leave them out or swap them for another veggie, like broccoli, corn or water chestnuts.
• That being said, feel free to add all the veggies to this dish — the more, the merrier!
• You can easily swap out the ground turkey and instead use ground beef, chicken, or pork.
• If you don't like spicy food, you can skip the chili paste or leave it on the side.
• If you'd like to make this vegetarian, swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth and instead of using ground meat, try tofu, a vegetarian meat product, or seitan.
• If you don't like ground meat, you can also use thinly sliced chicken or beef as well. Shrimp will work too, just remember it cooks faster.

What Kind of Sauce Do Put in a Stir Fry?

Stir-fries are kind of a nebulous dish. They can mean a lot of things and carry a lot of different ingredients. That being said, to stir-fry means to cook (fry) meat, fish, or veggies over high heat while stirring constantly.

So you can pretty much do this with a million different protein/veggie/sauce combinations, which is great for cooks like me who get bored with the same old meal over and over again. You might even want to try challenging yourself to see how many different combos you can come up with over the course of, say, six months.

Since there is really no set recipe for one kind of stir-fry, it would stand to reason that there's also not really one set sauce for a stir-fry. Typically though, a lot of sauces start with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, broth, rice vinegar and some kind of chilis or chili sauce if you like it spicy.

For a sweeter sauce, you can add in pineapple or orange juice or honey instead of broth (you can even add pieces of the fruit to the dish as well). If you like ginger, heavy up on the root. Same goes for garlic, chilis, cilantro, oils, or even crushed peanuts or cashews. Stir-fries are really just a basic base to which you add your favorite flavorings and ingredients.

Here’s a basic stir fry sauce recipe:

• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (more if you are cooking lots of veggies)
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. Asian garlic chili paste (adjust to taste, this will be spicy)
• 2 tsp. ginger, minced
• 1 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
• 2 tsp cornstarch (or arrowroot for low carb, Whole30, Paleo)
• Directions: Mix together all of the ingredients above. When your stirfry ingredients are just about cooked, add the sauce and let thicken. This is enough sauce for about 6 cups of veggies/protein. 

Can I use 99% lean ground turkey?

Absolutely! If you want to lighten this dish up even more, you can use 99% lean ground turkey or chicken.