A fragrant, slightly spicy Thai green curry of tender ground turkey simmered in creamy coconut milk with crisp vegetables, bright lime, and fresh Thai basil. Silky texture with aromatic herb notes and a balanced sweet-salty-spicy finish.
Weeknight Green Curry That Comes Together Fast
A fragrant, dairy-free green curry built on ground turkey and creamy coconut milk—ready in about 35 minutes and perfect over rice or noodles.
This is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels special without a lot of fuss. Ground turkey keeps the curry lean and quick to cook, while canned full‑fat coconut milk gives the sauce a silky, rich mouthfeel that dresses the vegetables and meat beautifully. A spoonful of green curry paste does the heavy lifting for aroma and heat, so pantry staples turn into something aromatic and bright in minutes.
The technique is intentionally simple: soften onions, brown the turkey, fry the curry paste briefly to wake up the herbs and spices, then stir in coconut milk so everything becomes lusciously smooth. Crisp vegetables—bell pepper, zucchini, and snap peas—are added late so they stay tender-crisp and keep the dish lively. Finish with lime juice and a handful of Thai basil for that fresh, herbaceous pop that makes Southeast Asian curries sing.
Small tricks that matter: grate the ginger and mince the garlic for even distribution, and fry the curry paste on its own side of the pan for 30–45 seconds to deepen the flavor before mixing it with the meat. Balance heat and salt with fish sauce and a touch of brown sugar; adjust the curry paste amount to suit your spice tolerance. Prep is about 15 minutes, cook time about 20—ideal for hurried evenings.
Leftovers are forgiving—the flavors deepen overnight—so this is great for making ahead or scaling up for guests. Serve over jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or wide rice noodles; garnish with extra basil, lime wedges, and sliced chilies if you like it bright and spicy. It’s an easy, dairy‑free dinner that delivers silky texture, fragrant herbs, and a satisfying sweet‑salty‑spicy finish.
Ingredients
How to Make Thai Green Curry Turkey
- Thinly slice the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini; mince the garlic and grate the ginger; reserve the lime for juice and wedges.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 5–6 minutes.
- Push the turkey to one side, add the green curry paste to the empty side of the pan and fry for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, then stir into the turkey.
- Pour in the coconut milk, stir to combine, then add fish sauce, brown sugar and grated ginger; bring to a gentle simmer and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the bell pepper, zucchini and snap peas to the simmering curry and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4–6 minutes; season with 1/4 tsp salt.
- Squeeze the lime (about 2 tablespoons) into the curry, stir in most of the Thai basil leaves, taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or a pinch of sugar if needed.
- Remove from heat and let sit 2 minutes to thicken slightly; garnish with remaining basil leaves and serve hot with lime wedges.
Recipe Card
Thai Green Curry Turkey
A fragrant, slightly spicy Thai green curry of tender ground turkey simmered in creamy coconut milk with crisp vegetables, bright lime, and fresh Thai basil. Silky texture with aromatic herb notes and a balanced sweet-salty-spicy finish.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini; mince the garlic and grate the ginger; reserve the lime for juice and wedges.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 5–6 minutes.
- Push the turkey to one side, add the green curry paste to the empty side of the pan and fry for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, then stir into the turkey.
- Pour in the coconut milk, stir to combine, then add fish sauce, brown sugar and grated ginger; bring to a gentle simmer and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the bell pepper, zucchini and snap peas to the simmering curry and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4–6 minutes; season with 1/4 tsp salt.
- Squeeze the lime (about 2 tablespoons) into the curry, stir in most of the Thai basil leaves, taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or a pinch of sugar if needed.
- Remove from heat and let sit 2 minutes to thicken slightly; garnish with remaining basil leaves and serve hot with lime wedges.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 13
- Saturated Fat
- 13
- Sodium
- 750
- Fiber
- 3
- Unsaturated Fat
- 16
- Protein
- 28
- Fat
- 29
- Cholesterol
- 80
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 445
- Sugar
- 4