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Dinners
Teriyaki Turkey Skillet
Nostalgic, healthy, easy, and fast? I thought they said the perfect dinner doesn’t exi—
Chicken teriyaki is such a nostalgic flavor for me, so I had to make my very own version for my 30-minute high-protein Trader Joe’s meals series for which all the ingredients can be found at Trader Joe’s. This Teriyaki Turkey Skillet is the perfect, easy dinner that I make when I want something comforting, but still light and easy. Plus, this one is packed with veggies with minimal prep. Thank you, freezer section!
One-skillet meals made with ground meat, veggies, rice, and sauce (homemade or store-bought) have become staple dinners for me, especially as a new mom with almost no free time to prep elaborate meals. Having fewer dishes to clean is always a huge win.
Watch Me Make a Teriyaki Turkey Skillet
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make a Teriyaki Turkey Skillet
Health Benefits
Storing and Reheating
Teriyaki Turkey Skillet Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground Turkey
Ground turkey is a quick, easy, and mild protein for 30-minute skillet meals like this one. I use 93% lean. You could always substitute another ground meat like chicken, pork, or beef if you prefer. Vegetarians can omit the meat altogether for a simple rice and veggie skillet, or substitute with grated or cubed tofu.
Broccoli
I love using broccoli in a turkey skillet (like this one with cheddar), but you could also use bell peppers, green beans, snow peas, or sugar snap peas.
Frozen Vegetables
Not every Trader Joe’s has the same frozen vegetable medley, but you should be able to find some kind of medley in the freezer aisle. If not, you can use frozen peas and/or carrots and make your own medley that way!
Brown Rice
The precooked brown rice packets from Trader Joe’s are serious time-savers that also cut down on the dishes. If you want to make your own rice instead, simply add 1 ½ cups of cooked rice to the skillet at the same time that you would add the frozen Trader Joe’s rice packet.
Water or Broth
I use water in this recipe, but you could definitely add more flavor by adding vegetable or chicken broth instead. You may need to adjust the amount of water depending on whether or not you used the frozen rice packet or your own cooked rice because the water content might vary.
Garlic, Onion, and Ginger
To reduce prep time, the garlic, onion, and ginger could be blitzed briefly in a food processor instead of chopped and grated by hand.
Toppings: Green onion and sesame seeds
I keep it simple with green onion and sesame seeds for my toppings, but you could also add cashews or peanuts if you want a little extra crunch!
Teriyaki Sauce
Trader Joe’s has a really good pre-made teriyaki sauce called Soyaki that I often use when I know I won’t have time to make my own sauce. But for when I do want to make my own sauce, the flavor, texture, and lack of preservatives and stabilizers are well worth it.
- Soy sauce: I recommend using a reduced-sodium soy sauce so your whole dish doesn’t get over salted. For a gluten-free option, use tamari.
- Brown or coconut sugar: The added sweetness is a must to balance out all the flavors, but you can adjust the amounts to suit your tastes. You could also use honey or maple syrup if you don’t have brown sugar or coconut sugar, but note that they’ll add a slightly different flavor.
- Rice wine vinegar: It adds a delicious acidity to the sauce. You could use white wine vinegar or even lime juice instead. You may need to adjust the amount of lime juice to give it the right level of acidity.
- Sriracha: Sriracha is optional, but I like adding a little heat to my homemade teriyaki sauce. Add as much or as little as you want. You could use any other hot sauce you prefer or sprinkle in some red pepper flakes. Leave it out if you don’t like any spice.
- Ginger and garlic: Save time by mincing the ginger and garlic in a food processor first. You could use garlic powder and ground ginger instead, or use Trader Joe’s frozen garlic and ginger cubes!
- Tapioca flour or corn starch: Tapioca flour and corn starch can be used interchangeably. They are used to thicken the sauce and give it that craveable sticky consistency.
How to Make a Teriyaki Turkey Skillet
First, make the teriyaki sauce if using homemade. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, 1/3 cup water, sugar, vinegar, sriracha, ginger and garlic. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the tapioca flour (or corn starch) and ¼ cup water until fully combined. Once the soy sauce mixture starts to simmer, whisk in the tapioca flour-water mixture. Let it simmer and thicken for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened.
Step 2
Add the turkey and break it up with a meat masher or wooden spoon until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
Step 3
Add the chopped broccoli, frozen vegetable medley, frozen rice, and water, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about a minute, then reduce the heat to low and cover for about 8 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
Step 4
Increase the heat back to medium and stir in 3/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce. Add more sauce as needed. Serve in shallow bowls with green onion and sesame seeds on top.
Health Benefits
Ground Turkey
Turkey is a great source of lean protein. I recommend using 93% lean (7% fat) because it provides a good balance of moisture and flavor. Anything leaner will reduce the saturated fat in the dish, but may dry out faster. Use a little more broth or water if you choose a leaner meat. Anything fattier than 93% usually uses more dark meat and has more flavor and moisture, so dial back the broth or water slightly if you go for a fattier kind.
Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support everything from your immune system and your heart to your skin and brain. Broccoli also has a good amount of fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and make you feel more satiated.
Veggies
Some people scoff at using frozen veggies but I say if it makes it easier for you to eat them, then I’m all for it. It’s so easy to just add a few cups of frozen, pre-cut veggies into a meal like this turkey skillet and that ease helps you get all the nutritional benefits from whatever is in the medley.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is a whole grain, meaning the outer layer is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals that haven’t been stripped away like with white rice. Whole grains promote digestive health and manage blood sugar better than refined grains while also keeping you feeling fuller for longer.
Storing and Reheating
Let the skillet cool for 10 minutes, then refrigerate in an airtight container. It should keep for 3-5 days.
To reheat, transfer your portion to a warm skillet with a splash of water. Cover and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. You can also microwave it with a splash of water instead.
