Creamy Korean Turkey Skillet (Print)

One-pan turkey simmered in spicy Korean sauce with rice, creamy texture, and jammy eggs for bold weeknight meals.

# Ingredients:

→ Protein

01 - 1 pound ground turkey

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
05 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
06 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons gochujang
08 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon honey
10 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
12 - 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
13 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut cream

→ Rice & Toppings

14 - 3 cups cooked white rice
15 - 4 large eggs
16 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
17 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

→ Optional

18 - Kimchi for serving

# Directions:

01 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sesame oil, then sauté onion, garlic, and ginger for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
02 - Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes.
03 - Stir in carrots and cook for another 2 minutes.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and broth. Pour sauce into skillet and stir to coat meat and vegetables.
05 - Reduce heat to low, add spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and cooked rice until everything is well combined and creamy. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.
07 - Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Gently add eggs and simmer for 7 minutes for jammy yolks. Transfer eggs to ice water, peel, and halve.
08 - Serve skillet mixture in bowls, topped with halved jammy eggs, green onions, and sesame seeds. Add kimchi on the side if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one skillet, which means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor transfer between components.
  • The jammy egg yolk becomes a natural sauce that ties the whole bowl together beautifully.
  • It tastes indulgent and restaurant-quality, but comes together in under 40 minutes on a regular weeknight.
  • Gochujang gives you that addictive Korean depth without any complicated techniques.
02 -
  • Using fresh, warm rice instead of day-old will turn your finished dish into something closer to rice porridge because the heat and moisture release the starch; I learned this the expensive way with ruined dinner.
  • The eggs finish at the exact same time as the rice if you start boiling them when you add the rice, so timing becomes intuitive after one try.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 2 minutes if you have time, because they become impossibly fragrant and you'll taste the difference.
  • Keep the heat moderate to prevent the cream from breaking and the sauce from separating; this is a simmer situation, never a rolling boil.
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