Sweet and Sour Turkey Rice Skillet (Print Version)

A vibrant one-pan skillet with tender ground turkey in Korean-inspired sweet-and-sour sauce, featuring juicy pineapple chunks and colorful bell peppers over fluffy rice.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat & Protein

01 - 1 lb ground turkey
02 - 2 eggs, optional for topping

→ Vegetables & Fruit

03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned and drained
08 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

→ Pantry

09 - 2 cups cooked white rice, preferably day-old
10 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
11 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
13 - 2 tablespoons ketchup
14 - 1 tablespoon gochujang, Korean chili paste, adjust to taste
15 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
17 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
18 - 1/4 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
19 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until no longer pink, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
02 - Add remaining oil to the same skillet. Sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes.
03 - Add the diced red and green bell peppers to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender-crisp.
04 - Return the cooked turkey to the skillet. Add the pineapple chunks and stir to combine all ingredients.
05 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, gochujang, brown sugar, and sesame oil until well combined. Pour the sauce into the skillet and toss everything to coat evenly.
06 - Add the cooked rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps with a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix well and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the rice to heat through and absorb the sauce flavors.
07 - Taste the mixture and adjust salt, pepper, or gochujang as needed to achieve desired flavor balance.
08 - In a separate nonstick pan, fry eggs sunny-side up if desired. Serve one egg over each portion.
09 - Divide the skillet mixture among serving bowls or plates. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can pull off a restaurant-quality dinner on a completely ordinary weeknight.
  • One pan means one cleanup, and the sweet-and-sour sauce coats everything so you actually want to eat every grain of rice.
  • The gochujang gives it a gentle heat and umami depth that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
02 -
  • Day-old rice is genuinely non-negotiable here—fresh hot rice will absorb the sauce too quickly and turn slightly gummy, while cold rice separates and stays fluffy even after mixing.
  • Don't skimp on the gochujang or think you can replace it with sriracha; gochujang has a fermented depth that sriracha doesn't have, and it's what makes this dish taste complete rather than just spicy.
03 -
  • Use a wok instead of a skillet if you have one—the curved sides make it easier to keep everything moving and prevent any rice from sticking to the bottom.
  • If your pineapple is canned, drain it well and pat the chunks dry with a paper towel so you're not adding extra liquid that will make the rice soggy.
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