Sweet and Sour Turkey Rice Skillet (Print Version)

Vibrant one-pan skillet with Korean-spiced turkey, pineapple, peppers, and fluffy rice in tangy sweet-and-sour sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 1 pound ground turkey

→ Vegetables and Fruit

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
04 - 1 green bell pepper, chopped
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks, drained
07 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Rice and Pantry

08 - 2 cups cooked jasmine or long-grain rice, preferably day-old
09 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 - 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon gochujang
12 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
13 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
14 - 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
15 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
16 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, breaking it apart with a spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
02 - Add diced onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
03 - Stir in pineapple chunks and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, gochujang, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and sesame oil until well combined.
05 - Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients with the sauce mixture.
06 - Fold in cooked rice, breaking up any clumps, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until rice is heated through and flavors are fully integrated.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying your meal instead of scrubbing dishes.
  • The sweet-sour-savory balance hits differently than standard stir-fries, thanks to that gochujang-and-pineapple combo that feels both comforting and surprising.
  • Ground turkey keeps it lighter than beef, but the sauce makes it taste rich and deeply flavorful.
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights when you're tired but hungry for something that tastes like you tried.
02 -
  • Cold or room-temperature rice is essential—warm, freshly cooked rice will turn into a mushy mess when it hits that sauce, and you'll end up with gluey rather than fluffy skillet rice.
  • Don't skimp on the browning step for the turkey, because that's where most of your flavor comes from. A properly browned surface tastes infinitely better than gray meat.
  • The gochujang and soy sauce are salty, so taste your final dish before adding more seasoning—the sauce already does most of the work.
03 -
  • If you're cooking for more people or want extra servings, this recipe doubles beautifully without any adjustments—just use a bigger skillet or work in batches.
  • Keep a small spoon for tasting as you go, because the sauce concentrates slightly as the rice absorbs it, and you might want to add a splash of soy sauce or vinegar near the end to keep everything balanced.
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