Creamy Korean Turkey Rice Skillet (Print Version)

One-pan Korean turkey with gochujang sauce, rice, and jammy eggs. Sweet, spicy, and ready in 40 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Protein & Eggs

01 - 1 lb ground turkey
02 - 4 large eggs

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 1 small onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 inch piece ginger, minced
06 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
07 - 1 cup baby spinach

→ Sauce

08 - 2 tablespoons gochujang
09 - 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon honey
11 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
12 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
13 - 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
14 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut cream, optional

→ Rice

15 - 3 cups cooked short-grain rice, preferably day-old

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
17 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
18 - Kimchi, optional for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Carefully add eggs and simmer for 7 minutes to achieve jammy yolks. Transfer eggs to an ice bath, then peel and set aside.
02 - Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; sauté until softened, approximately 3 minutes.
03 - Add ground turkey to the skillet. Cook while breaking apart with a spatula until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Stir in julienned carrot and cook for 2 minutes.
05 - Lower heat to medium. Add gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and broth. Stir to coat turkey evenly and bring to a simmer.
06 - Add heavy cream if using and baby spinach. Cook until spinach wilts, approximately 1 minute.
07 - Fold in cooked rice, mixing thoroughly until rice is hot and well incorporated with the sauce.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
09 - Slice jammy eggs in half. Serve rice skillet in bowls, topping each with a halved egg, scallions, sesame seeds, and kimchi if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, so cleanup is painless and you can eat sooner.
  • The gochujang sauce clings to every grain of rice and bite of turkey with just the right balance of sweet and spicy.
  • Jammy eggs add richness and turn a simple weeknight dinner into something that feels a little special.
  • It uses pantry staples and day-old rice, so nothing goes to waste.
02 -
  • Day-old rice is key because fresh rice turns mushy when you fold it into the sauce.
  • Don't skip the ice bath for the eggs or the yolks will overcook and turn chalky instead of creamy.
  • Taste the gochujang before you add it since brands vary wildly in heat level.
  • If the skillet looks dry after adding the rice, splash in a little more broth to loosen everything up.
03 -
  • Use a wide skillet so the turkey browns instead of steaming, which gives the dish more depth.
  • Let the gochujang sauce simmer for a minute before adding the rice so the flavors marry and thicken slightly.
  • If you don't have day-old rice, spread fresh rice on a baking sheet and refrigerate it for 20 minutes to firm it up.
  • Top with a fried egg instead of jammy if you want crispy edges and runny yolk drama.
Go Back