Turkish-Spiced Turkey & Rice Bowls with Tahini Drizzle
Ingredients
- 1 poundground turkey
- 1½ cupslong-grain white rice
- 3 cupschicken broth
- 1yellow onion
- 3 clovesgarlic
- 1red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoontomato paste
- 1 teaspooncumin
- ½ teaspoonsmoked paprika
- 2 tablespoonsolive oil
- ·salt and black pepper
- ¼ cuptahini
- 1lemon
- 1cucumber
- ·fresh parsley
Prep
- 01
Dice 1 yellow onion.
- 02
Mince 3 cloves garlic.
- 03
Dice 1 red bell pepper.
- 04
Dice 1 cucumber.
- 05
Juice 1 lemon.
- 06
Chop fresh parsley for garnish.
Method
- 01
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, for 4–5 minutes until no pink remains. Drain excess fat if needed. Transfer to a plate.
- 02
In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 03
Add diced red bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, and smoked paprika; cook for 1 minute.
- 04
Return the turkey to the skillet. Add 1.5 cups rice and stir to coat for 1 minute. Pour in 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- 05
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- 06
While rice cooks, whisk tahini with juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons water, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable.
- 07
Fluff rice with a fork. Divide into bowls. Top with diced cucumber, a drizzle of tahini sauce, and fresh parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
Spice Tips
For warmth, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the spice mix. For deeper smoke, increase smoked paprika to 3/4 teaspoon. A pinch of sumac stirred into the tahini adds bright tartness without extra lemon.
Make-ahead: prep the onion, garlic, and pepper up to 4 hours ahead and store in airtight containers. Tahini sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days; thin with water when ready to serve.