Lemongrass Ginger Turkey
intro
Fragrant, zesty lemongrass and warm ginger coat juicy seared turkey, balanced with bright lime and umami fish sauce for a fast, flavorful weeknight main.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep Lemongrass Aromatics
Place the large maple cutting board in the center of the work area. Trim the dry root end and top woody 1/3 of each lemongrass stalk, peel off 2-3 tough, papery outer layers, then finely mince the tender pale lower stalk using the 8-inch chef knife. Peel the ginger knob, grate it finely using the microplane zester, mince the garlic cloves, and transfer all three prepped aromatics to the small stainless steel prep bowl. The finished aromatic mixture should smell bright, citrusy, and sharp.
Mix Marinade Base
In the medium stainless steel mixing bowl, combine the minced lemongrass, grated ginger, minced garlic, fish sauce, light brown sugar, low-sodium soy sauce, fresh lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Whisk with a fork for 30 seconds until the brown sugar fully dissolves, with no gritty granules left at the bottom of the bowl. The marinade will be a pale golden-brown, dotted with pale flecks of lemongrass, and smell balanced between salty, sweet, tart, and aromatic.
Marinate Turkey Medallions
Pat the turkey thigh medallions completely dry with paper towels, then add them to the mixing bowl with the marinade. Toss to coat every piece fully, then let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to absorb flavor. Do not marinate for longer than 15 minutes at room temperature, as the citric acid from the lime juice will start to break down the surface of the turkey, leading to mushy texture.
Heat Skillet to Sear
Place the 12-inch matte black carbon steel skillet on the gas burner set into the right side of the counter, turn heat to medium-high, add 1 tablespoon canola oil, and heat for 3 minutes until the oil shimmers across the pan surface and sends up thin, wispy trails of heat. Do not let the oil smoke heavily, as this will burn the aromatics in the marinade before the turkey cooks through.
Sear Turkey Medallions
Use the long beech wood turner to lift the turkey pieces from the marinade, letting excess marinade drip back into the bowl, then place them in the hot skillet in a single layer, leaving 2cm of space between each piece. Do not crowd the pan—cook in two equal batches if needed to avoid steaming the meat instead of searing. Sear for 4 minutes on the first side, undisturbed, until a deep golden-brown crust forms across the entire contact surface.
Flip and Cook Through
Use the beech wood turner to flip each turkey medallion to the second side. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 74C (165F) when checked with the instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest piece. As the turkey cooks on the second side, pour the remaining reserved marinade into the skillet, letting it bubble and reduce for 2 minutes into a thick, glossy sauce that coats every piece of turkey.
Rest and Plate Dish
Turn off the stovetop heat, use the beech wood turner to transfer the cooked turkey medallions to the clean off-white ceramic dinner plate, and let rest for 3 minutes at room temperature to allow juices to redistribute. Spoon any remaining glossy pan sauce from the skillet over the top of the turkey pieces, scraping up any caramelized bits of lemongrass and ginger from the pan bottom for extra flavor.
Garnish and Serve
Sprinkle the chopped fresh cilantro evenly over the sauced turkey, arrange one thin lime twist on the plate for garnish, and serve immediately while hot. When sliced, the turkey should have a pale, juicy opaque interior with no pink remaining, coated in the fragrant, glossy sauce.
Tips
2.Only mince the tender pale bottom 4 inches of each lemongrass stalk: the woody upper green sections are tough and fibrous, and will leave unpleasantly chewy bits in the finished dish if used.
3.Let the cooked turkey rest for 3 full minutes before slicing or serving: this allows the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb juices, ensuring every bite is moist instead of having juices run across the plate when cut.
OMG this was SO good! I threw this together on a weeknight when I forgot to defrost anything else, used ground turkey I had in the freezer, and my whole family devoured it. The lemongrass and ginger combo is such a game changer, way better than the boring taco turkey I usually make. 20 minute cook time is no joke, I had it on the table before my kids even finished complaining about homework.
Made this for my weekend potluck yesterday and people were begging for the recipe! I did it on the grill with turkey breast cutlets instead of ground, tossed in the marinade for an hour before cooking, and it had so much bright flavor. Even my brother who swears he “doesn’t like Asian food” went back for seconds.
Super easy even for someone who burns toast half the time. I didn’t have fresh ginger so I used a little extra ground ginger, ate it over rice with some roasted broccoli, and it lasted me 3 days of meal prep. No sad desk lunch for me this week!
Wait, is there any soy sauce in the base? I have a severe soy allergy and have been hunting for a quick, flavorful turkey recipe that doesn’t require a million hard-to-find substitute ingredients. That lemongrass ginger combo sounds so perfect for my weekly meal prep!
My kids loved it!!! I was so sure they’d turn their noses up at the lemongrass because they complain about anything “green and herby” but they ate two servings each over jasmine rice. I added a little extra honey at the end to mellow the ginger for them and it was chef’s kiss.
Perfect high protein meal for my cut right now. Low effort, high flavor, doesn’t taste like diet food at all. I tossed it with some zoodles and a squeeze of lime at the end and it hit every single craving I’ve had for takeout lately.
Brought this to my neighborhood block party last weekend and people were coming up to me for the recipe before I even set the dish down! I served it in lettuce cups with little pickled carrot and daikon topping, and it was the first empty platter on the table.
Wait, how fine do I need to chop the lemongrass? I’ve never cooked with fresh lemongrass before and I’m nervous I’ll mess it up and end up with tough, woody bits in my turkey. This recipe looks too good to mess up!
The leftovers are even better the next day! The flavors meld so much in the fridge, I ate the last of it for breakfast this morning with a fried egg on top. Don’t judge, it was incredible.
I added a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce to the marinade because I love a little heat, and wow, that kicked it up to a whole new level. If you’re a spice wimp you can skip it, but for anyone who likes a little tingle, do it.
20 minute cook time is not a lie, people. I got home late from my kid’s soccer practice, had zero dinner plans, pulled this together with stuff I already had in the pantry and fridge, and we were all eating before 7pm. Total weeknight hero recipe.
This tastes exactly like the lemongrass turkey I get from my favorite local Thai spot, but way cheaper and I got to control how much sodium went into it. I was fully expecting it to be bland but the flavor is so spot on, I might not order takeout for this anymore.
I grated a whole zucchini and mixed it in with the turkey while it cooked to sneak some extra veggies in for my toddler, and you couldn’t even taste it! He ate every bite, no complaints. Will definitely be doing that every time I make this from now on.
Made this for date night last night, served it with coconut rice and stir fried bok choy, and my partner thought I ordered from a fancy restaurant. He had no idea it took me 20 minutes total to make. 10/10 will be making this for guests next time.
Love that this doesn’t require a million fancy ingredients. I already had ginger in my freezer, a jar of lemongrass paste, and ground turkey from my last grocery run, so I didn’t have to make a special trip. Easy, tasty, zero fuss — exactly my kind of recipe.
Has anyone tried freezing this after cooking? I make a bunch of freezer meals ahead for weeks when I know work is going to be crazy, and this seems like it would hold up great but I don’t wanna waste a batch if it gets weird when thawed.
Wait I saw someone mention making this with turkey cutlets earlier — would this marinade work for turkey meatballs too? I’ve been obsessed with making rice bowls lately and lemongrass ginger turkey meatballs sound insane.