Curried Ground Turkey, Vegetables & Olives

Savory, spicy curried ground turkey mixed with soy chorizo, flavored with curry powder and scotch bonnet peppers simmered with potatoes, carrots, and green olives.

Ground turkey curry picadillo over brown basmati rice in a round white bowl

Get Excited for Curry!

Look at those creamy, bright yellow potatoes! And the sauce! The sauce was so delicious. In addition, the curry powder with hot peppers and fresh tomatoes in chicken broth really made this curried ground turkey dish lively.

I believe you will enjoy this dish as much as I did. It is also a great dish to serve all year round. Why curry? I love Jamaican curry with meat and potatoes, so I knew this would be the right fit.

Unfortunately, I did this recipe without raisins, compared to traditional picadillo. However, if you want to add them, by all means, do so and tell me how it turned out. Additionally, my blog is about exploring dishes from all around, experimenting with what you got home, and tasting your fabulous creations. Bon Appetit!

I love all types of curries. If you are a big fan like me, you must try the Curry Lentil Turkey Stew. Or try a super simple Air Fryer Roasted Chicken Chickpeas Vegetable Curry. And if you are in the mood for a hearty vegetarian meal, try the Herb Panko Tofu with Curried Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions recipe. This has no curry, but it is a delicious vegetarian breakfast to check out: Piquant Chorizo Beans and Eggs Skillet. And don't miss out on this Loaded Cheesy Ground Turkey Red Lentil Pasta, another yummy ground turkey meal.

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Get Excited for Curry!
A Cuban Affair
Ingredients and Instructions
Suggested Sides
Substitutions
Equipment
Storage
Cooking tip
Frequently Asked Questions
Caribbean Recipes
Poultry Recipes
Video
Recipe
Food safety
Have a Comment or Question?

curried turkey picadillo in a skillet with a metal spoon surrounded by salt cellar, pepper grinder, kitchen towel tomatoes on a vine, whole avocado and olive oil

A Cuban Affair

The famous Picadillo-inspired meal is a Cuban dish I grew up eating. I am Haitian, but Cuban food is part of the South Florida culture. I grew up in Little Haiti at a time when it was mostly populated not only with Haitians but Cubans as well.

In the streets, you would hear Salsa and Kompa music blasting on every corner. Mom and Pop shops with colorful dressing hanging outside, men posted in collar button up short sleeve shirts sitting on crates or standing with one hand on the tree, laughing at a joke someone said while playing Dominos.

While women with shopping carts going down the streets are either filled with groceries or laundry. To sum up, this was my childhood. And I miss it so much. Because my grandma was part of that time, she was well known for serving hot dishes to whoever wanted a plate.

Intertwined Romance

She didn't serve Picadillo, but this dish was nearby, like many other Cuban dishes. For instance, you had Pastelitos with Guayaba (guava), Cuban bread, and someone's Island version of stewed chicken with white rice and black beans, served with sweet or savory fried plantain.

Growing up, I knew picadillo as a Cuban dish. I remember the savory ground beef-flavored sauce, plump raisins, and creamy diced potatoes are nostalgic and filled with great memories. But later in life, I learned it was also made in Mexico and the Philippines.

I also remember watching two different Cuban chefs, my co-workers, making large batches in the banquet kitchen, but with differences based on how their parents made it. Additionally, I feel like Cuban food is close to Haitian comfort food, always having a side of rice and stewed meats and fish with sauce, with long sliced onions and bell pepper, and the "you better not forget" side of fried plantains.

This might be because the Caribbean islands have significant African and European influence. For example, check out African food from Ghana to Nigeria; you'll see a lot of dishes served with a side of fried plantain and rice. And on top of that, you can also see the European, Spanish, and French influence from the rich tomato-based sauces popularly used in many recipes.

Ingredients and Instructions

This dish is really quick; to begin with, you will saute your white onions and garlic in olive oil. Then add your red bell pepper and tomatoes. In addition, you can add or substitute with green bell pepper if you want to.

Afterward, add your soy chorizo and ground turkey. Honestly, you can do this your way at this point. You can also use regular small diced chorizo and/or ground beef or plant-based ground meat.

After that, season the mixture well and allow the meat to brown a little. Afterward, you will splash your pan with white wine for extra flavor. Then add your potatoes, carrots, broth, curry powder, cumin powder, smoked paprika powder, dried or fresh thyme, scotch bonnet or habanero sauce, and green olives.

Finally, combine all and over to allow to simmer and for all the delicious ingredients to incorporate to make a fantastic sauce. Once the potatoes are cooked, serve immediately. You can also do it on white or brown rice with sweet or savory fried plantain and creamy avocado chunks. Yum!

See the curried ground turkey recipe card for quantities.

ingredients for the curry ground turkey, vegetables, and olives in containers on a black pizza pan

Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. Some related detailed steps can also be found there.

Suggested Sides

Fresh slices of avocado with baked or fried sweet plantains, "maduros" and a side of salad with your favorite dressing will go great with this curried ground turkey recipe.

curried ground turkey, vegetables and olives on top of brown basmati rice on a round white plate on a round woodened board next to a skillet of the curried turkey, container of cooked rice and a kitchen towel.

Substitutions

Vegetarian Option - To make this dish vegetarian, replace the ground turkey with plant-based ground meat and the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Fast Preparation - Some markets will sell the onions and carrots already diced. You can also use a pre-prepared mirepoix mix. It will usually contain onions, celery, and carrots, which will be fine if you wish to add this.
Soy Chorizo Alternative - Alternative to soy chorizo crumbles, you can use regular chorizo, small diced.
Red Tomatillo Salsa - When referring to salsa, I usually use red tomatillo salsa. It is usually a hot puree sauce with ingredients similar to chunky salsa.
- Instead of or in combination with tomatoes, tomatillos are used with various chilies (e.g., Anaheim, dried smoky peppers, arbol peppers), white onions, fresh cilantro, cumin powder, and garlic.
- And some of the mentioned ingredients may also be omitted as well. However, if you can't find this, you can use regular salsa roja, a pureed-style salsa with no chunks. But if you have salsa with the chunks, that is also fine.
Spice Blend - If you do not have individual spices, try using 1 part Jamaican curry powder to ¼ part adobo powder.
Scotch Bonnet Pepper - Substitute scotch bonnet peppers or sauce with jalapenos, red Thai chilies, or habanero sauce with the desired amount.

Change Heat Level - Modify the curried ground turkey recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.

Equipment

Medium Saute Pan - Don't confuse a saute pan with a frying pan. A saute pan has high sides, like the All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Sauté Pan. In addition, this is great for frying meat, boiling the potatoes, and reducing the sauce in the same pot, which you will do for this recipe.

Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.

Storage

Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the curried ground turkey dish in a shallow 2-inch container to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. The meal will last up to four days.
Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.

Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.

Cooking tip

Good quality chorizo, tomato sauce, and red salsa help create the curried ground turkey's rich dark orange color and flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did Picadillo come From?

“Picar” from Picadillo origin is Spanish, meaning "to mince." Initially, this meat mixture was and can still be found stuffed in pastries for empanadas and tacos.

Additionally, now you can find different versions of Picadillo served from Costa Rica all the way to the Philippines. I honestly want to know how it reached the Philippines.

The Philippines is also a country that was affected by Spanish colonization. But did the Spanish bring this dish there? Chef Gourmet has a great take on this theory; check them out.

What are Tomatillos?

They look like unripe small green tomatoes with a leaf life substance that covers the fruit. Like gooseberries. For example, these types of fruits are known as Physalis. In addition, tomatillos are usually roasted for salsas.

Caribbean Recipes

Looking for other Caribbean-inspired recipes like this? Try these:

See more Caribbean →

Poultry Recipes

Looking for other poultry recipes like this? Try these:

See more Poultry →

Video

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Recipe

Food safety

Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Have a Comment or Question?

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