Korean Turkey Sloppy Joe (Printable)

Sweet and spicy ground turkey on soft buns topped with tangy crunchy slaw for a fusion twist on comfort food.

# What You'll Need:

→ Turkey Filling

01 - 1 lb ground turkey
02 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
06 - 1/4 cup gochujang
07 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
08 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon ketchup
11 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
12 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Slaw

14 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
15 - 1/2 cup shredded carrots
16 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
17 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
18 - 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
19 - 1 teaspoon sugar
20 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
21 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ For Serving

22 - 8 slider buns
23 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, optional

# How To:

01 - In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions. In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Toss vegetables with dressing until well coated and refrigerate until ready to use.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and grated ginger; cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
03 - Add ground turkey to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, sesame oil, and black pepper. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens. Fold in sliced green onions and remove from heat.
05 - Toast slider buns if desired. Spoon generous portions of turkey mixture onto the bottom half of each bun. Top with crunchy slaw and sesame seeds if using. Cover with top bun and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These sliders come together in under 40 minutes, which makes them perfect for weeknight dinners when you want something that tastes like you tried way harder than you actually did.
  • The sweet-spicy filling with that crispy cabbage slaw gives you texture and contrast in every bite, so it never gets boring.
  • Ground turkey keeps things lighter than beef, but the gochujang and sesame oil make sure nobody notices or cares.
02 -
  • Gochujang is funky and intense—if you dump it in cold or skip the simmering step, it tastes harsh instead of balanced, so give it time to cook and mellow.
  • The temperature difference between the warm turkey and cold slaw is what makes this actually special, so don't dress the slaw early or it'll go limp and lose its whole purpose.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for 30 seconds just before serving so they smell nutty and taste alive instead of flat and dusty.
  • If you're making these ahead, keep the turkey filling and slaw completely separate, then assemble right before eating so the buns stay crispy on the outside.
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