Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (2024)

July 22, 2016 by Jeanette 31 Comments

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodlesare a great low carb option for a delicious dinner.

There’s a local restaurant that has a few zucchini noodle options on their summer menu. One was served with ground turkey and tomato sauce. It was light with just a little bit of tomato, and surprisingly, served room temperature, almost cool.

I had expected either a cold zucchini salad with turkey breast pieces, or a hot version. So, when my zucchini noodles arrived with a light ground turkey sauce served at room temperature, I was surprised. It actually tasted really nice.

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles is my version of a favorite dish my dad makes called Za Jiang Mian. Za Jiang Mian is typically made with Chinese bean sauce and hoisin sauce, but I used soy sauce and five spice powder in this recipe to mimic the flavors.

Making Zucchini Noodles with a Spiralizer

I finally broke down and bought a spiralizer earlier this Spring and have been using it mostly to make zucchini noodles for my husband and me. We’ve been trying to cut back on pasta so zucchini noodles have been an easy way to enjoy meals with the kids when they’re having pasta.

My spiralizer is made by Paderno and has four blades. It’s fairly sturdy and comes apart pretty easily.

Stir Frying Zucchini Noodles

I usually drop the zucchini noodles into a pot of boiling water and cook them for a few minutes to slightly cook them, but they often come out really watery. So, this time, I just tossed the zucchini noodles into the sauce and tossed them around until they were slightly cooked. They kept their shape much better and weren’t watery at all.

I made these Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles for this month’s Recipe Redux Challenge, “Get Your Fruits and Veggies in Shape. With produce galore, now’s a great time to enjoy lots of fruits and vegetables. Show us how you’re serving the bounty of gardens and orchards in shapes like ribbons, noodles, cut-outs, or other creative cuts.”

Give these Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles a try and let me know what you think.

3.67 from 3 votes

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles

If you have a spiralizer, you can make your own zucchini noodles. You can also find zucchini noodles at some supermarkets in the produce section.

CourseMain Course

CuisineAsian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

1tablespoongrape seed oil
1poundground turkey93% lean
2-3tablespoonsgluten free soy sauce
2teaspoonsorganic sugar
1teaspoonfive spice powder
2teaspoonssesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4cupwater
8cupszucchini noodles~ 3-4 zucchini, depending on the size

Optional Add-Ins

2teaspoonsgingerminced
3clovesgarlicminced
1/2teaspoonred pepper chili flakes

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pan or wok. If desired, add ginger, garlic, and/or red pepper chili flakes. Saute turkey until brown; drain any liquid off. Add soy sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, sesame oil and water. Toss to coat meat well and cook for a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add zucchini noodles and toss to coat; cook for several minutes until done to your preference.

Recipe Notes

I like my zucchini noodles just barely cooked; otherwise they get soggy. If you let the hot zucchini noodles and sauce sit for a few minutes, the noodles will soften a little more. This is delicious eaten room temperature too. If you like spicy food, serve with Chinese hot bean sauce or add some red pepper flakes during the cooking process.

Nutrition Facts

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles

Amount Per Serving

Calories 272Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 599mg26%

Potassium 1603mg46%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 4g17%