Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (2024)

by Jeanette 31 Comments

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

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (1)

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.

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (2)

Making Zucchini Noodles with a Spiralizer

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (3)

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.

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (4)

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.

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (5)

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.”

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (6)

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

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (7)

Chinese Five Spice Ground Turkey Zucchini Noodles Recipe (8)

3.67 from 3 votes

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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

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

  1. 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%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 975IU20%

Vitamin C 84.9mg103%

Calcium 86mg9%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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FAQs

What do you do with Chinese five spice? ›

Warm, sweet, and wondrous, Chinese five spice is a favorite for barbecue, braised dishes, roasted veggies, quick stir fries, noodle dishes, and even desserts. This blend creates a shortcut into authentic Chinese flavors, but you'll soon find yourself fusing it into all types of cooking.

What does Chinese 5 spice contain? ›

What is five spice powder made of? Five spice is a blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds. If you don't have Sichuan peppercorns to hand, you could substitute them for black peppercorns – the flavour will still be nice, although it won't have the same heat.

Should you salt zucchini noodles before cooking? ›

Don't pre-salt your zucchini noodles.

First of all, one of the benefits of spiralizing is that it's SO quick (just spiralize, cook, and enjoy pasta in under 5 minutes!).

Is Chinese five spice good on vegetables? ›

Chinese Five Spice Seasoning was developed to include all five tastes sweet, sour, bitter, salty and hot or pungent/spicy. In this vegetable stir fry, all five flavors are present in each crunchy and veggie-packed bite. Serve stir fry over hot rice and add grilled chicken, seafood or beef for a meat version.

Is there a difference between five spice and Chinese five spice? ›

In the culinary arts, five spice (also known as Chinese five spice) is a blend of ground spices used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking.

What is equivalent to Chinese five spice? ›

Whilst you're never going to get the classic flavour that Chinese 5 spice provides with a substitute, there are some seasonings that come pretty close. Star anise, allspice, garam masala, sichuan peppercorns and cinnamon sticks are all worthy replacements – but the real stuff is always best!

Is Chinese five spice good for you? ›

Reduce blood pressure

The Chinese 5 spice ingredients are commonly excellent to regulate blood pressure level. Especially the fennel seed and cinnamon which is able to prevent blood clotting and improve blood circulation within the blood vessel. The proper circulation will keep the blood pressure in check.

What is Chief Chinese 5 Spice? ›

A blend of anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger, it is designed to impart a wide variety of tastes to fit many different types of prepared foods. A combination that produces citrus, licorice, earthy and sweet cinnamon notes.

Should you drain zucchini noodles? ›

It's quite simple to boil a pot of water, toss in your zucchini noodles and cook for one minute. It's similar to cooking frozen veggies on the stovetop. And once your noodles have cooked, drain the noodles in a colander and serve. If you'd like them super dry, blot them with a paper towel before serving.

Are you supposed to boil zucchini noodles? ›

Don't! We like our regular pasta with a nice al dente bite, and the same goes for cooking zoodles! If you serve a warm sauce over the noodles, it will gently heat them through, so no actual cooking is necessary.

Are zucchini noodles healthy? ›

Zucchini is low in fat, sugar, and calories, and high in vitamin C and fiber, making it a great substitute for traditional pasta noodles. Fiber helps to regulate bowels and maintain good digestive health, and vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to protect cells.

Can you hand cut zucchini noodles? ›

kitchen knife is always a good option for making zucchini noodles at home, especially if you're not looking to buy any specialized gadgets. To make zucchini noodles with a kitchen knife, slice off each end of the zucchini and then slice it lengthwise into thin planks.

Can I use Chinese 5 spice instead of allspice? ›

The warm, spicy-sweet flavor of allspice is very similar to that of five-spice powder, a blend of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves, and ginger or pepper. Use equal parts of five-spice powder in place of the ground allspice called for in a recipe—it's great for both savory and sweet applications.

Is Chinese 5 spice like garam masala? ›

I was surprised how similar the Indian spice blend Garam Masala is to Chinese 5-Spice. Both contain fennel, cinnamon and cloves but Garam Masala includes carraway seeds and cardamom. And is missing the star anise. Given they are so similar just substitute 1:1.

Is Chinese 5 spice the same as salt and pepper? ›

Unlike the name suggests, the salt and pepper spice mix usually consists of far more than just salt and pepper. It's often a mix of salt, white pepper/Sichuan pepper, Chinese 5 spice, MSG, and sugar.

What does Chinese five spice smell like? ›

Our Chinese Five-Spice is a deep brown-red powder with a sweetly pungent fragrance, predominantly from star anise. It's spicy and tangy; use sparingly.

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