Taiwanese Turkey Rice Recipe

Call it turkey and rice, or just "turkey rice," this is a dish from Taiwan's southwestern county of Chiayi and has a delicate balance of fragrant seasonings.

By
Cathy Erway
Cathy Erway is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Cathy Erway
Cathy Erway is an award-winning food writer, author, blogger, and podcast host based in Brooklyn.  She contributes to The Huffington Post, The New York Times, TASTE Cooking, Eater, Saveur, Serious Eats, and Food & Wine, among other publications.  
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Updated January 12, 2023
Overhead view of taiwanese turkey and rice on a blue and white stripped background

Serious Eats / Fred hardy

Why It Works

  • Using turkey drippings in the sauce creates a light, yet flavorful topping for the dish.
  • You can steam fresh turkey or use leftover turkey, making this a versatile dish.

Call it turkey over rice, or just "turkey rice," as its name directly translates; either way, should you find yourself in Taiwan's southwestern county of Chiayi, this is the number one dish to try. The soulful, rustic meal has earned island-wide yearnings for its delicate balance of fragrant seasonings. It is the yin to many a Taiwanese dish's fierce yang; in other words, it's a light-tasting contrast to more heavy, robustly flavored foods. Nowadays, many roadside stands and home cooks prepare the same dish using chicken, but turkey meat is how it began, and this novelty helped make it a sensation.

Chicken vs. Turkey

The substitution of chicken is born from practicality—turkeys just aren't as widely available as chicken, both in Taiwan and in the States. However, they—and their leftover meat—are abundant around the end of November in the US. Naturally, I wanted to see whether I could use leftover turkey meat from the Thanksgiving bird to make turkey rice. In Taiwan, the meat (whether turkey or chicken) is typically steamed when preparing this dish. Could roasted turkey meat work just as well? I wondered. I tested it out on two legs of turkey: one was steamed, the other roasted. Hey, I'm not cooking two whole turkeys in order to find out.

Two turkey legs, side by side. The leg on the left was roasted and the leg on the right was steamed.

Serious Eats / Cathy Erway

Save Those Drippings

Reserving the turkey drippings is key. This becomes the base of the reduction sauce, which is steeped with spices and fried shallots and liberally poured over each bowl of turkey rice. It gives it that lip smacking quality, and gives the pale turkey meat an attractive gloss. If you have no fat or drippings after Thanksgiving to spare, you might need to go out and get some schmaltz, or just more turkey fat to render. Assuming that there is some, however, I found that this dish can easily accommodate leftover roasted turkey.

Decorative bowl containing fried shallots.

Serious Eats / Cathy Erway

There were however subtle differences between the two versions: the one with steamed turkey was a bit more pliant in texture, and ultimately more moist, while the roasted meat had a more assertive turkey flavor and a reddish tint. But both were good in their own ways.

November 2013

Recipe Details

Taiwanese Turkey Rice Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 85 mins
Active 45 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (900g) bone-in turkey pieces, such as the breast or legs, breasts cut through the bone into large chunk, legs divided into drumsticks and thighs (see note)

  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, divided

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil

  • 2 shallots (85g), thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water

  • 1 teaspoon (4g) sugar

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon (7g) Sichuan peppercorns

  • Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

  • Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

  1. Rub the turkey with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and white pepper. Choose a large pot with a lid, such as a Dutch oven, and place a steamer rack inside. Fill the pot with 2 cups (475ml) of water. Place the turkey on a dish that fits inside the pot and sits atop the steamer rack. (In order to save the turkey drippings, the turkey should not be placed directly on a rack with holes.) Bring water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Steam the turkey until its internal temperature close to the bone reaches 180°F (82°C), about 30 minutes. Let cool. Reserve the juices and drippings.

    Overhead view of steamer setup

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  2. Once the turkey meat has cooled, pull the meat into bite-size shreds by hand and discard the bones and skin.

    Turkey shredded on cutting board

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced shallots and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer immediately to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the cooking oil.

    Golden brown fried shallots on a paper towel lined plate

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  4. Combine the shallot cooking oil with 1/2 cup (120ml) of reserved juices and drippings from the steamed turkey. Add water, sugar, soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and white pepper. Add half of the fried shallots, saving the rest for garnish. Whisk mixture over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer, uncovered until sauce is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain sauce and discard solids.

    Whisking shallots and oil mixture together

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  5. To serve, scoop rice into individual serving bowls and top with a mound of the shredded turkey meat. Spoon the sauce over each bowl. Finish with the fried shallots and cilantro for garnish.

    Finished Taiwanese Turkey and Rice Dish on a marble background

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Special Equipment

Dutch oven, steamer rack

Notes

To prepare this dish using leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat, skip step 1 and substitute the raw turkey with 2 cups packed, pre-roasted turkey meat and 1/2 cup (120ml) of its reserved drippings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
461Calories
20gFat
35gCarbs
35gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories461
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g26%
Saturated Fat 3g17%
Cholesterol 135mg45%
Sodium 297mg13%
Total Carbohydrate 35g13%
Dietary Fiber 1g5%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 2mg10%
Calcium 43mg3%
Iron 2mg13%
Potassium 416mg9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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