Korean-Style Turkey Mac & Cheese (Printable)

Creamy cheddar mac and cheese topped with sweet-spicy Korean turkey crumbles and fresh scallions.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 10 oz elbow macaroni
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
06 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Korean-Style Turkey

10 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
11 - 14 oz ground turkey
12 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
13 - 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
14 - 2 tablespoons gochujang
15 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
16 - 1 tablespoon honey
17 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
18 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

→ Garnish

19 - 3 scallions, thinly sliced
20 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the turkey. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and keep warm.
05 - In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux.
06 - Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
07 - Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
08 - Combine the drained macaroni with the cheese sauce, mixing thoroughly to coat all pasta evenly.
09 - Divide the mac and cheese among serving bowls. Top each portion with a generous spoonful of the Korean turkey crumbles.
10 - Garnish each bowl with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that surprises people because it shouldn't work but absolutely does, combining childhood comfort with grown-up flavor.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, and you're basically making two simple components that shine when they meet on the plate.
  • Ground turkey keeps it lighter than traditional mac and cheese, but the gochujang gives you all the richness and depth you'd miss otherwise.
02 -
  • Don't mix the turkey into the mac and cheese before serving—keep them separate until the last moment because once they sit together the heat brings out more of the gochujang's funk and the sauce can taste slightly bitter if you're not careful.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, you've overheated it, and the fix is to pour it into a blender with a splash of cold milk and blend it smooth, which sounds dramatic but works every time.
03 -
  • Don't skip toasting the sesame seeds yourself—the difference between pre-toasted and store-bought is noticeable, and toasting takes exactly two minutes in a dry pan.
  • Keep your gochujang in the fridge once opened and it'll last forever, becoming a secret weapon for adding depth to soups, marinades, and scrambled eggs whenever you want something interesting.
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