This leftover turkey curry is a deliciously quick and flavorful change from the usual leftover turkey dinner ideas. While a traditional curry would take much longer to prepare properly, this curry recipe is meant to be a tasty alternative that you can have on the table in no time.
If you love curry, you're sure to enjoy my homemade yellow curry powder, goat curry, and leftover lamb curry recipes.
Jump to:
This curry will help to use up some of those oven roasted turkey leftovers and it is very versatile...you can use roast chicken leftovers instead. If the vegetables included here are not your family's favorites, switch them out for what your picky eaters will eat.
Use the vegetables that you already have on hand to make this dish. Nothing fancy is needed! When I made this we were snowed in over Thanksgiving so I made do with the fresh vegetables in my fridge.
🥘 Ingredients
- Coconut Oil - You can use ghee, olive oil, or any neutral cooking oil you prefer.
- Garam Masala - The base seasoning for this curry dinner recipe is my garam masala seasoning mix, which is a handy quick version based on spices you likely already have in your pantry. Alternatively, you can use a store-bought version.
- Ginger - Fresh, grated, or finely diced; or use ginger paste. I keep my ginger garlic paste in the freezer for dishes like this!
- Vegetables - onion, garlic, carrots, celery, zucchini, red bell pepper. Use whatever veggies you have on hand.
- Chicken Broth - The base of the sauce. If you have homemade turkey stock from the simmering down the frame for turkey noodle soup, that would be excellent.
- Tomato Paste - This thickens the sauce, and adds color and hearty flavor.
- Coconut Milk - Use unsweetened, full-cream coconut milk, or swap this for Greek yogurt.
- Turkey - Leftover turkey cut into bite-sized pieces. If you have a bit extra, add it. Yum!
- Optional Additional Spices - smoked paprika, ground cayenne pepper, ground turmeric. Plus salt & pepper to taste when serving.
- Cilantro - Chopped and added to the sauce, but have some extra on hand for chopping and topping off your plated curry as garnish.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Leftover Turkey Curry
Chop up some veggies and your leftover turkey, then whip up this (practically) effortless dish. You'll need a cutting board, chef's knife, large skillet, and measuring utensils.
This recipe yields 6 servings (when served over rice), or 4 hearty servings if you still have room after Thanksgiving.
Step 1: Saute. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, garlic, and garam masala seasoning mix. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is becoming translucent.
Step 2: Add vegetables. Add remaining vegetables and ginger paste, stir, and saute for 2-3 minutes more.
Step 3: Add liquids. Add broth and tomato paste, stir to combine, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 4: Last additions. Add coconut milk and turkey, then stir to combine. Add seasoning (smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, and salt & pepper) and chopped cilantro, then stir and return to a low simmer.
Step 5: Simmer then serve. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes to warm the leftover turkey. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Remove from heat and serve over rice.
🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
Typically, curry is served over rice and I like to dish it up with either Instant Pot Basmati rice, Jasmine rice, or my coconut rice. I also love curries with my homemade Naan bread. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Let the flavors marry. The seasoning can easily be adjusted by starting with less and adding more as needed. I suggest tasting as you cook, especially once the coconut milk has been added at the end of the cooking time.
- Add the coconut milk slowly, to taste. The coconut milk will mellow out all the flavorings combined during the cooking process, so keep that in mind before serving your turkey curry.
- Whole spices are best. If you have the whole spices available to add to your skillet while sauteing your onion and garlic, use them in place of the garam masala mix or to supplement the flavor. Simply remove any whole spices before adding the liquid ingredients.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
The storage time I would recommend for leftovers is always based on how long your turkey was in the fridge. If it's a couple of days old already, your curry is best served that day or stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days at most.
Reheating
I prefer to return the curry to a saucepan or skillet and reheat it with a splash of broth to smooth out the sauce. You can also reheat single portions in the microwave on high power (covered with a damp paper towel).
Let me know what your favorite recipes are from the leftover turkey recipes here on BIWL. Or share your creations for me to try!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Leftover Turkey Curry
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 white onion (small, diced)
- 1 clove garlic (large, crushed, chopped)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala seasoning mix (see recipe)
- 1 ½ tablespoon ginger paste
- 3 carrots (medium, washed and cut into even sized pieces)
- 3 ribs celery (washed and cut into even sized pieces)
- 1 zucchini (washed and cut into even sized pieces)
- 1 red bell pepper (washed and sliced or cut into chunks)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (unsweetened, full cream)
- 4 cups turkey (diced into 1 inch chunks)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup cilantro (fresh, chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add diced onion, garlic, and garam masala seasoning mix. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until onion is becoming translucent.
- Add remaining vegetables and ginger paste, stir and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add broth and tomato paste, stir to combine and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and turkey, stir to combine. Add seasoning (smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, and salt & pepper) and chopped cilantro, then stir and return to a low simmer.
- Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes to warm leftover turkey. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Remove from heat and serve over rice.
Notes
- The seasoning can easily be adjusted by starting with less and adding more as needed. I suggest tasting as you cook, especially once the coconut milk has been added at the end of the cooking time.
- Coconut milk will mellow out all the flavorings combined during the cooking process, so keep that in mind before serving your turkey curry.
- If you have the whole spices available to add to your skillet while sauteing your onion and garlic, use them in place of the garam masala mix or to supplement the flavor. Simply remove any whole spices before adding the liquid ingredients.
Comments
No Comments