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Home » Recipes » Leftover Turkey

Last Updated: Nov 18, 2024 by Angela Latimer · Leave a Comment

Leftover Turkey Curry

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Leftover Turkey Curry
Best leftover turkey curry recipe pin with text title overlay.

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.

Square image of leftover turkey curry over white rice.
Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 How To Make Leftover Turkey Curry
  • 🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
  • 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
  • 🥡 Storing & Reheating
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments & Reviews

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!

Wide image of leftover turkey curry over white rice.

💭 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.

Tall image of leftover turkey curry over white rice, on a white plate.

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).

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📖 Recipe Card

Square image of leftover turkey curry over white rice.
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5 from 9 reviews

Leftover Turkey Curry

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.
1x recipe yields 6 servings (over rice). See all of my leftover turkey recipes for more great ideas!
Author | Angela Latimer
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 171kcal
Prep 10 minutes minutes
Cooking 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 25 minutes minutes
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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)

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 14g (5%) | Protein: 17g (34%) | Fat: 6g (9%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Cholesterol: 48mg (16%) | Sodium: 628mg (27%) | Potassium: 809mg (23%) | Fiber: 3g (13%) | Sugar: 8g (9%) | Vitamin A: 6582IU (132%) | Vitamin C: 47mg (57%) | Calcium: 50mg (5%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
Course Dinner Recipes, Entrees, Leftover Ideas, Main Course
Cuisine Indian
« Parmesan Roasted Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing »

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Hi there, I'm Angela

I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, cook, baker, and total foodie. I love sharing new, fun, creative recipes and great classic recipes, just like my Grandma used to make! Every recipe on BIWL is tested to ensure that cooks of any experience level can succeed.

Welcome to Bake It With Love. Enjoy!

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