A fantastic collection of my favorite Leftover Turkey Recipes for using up your Thanksgiving turkey, including soup, salad, pasta dinners, addictive tacos, and more! Pick up those after-the-holiday turkeys that are on sale and roast turkey all year long with this ever-growing list of leftover turkey recipe ideas!
Start with a great oven-roasted turkey for your holiday meal and then be sure to pluck the carcass clean and save every bit of that delicious roasted turkey for some great after-holiday meals!
What To Do With Leftover Turkey
There's a family title that I am certainly proud of, and that is the Queen of Leftovers. I love making great and tasty food, using all sorts of ingredients but I also tend to cook like I'm still feeding teenage boys too!
A tendency to make more than any family of three can eat in a single sitting has led to many, many chances to try out new and fun spins on classic recipes with leftover ingredients. As well as getting really creative with what's left in the refrigerator! Your turkey leftovers have never been this delicious!!
Jump to:
- What To Do With Leftover Turkey
- 1. Stroganoff
- 2. Carnitas
- 3. Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
- 4. Chef Salad
- 5. Turkey Curry
- 6. Turkey a la King
- 7. Tetrazzini
- 8. Turkey Noodle Soup
- 9. Southwestern Turkey Casserole
- 10. Creamy Turkey Pasta Primavera
- 11. Leftover Turkey Enchiladas
- 12. Turkey & Rice Casserole
- 13. Turkey Pot Pie Using Leftovers
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Turkey Fried Rice (+ More Great Leftover Turkey Ideas!)
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
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All of my recipes shared here are equally tasty when using leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken meat, or cooking up some turkey or chicken meat really quickly to start up your meals!
1. Stroganoff
A delicious and creamy sauce paired with chunks of your leftover turkey and earthy mushrooms makes this pasta dinner a top pick for an easy family meal! I love that it comes together really easily with a wonderful combination of flavors in just 20 minutes!
2. Carnitas
I could gush about these addictive turkey carnitas! I'll try to reign it in though and just say that despite any misgivings you may have about using cinnamon to cook up your leftover turkey meat, you really HAVE to try these tacos!!
3. Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
Did you ever think you'd finely mince or grind up your cooked turkey? I did! And then I combined the very mellow turkey flavor with a robust, spicy buffalo sauce for the most amazing finger food or party appetizer!
4. Chef Salad
This turkey version of the American classic is a nice, light meal after holiday gatherings! It's also a fabulous reason to freeze plenty of your leftover turkey meat!
5. Turkey Curry
Tender pieces of leftover turkey meat are cooked until super-tender and wonderfully tasty in this delightfully spiced curry dinner! Plus, it's a great way to add in all of the vegetables that may need to be eaten after the holidays too!
6. Turkey a la King
My family's chicken a la king recipe gets repurposed in this easy leftover dinner meal! The turkey ala king dinner was so enthusiastically reviewed that it's a popular request year-round!!
7. Tetrazzini
Pasta and turkey, super creamy and delicious! Topped with a delightfully crunchy layer of Panko to contrast with all the tender fillings!
8. Turkey Noodle Soup
This is the best way to use the turkey carcass and make the most delicious and nutritious soup ever! Save your turkey frame for this amazing soup!
9. Southwestern Turkey Casserole
A great leftover turkey recipe calling for black beans and rice and South West style flavors.
10. Creamy Turkey Pasta Primavera
Al dente penne pasta with loads of vegetables and leftover turkey in a creamy sauce then topped with grated Parmesan. This vibrant dish is a great skillet meal!
11. Leftover Turkey Enchiladas
Super easy to make and a really simple use of all of that leftover turkey. Load your enchiladas up then top them with plenty of cheese for a hearty dinner!
12. Turkey & Rice Casserole
Turkey leftovers with rice, broccoli, and cheese all baked into one delicious dish.
13. Turkey Pot Pie Using Leftovers
This classic comfort food doesn't get any easier. Use up all of your leftovers from dinner and top with leftover mashed potatoes!
We're always adding more leftover ideas, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back in!
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.
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📖 Recipe Card
Turkey Fried Rice (+ More Great Leftover Turkey Ideas!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or preferred vegetable oil)
- 1 large egg (at room temperature, beaten)
- 2 cups cooked white rice (a long grain white rice is best, cooled)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅓ cup peas and carrots (frozen mix, thawed)
- 1 cup leftover turkey meat (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon sesame seed oil
- ½ tablespoon green onion (optional garnish, sliced)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Bring your wok with the peanut oil to high heat then add the beaten egg directly in the center of the oil. Stir vigorously while breaking up the egg as it cooks in the hot oil (about 1 minute).
- Add the fully cooled, cooked long grain white rice into the wok. Break the rice apart, combining it with the cooked egg.
- Stir the soy sauce into the fried rice and eggs. Next, add the thawed peas and carrots mixture (I prefer to warm my frozen mixed peas n carrots before adding) along with the chopped turkey meat and stir to mix them into the fried rice.
- Finish the fried rice off by tossing with a drizzle of sesame seed oil and sprinkling the sliced green onion into the fried rice (or just on top as garnish when serving, if desired). Stir and serve immediately.
Diane C Crawford says
Great Ideas Angela! can't wait to try them!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Aw, thanks Di! I hope you enjoy them!