47 Terrific Leftover Turkey Recipes for After Thanksgiving
November 25, 2022
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Turkey is a nutritional powerhouse, so you want to make sure to maximize your turkey leftovers. Banish the boring sandwiches with these healthy and note-worthy leftover turkey recipes from around the world.
These flavorful and creative leftover turkey recipes break up the traditional sandwich idea and make you thankful for turkey all over again:
Soups
Salads
Sandwiches
Paleo
Fast and Easy
Entrees
Note: Many of the leftover turkey recipes below call for turkey stock. You may substitute with your favorite organic chicken stock or bone broth, or simply take the bones (after the majority of the meat has been picked off); place in large stockpot with carrots, onions and celery; and cover with water. Bring to a hearty simmer, and then turn down and do a slow simmer for three to four hours.
Here is a tip: Your stock will become cloudy if you cook it at a boil. Simmer gently for the best results. Strain and use the turkey stock, as desired.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We recommend using natural sweeteners like raw honey, real maple syrup or organic coconut palm sugar to get the most nutrients out of these leftover turkey recipes. Also eliminate conventional cow’s milk products, and instead use coconut milk, almond milk or organic grass-fed goat milk or cheese; replace table salt with sea salt; and replace canola and vegetable oil with coconut oil, olive oil or ghee for these leftover turkey recipes.
Here are 47 amazing leftover turkey recipes to try.
Soups
1. Turkey Congee
Slow simmering brings out the nutrients from bones in this twist on turkey soup. Congee is comfort food throughout Asia, and while the stock may differ, the process is the same.
Turkey broth, rice and vegetables are sure to warm you, head to toe.
Photo: Turkey Congee/JeanettesHealthyLiving.com
2. Healing Turkey Vegetable Soup
If you had sandwiches, salads and casseroles to finish off your turkey, hopefully you saved just a bit of turkey left on the bones for this gut-healing recipe. The long cooking time is necessary to extract the nutrients from the bones.
Do it in your slow cooker, and add water as needed.
3. Turkey Soba Noodle Soup
Cozying up with a bowl of soba noodle soup during the winter months is heaven. This healthy recipe uses the leftover bones and skin from your Thanksgiving turkey to make the stock, fresh vegetables, more turkey and buckwheat soba noodles into a hearty bowl of soup.
Photo: Turkey Soba Noodle Bowl/JeanettesHealthyLiving.com
4. Coconut-Lime Turkey and Rice Soup
Try this twist on turkey soup! Lime juice, ginger and coconut milk take leftover roasted turkey to the next level.
Don’t skip the addition of fresh herbs on top as they really add to the health benefits and really brighten the flavors.
Photo: Coconut-Lime Turkey and Rice Soup/Kalyn’s Kitchen
5. Fiesta Turkey Tortilla Soup
Heading south of the border, traditional tortilla soup gets a makeover with the turkey. This versatile recipe is great for leftover turkey or leftover chicken.
Black beans, corn and salsa turn your leftovers into an inspired Mexican feast.
6. Turkey Soup with Lemon and Barley
We eat with our eyes first, our noses second and finally our taste buds. This soup is beautiful, and the aroma from the combination of herbs and spices will get your mouth watering before the first bite.
Photo: Turkey Soup with Lemon and Barley/Elise, www.SimplyRecipes.com
7. Leftover Roast Chicken Soup with Roasted Vegetables
This recipe does call for leftover chicken, but it is also a great way to use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Roasting the vegetables prior to adding them to the soup creates intense flavor, bringing out the best in each of the vegetables.
Supercharge your health with spinach by tossing in a couple of handles just before serving.
Photo: Leftover Roast Chicken Soup with Roasted Vegetables/Against All Grain
8. Sweet Potatoes, Turkey and Cranberry Sauce Soup
One recipe, three Thanksgiving leftovers! Clean out your fridge with this warming soup that transforms the turkey and sweet potatoes into a warming soup.
Replace the heavy cream with coconut or almond milk for a healthy alternative.
9. Crockpot Turkey Soup
Try this set-it-and-forget-it meal with my easy crockpot turkey soup. To use your turkey leftovers, just cook everything together first and add the cooked leftover turkey (about two cups) for the last half an hour.
10. Turkey and White Bean Chili
Hop across the pond with this British version of chili in this turkey leftovers recipe. Adjust the spice level with the amount of chilis and cayenne pepper to your taste.
“Tins” is British for cans, and 500 grams is just over two cups. I always recommend avoiding canned food, so you can substitute by using frozen or cooked beans, too. Stir up a batch as directed, and enjoy.
11. Gluten-Free Tuscan Turkey and White Bean Soup
Stroll over to Italy for this fresh gluten-free soup to use up your leftover turkey. The beans and turkey boost the protein levels while the herbs and fresh vegetables add great nutrients, along with flavor and texture.
This soup will not disappoint. It just might be the next best thing to having a bowl in Tuscany.
Photo: Gluten-Free Tuscan Turkey and White Bean Soup / Lee Hersh, Fit Foodie Finds
Salads
12. Leftover Turkey and Cranberry Sauce Salad
This recipe is bright, beautiful and perfect as a salad, sandwich or even on rice crackers for a crunchy and healthful snack. Walnuts, roasted leftover turkey, celery, cranberry sauce and a splash of lemon come together with a vegan mayo.
13. Autumn Turkey & Apple Salads
Fresh and bright with the flavors of fall, this salad incorporates mixed greens, leftover turkey, apples, nuts, cranberries and cheese. Replace traditional cheddar with your favorite raw milk cheddar.
Photo: Autumn Turkey & Apple Salads/Photo courtesy of Brianne at Cupcakes & Kale Chips
14. Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint
This beautiful salad, spiced with traditional North African spices, carrots and cheese, is the perfect way to spice up your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. Just toss in a cup or two of pulled turkey, and enjoy the happy crunch and flavorful taste of harissa.
Harissa is a mix of dried chilies, spices, garlic and lemon.
15. Southwest Turkey or Chicken Lettuce Cups
Crunch comes from the fresh lettuce, and flavors of the Southwest permeate the inside. Substitute leftover roasted turkey in this recipe, and be sure to use organic corn kernels to avoid GMOs.
Photo: Liz Della Croce, The Lemon Bowl
16. Jamie Oliver’s Asian-Inspired Turkey Salad
Off to Asia we go with cashews, mint and coriander in this healthy turkey leftover recipe. The dressing is really where this recipe comes all together: sweetness, tartness, and just a tough of natural heat from the fresh ginger that is packed with vitamins from the clementine, lime and pomegranate.
Substitute the soy sauce with coconut aminos, and this recipe will delight even the pickiest of eaters.
17. Curried Turkey Salad
We all love Thanksgiving dinner, but sometimes we need to mix up the flavor combinations to breathe life into leftovers. This quick and easy recipe uses curry powder, apples, green onions, celery, pecans and leftover turkey.
Turmeric is what gives curry powder its distinctive color and extra boost of turmeric’s health benefits.
Sandwiches
18. Open Faced Turkey Cranberry Enchilada Melt
Cranberries, black beans, salsa, cheese, cranberry sauce and turkey will take you south of the border in this Mexican-inspired leftover turkey recipe. Yum.
Swap out traditional rolls for your favorite sprouted wheat or gluten-free rolls, and be sure to use raw cheese and Greek yogurt, which provide a nice tang in this inventive sandwich.
Photo: Open Faced Turkey Cranberry Enchilada Melt/Running to the Kitchen
19. Rosemary Hummus Cranberry Turkey Wraps
Blend the flavors of two continents together in this wrap. Cranberries, native to North America, turkey and hummus come together in a tangy, creamy, chewy delightful sandwich.
Use our hummus recipe. It is quick, easy and healthy.
Cranberry sauce echoes the flavor of pomegranate that some parts of the Middle East top hummus with. Substitute the tortillas with your favorite gluten-free or sprouted grain tortillas or wraps.