These 8 easy recipes for leftover turkey turn the Thanksgiving bird into brand new dinners, from a crispy brie and cranberry grilled cheese to a one skillet pot pie under puff pastry. Most are ready in 30 minutes or less, and every single one starts with cooked turkey that is already sitting in your fridge. Four were built for leftover turkey from day one. The other five are my chicken recipes where turkey slides right in, and I tell you exactly how to swap it.
I love eating leftovers from Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is the thing about leftover turkey. It is already cooked. Your job is not to cook it again. Your job is to warm it up inside something saucy, cheesy or crispy before it turns into sawdust.
So skip the sad microwave plate. Pick one of these, use whatever turkey you have left, and Thanksgiving dinner gets a second (and third) round that nobody complains about.
How Do You Use Leftover Turkey Without Drying It Out?
Add it last. Cooked turkey only needs to get hot, so stir it in for the final few minutes instead of searing or simmering it from the start. A few more rules I live by:
- Shred or chop it small. Small pieces heat through fast and grab more sauce.
- Pull it off the bone before you store it. It chills faster and it is way easier to measure later.
- Plan on about 2 cups per recipe. That is what my turkey pot pie, turkey grilled cheese and turkey fried rice all call for.
- Mix white and dark meat. Dark meat keeps everything juicy. White meat soaks up the sauce.
- Reheat to 165°F. I don't make the rule, just do a quick thermometer check takes two seconds.
Recipes Made for Leftover Turkey
These four were written for Thanksgiving leftovers. No swaps, no guessing. Grab the turkey and go.
Turkey Grilled Cheese with Brie, Bacon and Cranberry
Sourdough loaded with shredded turkey, melty brie, crispy bacon and cranberry sauce, pan fried in butter until golden and gooey. On the table in 15 minutes and it tastes like the whole Thanksgiving plate in one bite.
Key ingredients:
sourdough bread
leftover turkey
brie
crispy bacon
cranberry sauce
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Turkey, carrots, celery and peas in a white wine cream sauce, all in one skillet, topped with puff pastry and baked at 425°F until deep golden. The coziest thing you can do with 2 cups of leftover turkey.
Key ingredients:
leftover turkey
puff pastry
heavy cream
dry white wine
frozen peas
Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Hawaiian rolls stuffed with leftover turkey, cranberry sauce and white cheddar, brushed with butter and baked. Ready in 20 minutes, gone in about 4.
Key ingredients:
Hawaiian rolls
leftover turkey
cranberry sauce
white cheddar
Dijon mustard
Turkey Fried Rice
Cold rice, chopped turkey, frozen veggies and eggs fried in butter with soy sauce and oyster sauce. One pan, 15 minutes, and it works with white meat, dark meat or both.
Key ingredients:
cooked white rice
leftover turkey
eggs
frozen mixed vegetables
soy sauce
Chicken Recipes That Work with Leftover Turkey
Turkey is basically chicken that showed up for the holidays. These are chicken recipes from my kitchen where cooked turkey is an easy swap. Each one tells you exactly where it goes.
Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Rice
Mushrooms, garlic and jasmine rice cooked together in one pan until creamy and cozy. To use turkey, skip the chicken thighs and their sear, cook the rice as written, then fold in about 2 cups of shredded turkey for the last 5 minutes.
Key ingredients:
leftover turkey (instead of chicken thighs)
mixed mushrooms
jasmine rice
garlic
chicken bouillon
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Bacon, sweet cherry tomatoes and a splash of white wine turn into a silky sauce in 30 minutes. To use turkey, toss a couple of handfuls of chopped turkey in with the spinach at the end so it just warms through.
Key ingredients:
penne pasta
cherry tomatoes
bacon
white wine
leftover turkey
Tortilla Quiche Bake with Cottage Cheese
Tortillas, eggs and cottage cheese baked into a high protein breakfast. To use turkey, swap the chopped ham for chopped turkey. Day after Thanksgiving brunch, handled.
Key ingredients:
tortillas
eggs
cottage cheese
spinach
leftover turkey (instead of ham)
One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
Chorizo, peppers, tomatoes and rice in one pan with big smoky flavor. To use turkey, brown the chorizo, cook the rice as written, and nestle chopped turkey on top for the last 5 to 10 minutes. The chorizo does the heavy lifting.
Key ingredients:
leftover turkey (instead of chicken thighs)
chorizo
long-grain white rice
chicken broth
red bell pepper
Made one of these? Leave a star rating on the recipe and tell me which one your family fought over.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leftover Turkey
Leftover turkey is good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, according to the USDA. Get it into shallow airtight containers within 2 hours of dinner, and freeze anything you won't eat by day four.
Yes, cooked turkey freezes well for 3 to 4 months. Pull it off the bone, pack it into freezer bags in 2 cup portions, squeeze out the air, and thaw it overnight in the fridge before you cook with it.
Warm it inside something saucy instead of reheating it on its own. Stir it into a sauce, rice or casserole for the last few minutes of cooking. For plain slices, add a splash of broth, cover tightly and warm in the oven until it reaches 165°F.
Yes, leftover turkey works in almost any recipe that calls for cooked or shredded chicken. If the recipe starts with raw chicken, skip the searing step and add the cooked turkey near the end so it only has to heat through.
Both work, and a mix is best. Dark meat keeps things juicy and white meat soaks up sauce. When I tested my turkey fried rice with white, dark and a mix, the mix won.
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