Turkey fried rice is the best thing that can happen to your leftover turkey. Cold rice, chopped or shredded leftover turkey, frozen veggies and eggs get fried in butter with soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil, and dinner is on the table in 15 minutes.
I tested this with white meat, dark meat and a mix, and the mix wins. Honestly, you cant tell the difference. Use whatever you have leftover and with the prices of groceries, don't waste anything. Dark meat stays juicy, white meat soaks up the sauce, and adding the turkey near the end keeps it from drying out a second time.
My cold butter trick comes straight from my papa's fried rice, the same one in my bacon fried rice. He always added the butter cold at the end, and he was right. It coats every grain and makes the whole pan glossy. Butter makes everything better.
Got a whole bird's worth of leftovers? This is your sign to stop making sandwiches. Fried rice is the original leftovers recipe, and leftover turkey is pre-cooked protein just waiting for a hot pan. Make my turkey pot pie next, or pair this with my garlic fried rice game plan for the rest of your leftover rice.
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How to make (VIDEO)
Ingredients
How do you make turkey fried rice with leftover turkey?
- Step 1: Add in a hot wok or skillet over medium-high heat and cook the garlic and green onion whites for 30 seconds.
- Step 2: Add the cold rice and break it apart for 3 minutes total. Add the cold butter.
- Step 3: Add the frozen vegetables and cook for 2 minutes until hot. Then add the turkey.
- Step 4: Push the veggies around the pan and make room in the middles. Add the scramble the eggs for 1 to 2 minutes until just set, then mix them in.
- Step 5: Add the sauces: soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil toss for 2 minutes until everything is coated with the sauce.
What to serve with turkey fried rice
- Chicken lumpia for a crispy, crunchy side
- No fold dumplings for a full takeout night at home
- Asian cucumber salad to cut through the butter
- Air fryer honey roasted carrots for something sweet
- A crispy fried egg on top, because why not
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Turkey Fried Rice
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and green onion whites and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.2 stalks green onions, 1 tablespoon garlic
- Add the cold rice and break it apart, frying for 3 minutes total. Add the cold butter and toss until it melts and coats every grain.4 cups cooked white rice, 2 tablespoons butter
- Add the frozen vegetables and cook for 2 minutes until hot, then add the leftover turkey.1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups leftover turkey
- Push everything to the sides to make room in the middle. Add the eggs and scramble for 1 to 2 minutes until just set, then mix them in.2 large eggs
- Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and toss for 2 minutes until the turkey is heated through.2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- Top with the green onion greens and toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.toasted sesame seeds
Notes
- Cold rice only. Fresh rice steams and turns mushy. No leftovers? Spread fresh rice on a sheet pan and chill it uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Cold butter with the rice. Papa's rule. It melts into the rice and makes every grain glossy.
- Turkey goes in after the veggies. It is already cooked, so it only needs to heat through. Any earlier and white meat dries out all over again.
- Big pan. If your skillet is small, cook in two batches so the rice fries instead of steams.
- Storage: Fridge 3 to 4 days, counted from when the turkey was first cooked. Freezer up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Hi, I'm Carmen!
I'm the creator of Eat With Carmen, where I share Filipino and other Asian recipes I love and grew up eating, made simple for everyday cooking.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Turkey Fried Rice
Yes, white meat, dark meat or a mix all work in turkey fried rice. Dark meat stays juicier, so if your turkey breast came out dry, lean on the thighs and add the turkey near the end so it only reheats.
Day-old rice is best because cold, dried-out grains fry up separate instead of mushy. No leftover rice? Spread freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and chill it uncovered for 30 minutes before frying.
Yes, swap the leftover turkey for 1 pound of ground turkey browned in the pan first. Cook it until no pink remains, set it aside, then follow the recipe and add it back where the leftover turkey goes.
Cooked turkey keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, so make your turkey fried rice within that window. If you can't get to it in time, freeze the chopped turkey and thaw it overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Yes, turkey fried rice freezes well for up to 2 months. Freeze it flat in freezer bags, then reheat straight from frozen in a hot skillet with a splash of water.
Not as written, because regular soy sauce and oyster sauce contain wheat. Use tamari and a gluten-free oyster sauce to make it gluten-free.
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