Leftover Turkey Recipes (2024)

If you’re wondering what to do with leftover turkey, look no further!

Leftovers are one of my favorite parts of the holidays since it means easy meals for days or weeks to come (YAY!!).

Below is a collection of the best leftover turkey recipes and ideas. Create a new recipe like turkey soup or keep it simple with a hot turkey sandwich, the possibilities are endless!

Leftover Turkey Recipes (1)

What to Make With Leftover Turkey

When it comes to leftover turkey ideas there is no shortage. Especially when you consider that almost every recipe made with chicken is great with turkey too!

A delicious turkey pot pie or turkey salad sandwich are just some of the delicious ways to use it.

Bones, Neck, Giblets, and Carcass

  • If you make roast or spatchco*ck turkey, keep the backbone to add to turkey broth for soup.
  • Use the carcass or the neck from your Thanksgiving turkey for turkey stock. This can also be made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
  • Use the giblets in gravy or add them to leftover stuffing. If you’d like, keep the livers to make patè.
Leftover Turkey Recipes (2)
Leftover Turkey Recipes (3)

Leftover Turkey Soups

A bowl of soups is a great way to enjoy thanksgiving leftovers and it’s easy to make. Use the crockpot or make them on the stove for an easy meal! Serve with some dinner rolls or a thick slice of garlic bread to soak up every last drop!

Slow Cooker Turkey Soup (Cajun Bean)

Slow Cooker Turkey Vegetable Soup

White Turkey Chili

Slow Cooker

Creamy Turkey Soup Recipes

  • Hearty Turkey Stew (with leftover turkey) – Thick, cozy, and creamy with carrots and potatoes, this rustic turkey stew is a new favorite!
  • Creamy Wild Rice Soup – A classic soup recipe for good reason. Wild rice, vegetables, and tender chunks of leftover turkey in a creamy broth.
  • Leftover Turkey Soup with Potato Drop Dumplings – A simple turkey soup with mashed potato dumplings. A great way to use up broth and potatoes!
  • Turkey Tetrazzini Soup – A delicious slurpable spin on a classic turkey tetrazzini.

Broth Based Soups

  • Turkey Soup – Simply perfect. No oddball ingredients, this leftover turkey recipe is full of goodness.
  • Slow Cooker Turkey Vegetable Soup – Jam-packed with veggies in a tomato broth, this turkey soup is easy to make in the slow cooker. Add in leftover vegetables from dinner too!
  • Slow Cooker Cajun Bean Turkey Soup– Cajun bean soup is a hearty and delicious way to enjoy leftovers and great to feed a crowd. This soup reheats beautifully.
  • Turkey Noodle Soup – Turkey, vegetables, and noodles are cooked on the stovetop in just a few simple steps.
  • Spicy Southwest Turkey and Bean Soup – Leftovers with a kick. This soup is great topped with sour cream, salsa, and some jalapenos.

Turkey Chili Recipes

  • White Turkey Chili – leftover turkey chili in a flavorful sauce. This recipe cooks in the slow cooker for an easy hands-off meal.

Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipes

Turkey Tetrazzini

Recipes

Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole with Turkey

Casseroles

Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey

Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipes

Casseroles are my favorite, easy to make ahead of time, low on dishes, and belly-warming for sure! Most chicken casserolerecipes start with cooked chicken and it can almost always be substituted for cooked turkey (which is a big part of the reason I cook more turkey than I need).

Rice Casseroles

  • Turkey Broccoli Rice Casserole – Instant rice (or Minute Rice) makes this recipe extra fast. Kids and adults alike love it.
  • Wild Rice Casserole – Substitute the chicken for leftover turkey for an easy casserole.

Pasta Casseroles

  • Turkey Tetrazzini – This creamy pasta dish has leftover turkey and mushrooms with spaghetti in a creamy sauce. Top it all with cheese and bake until bubbly.
  • Creamy Turkey Casserole – Super quick prep and any kind of pasta, this shortcut meal is great for leftovers.

Other Casseroles

  • Turkey Pot Pie – Literally perfect. Flaky crust, tender leftover turkey, a flavorful creamy sauce, and cozy veggies.
  • – A bit like a turkey pot pie but with a fluffy cornbread topping.
  • Leftover Turkey Enchiladas – Tortillas filled with leftover turkey, smothered in enchilada sauce and cheese, and baked until bubbly.
  • Herbed Turkey Stroganoff – This saucy herby dish is full of flavor (and leftover turkey) and it’s perfect spooned over leftover mashed potatoes or pasta.
  • Cheesy Turkey Zucchini Casserole – Zucchini and turkey mix with stuffing in a new family favorite casserole.l
  • Turkey Stuffing Roll-Ups – All of the flavors of turkey dinner in turkey rolls. Use deli turkey or thin slices of leftover turkey. If your leftovers are too hard to roll, stack ’em up!
  • Leftover Turkey Casserole – This leftover turkey recipe has all of the goodness of Thanksgiving dinner in one dish.

Turkey Cranberry Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

Turkey Sandwich

Sandwiches

Turkey Salad

Turkey

Easy Turkey Wraps

Sandwiches

Leftover Turkey Salads & Sandwiches

Leftover turkey is, of course, great for meals like soups and casseroles but it makes for a great lunch too! We use it in place of chicken in our favorite chicken salad sandwichesand add it todill pickle pasta salad for a hearty meal! My absolute favorite way to enjoy leftover turkey is as a hot turkey sandwich though (recipe below)!

Salads

  • Turkey Cranberry Pasta Salad – Creamy and flavorful, this is great for lunches throughout the week.
  • Leftover Turkey Salad – This turkey salad is quick and creamy. Serve as a turkey salad sandwich or spoon over lettuce.

Sandwiches

  • Easy Turkey Wraps – Use deli turkey or leftover turkey. Add in some leftover cranberry sauce too!
  • Club Sandwich – Turkey + BLT = club sandwich! This is one of our all-time favorites.
  • Turkey Bacon Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Crispy, melty, gooey goodness.
  • Cranberry Turkey Pinwheels – Make ahead and serve for snacks, appetizers, or lunches.
  • Monte Cristo Sandwich – A crisp coated sandwich filled with ham, turkey, and lots of melty cheese. Dip in jam or better yet, cranberry sauce.
  • Turkey Sandwich – Simple and delicious.

What Can You Do With Leftover Turkey?

The great thing about roasting turkey or turkey breasts is that it’s cooked once and then you have easy prep for days (or weeks to come)! I use every bit of the turkey from the neck and backbone to the carcass.
Regardless of how you intend to use it, store leftover turkey meat and bones in airtight containers or zippered bags. This will help keep it fresh as long as possible.

How Long is Leftover Turkey Good For?

In the fridge, the leftover turkey should last 3-5 days.
In the freezer, it should last for up to a month if frozen. Perfect when you intend to use it later!

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Christmas, Kitchen Tips, Recipe Collections, Thanksgiving, Turkey

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Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Leftover Turkey Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long is leftover turkey good for in the fridge? ›

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

What to do with over cooked turkey? ›

Place your carved meat in a shallow baking dish and cover it with stock. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in low oven, somewhere around 250 degrees, for 5-10 minutes. The dryness won't be entirely gone after this short broth bath, but the turkey will definitely be more moist than before.

How do you make leftover turkey juicy again? ›

Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F.
  2. Slice the turkey and spread into a baking dish. ...
  3. Cover the turkey with broth and dot with the butter. ...
  4. Reheat in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. ...
  5. Serving.

Can I freeze cooked turkey after 3 days? ›

If your turkey has been properly handled, you can refrigerate and eat it for up to four days. If you are planning to freeze it, it's best to freeze it within one day of cooking for optimal texture and taste. However, leftover turkey can be frozen after three days and it will be fine.

Can I eat leftover turkey after 7 days? ›

How long do the turkey and trimmings stay safe in the refrigerator or freezer? The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later.

Can you eat leftover turkey on the 5th day? ›

Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days. Another option is freezing the cooked turkey. Turkey can last up to four more months if frozen.

Why does leftover turkey taste different? ›

Though it's especially obvious in leftover fish and poultry, discerning connoisseurs can pick out the WOF bouquet in most reheated meats. These flavors are the result of a series of chemical reactions that begins with the deterioration of specific kinds of fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs.

How do chefs reheat turkey? ›

To reheat, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Keeping the turkey in the roasting pan, pour a bit of stock (chicken, turkey, or veggie stock or broth will work) over the meat to moisten it. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the turkey is warmed through.

Why is my turkey tough after cooking? ›

Collagen in the bird (one of three protein fibers that attaches muscles to the bone) breaks down into softer gelatin molecules as it unwinds. If a turkey is cooked too long, the muscle proteins coagulate within the meat and cause dryness.

Does reheating turkey dry it out? ›

To not dry out a turkey, you need to add moisture when you reheat the meat. You'll see in our reheating methods that we add homemade gravy, chicken stock or butter to the turkey before heating it up low and slow. This ensures that juices in the turkey won't escape as steam when they're exposed to heat.

What can I do with leftover turkey grease? ›

Dispose of it the Right Way

Pour the grease into a seal-tight container and throw in the waste bin. Some homeowners pour the grease down the drain or even the toilet. This can be catastrophic if the grease solidifies in the septic tank, leading to solid globs that clog the system.

Is a 3 year old frozen turkey still good? ›

Frozen Turkey

Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

Can I eat turkey left out overnight? ›

How can you be sure your leftovers are safe? A turkey can sit out for a maximum of two hours in the temperature danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees F. If the room temperature is above 90 degrees, limit the time that turkey sits out to only one hour.

Can dogs eat turkey? ›

You may have noticed that turkey is a common ingredient in dog treats and dog food. Skinless, unseasoned white turkey meat that's been properly cooked is actually fine for dogs to consume in small amounts. Ground turkey, as long as it's plain and has no additives, is also perfectly healthy for dogs.

Can you reheat turkey after 5 days? ›

Leftover cooked food may be stored in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. During this time, you can reheat the leftovers to 165 °F. Be sure to return any unused portion to the refrigerator within two hours to remain safe.

Are leftovers good after 7 days? ›

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Can I keep a fresh turkey in the fridge for 5 days? ›

Buy a fresh turkey one to two days before the day you plan to cook. If there is a 'best-by' or 'use by' date on the manufacturer's label, then you can keep fresh poultry, unopened, in the refrigerator until that date.

Is it OK to eat turkey that's been in the fridge for 2 weeks? ›

If properly stored, raw turkey can last in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cold cuts last up to 5 days. How long does cooked turkey last in the fridge? If you have leftovers that include cooked turkey, you can expect those to last in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

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