Leftover Turkey Salad
Published 11/15/2021 • Updated 11/14/2023
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Don’t let your leftover turkey go to waste! Loaded with cranberries, walnuts, and plenty of fresh flavor, this leftover turkey salad is a delicious way to use up Thanksgiving turkey.
Mix up traditionally boring Thanksgiving leftovers with this light, crunchy, and flavorful leftover turkey salad. Created to use leftover ingredients from Thanksgiving dinner, this recipe features leftover shredded turkey (light meat, dark meat, or a combination), cranberries and walnuts (from our Thanksgiving salad), leftover Greek yogurt from our healthy mashed potatoes, and more!
After a week of cooking, you’ll appreciate that this turkey salad is a no cook recipe! Simply make the sauce, mix in the turkey and add-ins, and chill. And, if you have even more leftover turkey to use up, try our leftover turkey soup. It’s perfect for a cozy night in or to freeze for later.
Featured Comment
“Absolutely delicious! This turkey salad is crunchy, has a hint of sweetness, and a little tangy (I used a bit more dijon than the recipe called for). The perfect way to use up those leftovers.” – Courtney
What You Need for Leftover Turkey Salad
All of these ingredients come together to create a light, flavorful, turkey salad. This is such a fun alternative to leftover turkey sandwiches all weekend long! You need:
- Shredded turkey
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Mayo
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Salt + pepper
- Onion
- Celery
- Dried cranberries
- Chopped walnuts
- Turkey seasoning
Leftover Turkey Salad Variations
Make this turkey salad your own with any of these substitutions and swaps:
- Instead of leftover turkey, use leftover shredded (or cubed) chicken. For a shortcut, you could even grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it, and use it in this recipe.
- Replace the dried cranberries with the same amount of dried cherries or craisins.
- Use candied walnuts or your favorite kind of chopped nut – almonds or pecans would add a delicious crunch.
try it!
Turkey Seasoning
Ditch the store-bought turkey seasoning and use the most Flavorful Turkey Seasoning made with 9 ingredients you can actually pronounce. This seasoning is made up of garlic powder, brown sugar, kosher salt, and other simple seasonings.
FAQ
Yes, this leftover turkey salad is naturally gluten free.
This salad is super creamy thanks to a combination of Greek yogurt and mayo. To make this turkey salad without mayo, replace the mayo with more plain Greek yogurt.
Absolutely! This salad would be delicious with leftover chicken (or for a shortcut, pick up a rotisserie chicken, shred it, and use it in the recipe).
Storage
Because this recipe is already using leftover turkey, we recommend refrigerating it for up to 3 days. Be sure to refrigerate in an airtight container for maximum freshness!
Leftover turkey salad is best fresh. We don’t recommend freezing turkey salad as the creamy sauce won’t freeze and thaw well.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this leftover turkey salad the same ways you would with chicken salad. It’s delicious:
As a sandwich: Scoop 1 cup of turkey salad onto a piece of bread with lettuce, onion, and any of your favorite sandwich toppings.
In a salad: Top a bed of greens with 1 cup of this turkey salad.
As lettuce wraps: Skip the bread and make turkey salad lettuce wraps (as shown in these photos).
Leftover Turkey Salad
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup 2% plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
- 6 heaping cups of shredded turkey
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, or craisins
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon turkey seasoning*, to taste
Instructions
- Add the Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, and onion to a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Fold in the shredded turkey and gently mix until all of the turkey is coated in the sauce.
- Mix in the celery, cranberries, and walnuts.
- Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for 15 minutes to slightly chill before serving (our preference).
- Serve on a salad, in a sandwich, or on its own.
Tips & Notes
- Storage: Store leftover turkey salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Turkey Seasoning: If your leftover turkey isn’t well seasoned, add 1-2 teaspoons of our homemade turkey seasoning for extra flavor. If you’re using our smoked turkey or turkey tenderloin in this turkey salad, you do not need to add extra seasoning.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Absolutely delicious! This Turkey salad is crunchy, has a hint of sweetness, and a little tangy (I used a bit more dijon than the recipe called for). The perfect way to use up those leftovers.
Glad you guys loved this!