Delicious and easy to make leftover Turkey Salad is the perfect way to use up any of your leftover roasted turkey from a holiday meal. Made with a few simple ingredients, this protein-packed salad is absolutely delicious!
Mayonnaise: this is the classic base for turkey salad and I personally like the flavor it gives the salad. Don’t worry, I’ve provided an alternative below if you don’t love mayo.
Greek Yogurt: instead of all mayonnaise for the salad base, we’re keeping things a bit lighter by using plain greek yogurt as well. This helps to add a bit more protein to the turkey salad as well.
Dijon Mustard: a bit of mustard is a requirement in any turkey salad. Dijon mustard is always my go-to choice. You could also use a whole grain dijon if you prefer.
Leftover Turkey: if you’ve made my simple spatchcock turkey or citrus herb turkey breast recipes for a holiday meal then you likely have a bit of turkey leftover. You’ll need around three cups of leftover chopped turkey for this recipe.
Veggies: fresh celery and onion help to give this turkey salad the perfect crunch.
Pecans: speaking of crunch, chopped pecans provide a bit of extra texture and flavor.
Dried Cranberries: these help to give the turkey salad just a bit of extra sweetness.
Herbs and Spices: a simple combination of fresh dill, garlic powder, salt, and pepper give the salad the perfect flavor.
Helpful Ingredient Substitutions
Mayonnaise: swap all of the mayo for greek yogurt if you prefer!
Turkey: have leftover roasted chicken instead of turkey? feel free to use that instead.
Veggies: this turkey salad is easy to customize by adding in your favorite veggies. Diced carrot or bell pepper would most be delicious in this salad.
Nuts: you can swap the chopped pecans for walnuts, almonds, or even pumpkin seeds or leave them out altogether.
Dried Fruit: don’t love dried cranberries? use dried cherries or even dried blueberries instead!
How to Make This Turkey Salad Recipe
Step One: First start by making the turkey salad “dressing”. Whisk together the salt, lemon juice, pepper, garlic powder, mayonnaise, greek yogurt, and dijon mustard in a small bowl.
Step Two: Then, to a large mixing bowl, add the leftover turkey, celery, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and chopped dill.
Step Three: Pour the dressing mixture over the turkey salad ingredients. Stir until well combined.
Step Four: Serve immediately or chill until you’re ready to serve.
Ways to Serve
There are so many delicious ways to use and serve this leftover turkey salad. Here are a few of my favorite options:
Make a salad! Serve the turkey salad over a bed of fresh lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers. I love using a bit of balsamic vinegar as the dressing.
Enjoy with crackers! Keep things simple and serve the turkey salad with your favorite crackers.
Make a lettuce wrap! You can use bibb lettuce leaves or even blanched collard greens to make veggie forward wrap.
Make a sandwich! Use your favorite bread to make a traditional turkey salad sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and all of your favorite fixings.
How to Store
Store the turkey salad in an air-tight storage container for 1-2 days.
Get even more delicious ways to use leftover turkey, here!
I hope you give this Leftover Turkey Salad a try! It’s easy to make and the perfect way to use leftover roasted turkey. If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
This was delicious! We used our leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I didn’t have any dried cranberries, but otherwise I made this per the recipe. Really great dressing for the turkey!
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This was delicious! We used our leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I didn’t have any dried cranberries, but otherwise I made this per the recipe. Really great dressing for the turkey!
★★★★★