Published 11/15/2021 • Updated 11/14/2023 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.
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:
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! Turkey Seasoning 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:
Ways to Use Leftover Turkey
Turkey Wild Rice Soup Turkey Casserole Leftover Turkey Soup Turkey Quesadilla Turkey Pesto Sandwiches
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).
