Leftover Turkey Salad
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Published Nov 23, 2020, Updated Nov 06, 2024
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This lightened-up turkey salad with celery, onion, dried cranberries and almonds is the perfect recipe to make with leftover turkey.
I have plenty of protein-packed salads (like this curried avocado egg salad and my almond butter chicken salad) but for some reason I’ve never shared a turkey salad. Now seems like the perfect time because this tasty salad can be made with your turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving or Christmas. There’s only so many turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce sandwiches one can eat, amirte?!
Funny story about when I was testing this recipe… we’ve been doing curbside pickup lately at Kroger so I put in an order for a turkey breast. I thought I was ordering a small turkey breast (similar to what you’d get if you ordered a chicken breast)… well little did I know what I actually ordered was a frozen 8 lb turkey breast.
I needed to cook the breast right away because I was recipe testing this recipe the next day. The package said it would need to thaw for 1-3 days in the fridge! I had no time for that so I Googled how to cook a frozen turkey breast, found an Instant Pot recipe and guess what… it worked!! I defrosted the turkey breast using warm water just enough to remove the gravy packet.
We put the breast in our pressure cooker with a little broth, garlic powder, oregano and cooked it on high for 30 minutes. It came out perfectly cooked, juicy and delicious. Looong story short, if you happen to need an easy Instant Pot recipe for turkey breast (frozen or not), here’s the recipe!
Needless to say, this turkey salad recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers. It’s light, flavorful and can be used in so many ways (see ideas below).
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for leftovers – This recipe is a delicious way to use up Thanksgiving turkey! It gives new life to leftovers without feeling like “just leftovers.”
- Quick and easy – With just a little chopping and mixing, this salad comes together fast, making it a great option for a simple lunch or dinner.
- Customizable – Easily swap ingredients to make it your own—try different nuts, add extra veggies, or adjust the dressing to suit your taste.
- Nutritious and filling – With lean protein from the turkey, healthy fats, and a pop of fresh veggies, this salad is both nourishing and satisfying.
Turkey Salad Ingredients
- turkey – the star of this salad! Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is perfect, but any cooked turkey will work.
- celery and red onion – these add flavor and crunch. I love the fresh bite they bring to the salad!
- dried cranberries – for a touch of natural sweetness.
- almonds – adds that perfect crunch. Toasting really brings out the nutty flavor!
- mayonnaise – I like using avocado oil mayo here, but any type works.
- plain Greek yogurt – I used full-fat for extra creaminess, but low-fat or fat-free will work too.
- lemon juice – fresh lemon juice brightens up the dressing! Apple cider vinegar is a good backup if you’re out.
- dijon mustard – adds just a little kick.
- sea salt and black pepper – to season the salad to perfection.
- fresh dill or parsley – for a fresh, herby flavor. Either works, so use what you have!
Substitutions
One of my favorite things about protein salads is that you can switch up the recipe and use what you have!
- Fresh herbs: I love the fresh dill in this recipe, but you can use a different fresh herb like oregano or parsley if that’s what you have on hand.
- Protein: Obviously this recipe is for leftover turkey, but if you don’t have turkey on hand you can certainly used chicken, like my instant pot shredded chicken.
- Fruit: I chose to use dried cranberries to keep the Thanksgiving/holiday theme but you can use a different dried fruit or even fresh grapes or apple chunks. All of these work great in protein salads for a little sweetness.
- Nuts: Any nut works in place of the almonds. I love using toasted chopped pecans as well! If you have a nut-allergy, pumpkin seeds would be an excellent option.
- Greek yogurt: If you don’t have yogurt on hand and want to use all mayonnaise, go right ahead. I used half and half to keep the recipe a bit lighter, but you certainly don’t have to use the yogurt. Just be sure to stick with plain yogurt if you do use it—anything with added sugar will alter the flavor of the salad.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Salad
This leftover turkey salad is a great way to make use of Thanksgiving leftovers. It’s super simple to throw together, and you can enjoy it in so many ways. Here’s how to make it!
Combine Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, add the turkey, celery, onion, cranberries, almonds, mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, and fresh dill. Toss everything together until well combined.
Serve – Enjoy this turkey salad over greens, in a lettuce wrap, as a sandwich, with crackers, or in a pita or croissant roll.
Brittany’s Tips
- Use fresh herbs: Fresh dill or parsley really brighten up this salad and add a pop of flavor. Dried herbs can work in a pinch, but fresh makes all the difference. Trust me, it’s worth it!
- Chill before serving: Letting the salad sit in the fridge for 15-20 minutes after mixing helps the flavors meld together. Plus, it tastes even better when it’s a bit chilled.
How to Serve This Salad
I feel like I can’t stop raving about protein salads… and for good reason! There are so many ways to enjoy this turkey salad, you could eat leftover for days!
- As a salad – Serve the turkey salad over a bed of greens for a light, fresh meal. You could use kale, spinach, or even my arugula salad as a base.
- In a wrap – Scoop the turkey salad into lettuce wraps for a low-carb option, or use a whole-grain tortilla or pita for something more filling. Add a drizzle of my honey mustard dressing for some extra flavor. Wrap it up and enjoy!
- As a sandwich – This salad makes an amazing sandwich filling! Try it on homemade sourdough bread, in a pita, or on a croissant roll for a little indulgence. Layer with crunchy romaine or microgreens—because who doesn’t love a little extra crunch?
- With crackers or chips – Enjoy the turkey salad with your favorite crackers, pita chips, or veggie sticks for a quick snack or party appetizer. My almond flour crackers or sweet potato chips are great gluten-free options. Warning: you might just eat it all in one sitting!
How to Store Leftovers
As you can tell from all the ways to enjoy this, this salad stores really well. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Sometimes later in the week, I need to mix in additional mayonnaise if it’s a little dry but you can adjust to your liking!
Frequently Asked Questions
No problem! You can use all mayo instead of half yogurt and half mayo. Just make sure to use plain yogurt if you choose to include it, as added sugar will change the flavor.
You can swap the yogurt for a dairy-free yogurt or just use extra mayo. It’ll still be just as creamy and delicious
I’d stick to enjoying this salad fresh, as the dressing and veggies don’t freeze well. If you want to freeze your leftover turkey, you can always add it to a fresh batch of salad later!
More Turkey Recipes to Try
- Cheesy Eggplant Casserole with Ground Turkey
- Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers
- Turkey Taco Salad
- Turkey Chili
- Turkey Soup
- Tamari Ground Turkey Skillet
More Protein Packed Salads
- Curried Chickpea Salad
- Curry Chicken Salad
- Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
- Tuna Salad
- Salmon Salad
- Rotisserie Chicken Salad
- Tarragon Chicken Salad
Be sure to check out the full collection of Thanksgiving recipes as well as all of the side dishes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Leftover Turkey Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped cooked turkey
- ½ cup diced celery, about 2 stalks
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup salted and roasted almonds, chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, I like avocado oil mayo
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, I used full fat, but you could use low fat
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup fresh dill, parsley also works
Instructions
- Add turkey into a large bowl along with celery, onion, cranberries, almonds, mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, salt and fresh dill. Toss to combine.
- Enjoy salad on top of a bed of greens, in a lettuce wrap, as a sandwich with regular bread, on crackers, in a pita or on a croissant roll. Store leftovers in an airtight covered container for 3-5 days.
Notes
- Storage: This salad can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Sometimes later in the week, I need to mix in additional mayonnaise if it’s a little dry but you can adjust to your liking!
- Nut-free: If you have a nut-allergy, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) would be an excellent option to swap out the almonds for.
- Dairy-free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you could either use a little more mayo instead of yogurt, or a coconut milk based yogurt. I haven’t tried this out, so if you do use a dairy-free yogurt, please let me know in the comments how it went.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was so easy and so yummy. Loved the different textures
Delicious! I tried it both with and without the yogurt and I definitely prefer it as written! So yummy! Thank you again!!
YUM! So glad you are loving this salad and it is a hit for you, Elissa. Thank you so much for your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Will absolutely make this again and look forward to trying different fruit and nut options. This is a delicious way to make your turkey a fresh new meal!
YUM! I am so excited you gave this recipe a try and it was a hit for you, Lynda. Thank you so much for your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
This recipe looks great but I don’t have any cooked turkey, do you think I could make it with canned turkey?
Thank you
Hey Victoria, I’m sure that would work. Or you could sub the turkey for shredded chicken!
I used canned turkey and dill seasoning because that’s what I had and it got rave reviews. I will make it again when I have left over turkey. Great recipe! Thank you
Oh yay! So happy to hear that!! Thanks for coming back to share.
This recipe was so good and very easy to make..
WOO! I am excited to hear that you loved this recipe, Linda. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me.
This recipe is so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Ah YAY! I am so happy that you are loving this recipe, Ashe. Thank you for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
This recipe is perfect for leftover turkey! I will definitely be making this again.
Yay! So glad you loved this salad, Maren. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I made this yesterday and it is the best turkey salad! I will be making it again and again.
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear, Kim!! I’m so pumped you’re loving this salad.
This was amazing! After several days of eating plain turkey, this recipe was just what I needed to take it up a notch! My family was very skeptical about me branching out and trying something new, but we all loved it and I think this will become a part of our yearly Thanksgiving tradition! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Isn’t it so good?! I’m obsessed. I’m glad this salad was a hit with your family. Thanks for giving this recipe a try and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
This looks so yummy! We opted for a full turkey this year, even though there are only a few of us. I will use leftovers to make this.
It’s so good!! Definitely come back and let me know what you think of it. 🙂