Whenever I have extra turkey on hand, I turn to family favorites such as turkey pasta carbonara, turkey roll ups, and this quick and satisfying salad.
I always buy an oversized turkey for the holidays so that I have plenty of leftovers. One of the easiest ways to repurpose leftover turkey is with this flavorful turkey salad. It contains just a handful of ingredients, and is great when served in so many different ways.
How do you make turkey salad?
Dice your turkey into bite size pieces, then place it in a bowl. Add finely diced celery, red onion and parsley. Stir together a mayonnaise based dressing, then pour the dressing over the turkey and vegetables. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use.
Tips for the perfect salad
White or dark meat turkey both work well for this dish, or you can use a combination of the two. You can serve this salad with a side of crackers, spoon it into lettuce leaves for a low carb option, or mound it onto a croissant or toasted bread with lettuce and sliced tomato to serve as a sandwich. I prefer to cut my turkey pieces into 1/4 inch cubes, I find it holds together better that way. That being said, you can cut your turkey as fine or as coarse as you like. Looking to save a few calories? It’s fine to substitute light mayonnaise instead of the full fat variety. I make this dish year round, it’s not just for leftover turkey! If I don’t have leftovers on hand, I purchase a turkey breast at the grocery store and cook it to use in salad.
How long can you keep turkey salad?
This salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep it in an airtight container for best results. Turkey salad should not sit at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Can turkey salad be frozen?
I do not recommend freezing this salad, as it will be watery when thawed. You can freeze leftover turkey to defrost at a later time to make this dish, just don’t freeze the prepared salad.
Flavor Variations
This salad is delicious as written, but you can add other ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
Veggies: Feel free to add more vegetables such as diced red bell pepper, cucumber, artichoke hearts, chopped spinach or finely diced carrot. Herbs and Spices: Kick up the flavor with sliced green onions, chives, dill or fresh basil. Feel free to stir in some spices such as curry powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika or Italian seasoning. Add-Ins: Try adding dried cranberries, halved fresh grapes or a handful of pecans or walnuts for a sweet and savory blend. Protein: You can also make this salad with smoked deli style turkey or diced cooked chicken breast.
Turkey salad is an absolute must-make recipe. It has the perfect blend of flavors that’s sure to please everyone.
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Turkey Salad Video
