Leftover Turkey Salad
Updated
Updated
This easy Turkey Salad with cranberries makes a quick and easy lunch using Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. Shredded cabbage, Romaine, and chow mein noodles add a satisfying crunch, while the simple dressing packs in the flavor. Enjoy it at home or take it to work!
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Easy Turkey Cranberry Salad
When it comes to using up Thanksgiving leftovers, you certainly can’t beat Turkey Tetrazzini or other casseroles when you have an excess of stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. But I always have more turkey leftover than anything else, and after a few days, my body just wants something a little lighter.
This turkey cranberry salad is one of my go-to’s. With a simple sweet and tangy dressing, it’s creamy but not super heavy and in addition to the turkey, you have dried cranberries, cabbage, romaine, and celery. Chow mein noodles and toasted almonds are added just before serving, to add a bit of crunch to every bite. It comes together in just minutes for a quick and satisfying lunch.
Helpful Tips
- Wait to dress the salad. If you’re not serving the salad right away, wait to dress it. I would also wait to add the almonds and chow mein noodles to ensure they stay crunchy.
- Use fresh, crisp vegetables. Opt for cabbage, scallions and celery that are crisp, not tender, for the best crunch in the salad.
- Dried cranberries: Cranberries and turkey love one another. We love their flavor and pop of color. Make sure you use dried cranberries, not fresh for this recipe.
- Use chicken instead. While this is a great Thanksgiving leftovers recipe, you can easily make this throughout the year with leftover chicken breast or even rotisserie chicken.
Turkey Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad
- 3 cups cooked turkey, diced
- 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 cup coleslaw
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2 scallions, diced
- 1 1/3 cups chow mein noodles
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until incorporated and smooth.
- Add in all the salad ingredients; toss to combine until everything is well coated.
- Note: If not serving right away, wait to add the dressing, almonds, and chow mein noodles so they stay crunchy.
- Serve in bowls and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
How to Store Leftover Turkey Salad
Leftover turkey salad can be stored in the fridge overnight. Due to the ingredients, I don’t recommend storing it for more than a day or two. Note that once the chow mein noodles and almonds are mixed in with the salad, they will begin to soften, so if making this ahead of time, I recommend leaving those out until right before serving.
More Ways to Use Leftover Turkey:
- Turkey Tetrazzini practically begs for leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
- Add some to this Mushroom Rice and make a meal out of it.
- Make a Turkey Apple Pasta Salad.
- Cranberry-Turkey Enchiladas are a must!
- Swap out the chicken for turkey in these Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Bundles.
- Put some in Chicken Noodle Soup.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
This was easy and delicious and PERFECT for a light lunch the day after Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing!
Made this yesterday and we all loved it! I make a big bird and am always looking for new ways to use up leftover turkey each year beyond the usual. This was easy, light, and delish – thank you!