This Easy Smoked Turkey Salad is the perfect leftover Thanksgiving recipe—light, flavorful, and ready in minutes! Toss your smoked turkey with crisp veggies and a zesty dressing for a refreshing twist on holiday leftovers.
Cooking for a large holiday and having leftover food for days is one of my favorite things. The leftovers make all of the prep and planning worth it (in my opinion). Now, leftover thanksgiving turkey is one of my favorite foods! For the past few years, we have been smoking our thanksgiving turkey. This results in a juicy turkey that has a slightly smoky flavor and, the best part, is never dry! These turkey leftovers are best to use in a flavorful turkey salad!
Need help smoking a turkey? Check out my recipe for a Juicy Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey. Spatchcocking the turkey allows the turkey to cook quicker and also helps you to get the entire turkey onto your smoker. Use this leftover smoked turkey in turkey salad! Or, if you are looking for another simple salad recipe, try this Classic Chicken Salad Recipe. This recipe is similar to the turkey salad recipe but uses chicken and is naturally gluten-free.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple! Now that the hard work is done (smoking a turkey), make this easy recipe using the leftovers!
- Delicious, smoky flavor! The smoked turkey adds a layer of depth and a gourmet twist to a classic salad.
- Light yet hearty! After indulging on heavy Thanksgiving foods, this salad is a lighter alternative combining lean protein with crunchy vegetables for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Pantry staples are used to make this homemade turkey salad!
- Turkey meat is the heart of this salad. Use white and dark meat for a juicy, flavorful salad.
- Red onion adds a sharp, sweet bite to the salad.
- Chopped celery adds a crisp crunch that makes the salad feel fresh.
- The turkey salad is mixed in mayonnaise to combine the ingredients and give the salad a smooth, rich flavor.
- Lemon juice and Dijon mustard give the salad some zest and tang.
- Fresh chives and thyme are added to enhance the flavor and give the turkey a fresh taste.
- Salt brings out the natural flavor of the turkey.
- Black pepper and Old Bay seasoning (optional and not photographed) add a subtle heat to the turkey salad.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the chopped turkey, red onion, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, chives and thyme to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt, black pepper and Old Bay seasoning (if using).
Step 2: Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold.
Variations and Substitutions
- Instead of smoking a whole turkey, smoke a turkey breast. This will reduce the smoking time and provide a smaller portion of turkey meat.
- Chopped white onion or scallions can be used in place of the red onion.
- Replace the chopped celery with diced green apples, green onions, or chopped bell pepper. This produce will give a tasty crunch similar to celery.
- Use Greek yogurt and/or sour cream in place of the mayonnaise.
- Replace the fresh thyme and chives with other fresh herbs such as fresh dill or tarragon.
Storage
Turkey salad is better the next day! Store leftover turkey salad refrigerated in an airtight container. Stir before enjoying again and season, if needed. I do not recommend freezing turkey salad due to the mayonnaise. However, you could freeze leftover turkey meat and make the turkey salad later.
Top tip
Add the turkey meat to a stand mixer and mix on low to lightly shred the turkey. This will save time and is the easiest way to shred meat.
FAQ
Yes, you can make smoked turkey ahead of time. Smoked turkey salad actually tastes better after a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator once the flavors have had a chance to meld.
Yes, you can make this turkey salad using store-bought turkey. If you are purchasing turkey from the deli counter, I recommend purchasing thick cut turkey slices cut off of the bone and finely chopping this turkey for the salad.
Instead of mayonnaise, you can use sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, or a combination of both. This will help to lighten the salad.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with turkey salad:
Easy Smoked Turkey Salad (leftover Thanksgiving recipe)
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups Turkey Chopped
- 1/2 cup Red Onion Chopped
- 2 stalks Celery Chopped
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoons Chives Chopped
- 1 tablespoon Thyme Chopped
- Salt and Black Pepper To taste
- Old Bay Seasoning Optional
Instructions
- Add the chopped turkey, red onion, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, chives and thyme to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt, black pepper, and Old Bay (if using).
- Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings and herbs. Serve cold. Enjoy!
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