10 Leftover Turkey Recipes That Taste Brand New
Friday morning, and the fridge is performing its annual magic trick: somehow there’s more turkey than there was on Thursday. Before it gets buried behind everything else, get it into shallow containers and back in the fridge within two hours of serving if it isn’t already — cooked turkey keeps happily for three to four days chilled, or freezes for later. These leftover turkey recipes turn that bird into pot pies, soups, curries and tacos that genuinely taste like new dinners, not reruns.
Whatever you make, reheat leftovers until they’re piping hot and steaming all the way through — and only reheat each dish once. Start with the pot pie tonight.
1. Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
Ready in 45 minutes · Oven bake
The ultimate comfort move — the easiest way to make leftovers feel like a proper dinner again. Soften onion, carrot and celery in butter, stir in a spoonful of flour, then add stock and a splash of milk and simmer into a creamy sauce. Fold in shredded turkey and frozen peas, tip into a dish, lay shop-bought puff pastry over the top, brush with beaten egg and bake until golden and bubbling.
Shortcut: ready-rolled pastry and frozen mixed vegetables cut the prep to ten minutes.
2. Turkey Noodle Soup
Ready in 35 minutes · One pot · Freezer-friendly
If you kept the carcass, simmer it with an onion and a bay leaf for an hour, then strain for stock. No carcass? Good shop stock works fine. Soften carrot, celery and onion, pour in the stock, add shredded turkey and simmer until tender, then stir in egg noodles for the last five minutes. Finish with lemon juice and parsley. It freezes brilliantly — freeze before adding the noodles, so they don’t go soft.
Shortcut: stock cubes plus frozen soffritto mix give you the flavour base in minutes.
3. Creamy Turkey Pasta Bake
Ready in 30 minutes · Oven bake
The crowd-pleaser that clears the fridge fastest. Cook penne until just shy of done, then make a quick cheese sauce in an ovenproof pan: butter, flour, milk, a teaspoon of mustard and plenty of cheddar, stirred until smooth. Fold in the pasta, turkey chunks and peas or sweetcorn, scatter breadcrumbs and extra cheese over the top, and bake until golden and bubbling at the edges.
Shortcut: a jar of cheese sauce makes this a 20-minute assembly job.
4. Turkey Club Sandwiches
Ready in 15 minutes · No cooking
The diner classic, and the best possible use of thick-sliced turkey. Toast three slices of bread per sandwich, then layer: mayonnaise, turkey, crisp bacon, lettuce and tomato, a second slice of toast, more of everything, and the top slice. Press gently, secure with cocktail sticks and cut into triangles. Serve with crisps and leftover cranberry sauce for dipping — sweet against salty bacon is a very good thing.
Shortcut: shop-bought cooked bacon, or bacon left over from breakfast, skips the frying entirely.
5. Turkey Quesadillas
Ready in 15 minutes · One pan
Crisp, cheesy and dangerously quick. Toss shredded turkey with a little BBQ sauce, or keep it classic with just cheese, spring onions and a pinch of smoked paprika. Sandwich between tortillas with plenty of grated cheese, toast in a dry pan until golden on both sides, and rest for a minute before slicing so the filling sets. A spoonful of leftover cranberry sauce inside adds a sweet-sharp surprise.
Shortcut: a sandwich press doubles your output when everyone is hovering.
6. Easy Turkey Curry
Ready in 30 minutes · One pot · Freezer-friendly
The flavour reset you need after days of roast dinners. Soften onion, garlic and ginger, add curry paste or powder and let it sizzle for a minute, then pour in a tin of tomatoes or coconut milk and simmer into a sauce. Stir the turkey in at the end and heat through gently — it’s already cooked, so it only needs warming. Serve over rice with coriander and lime. It freezes beautifully, too.
Shortcut: a good jarred curry paste and frozen chopped onions make this a true 20-minute dinner.
7. Turkey Fried Rice
Ready in 20 minutes · One pan
Day-old rice is the secret — it fries instead of steaming. Scramble two eggs in a hot pan and set aside, then stir-fry diced turkey until it catches at the edges. Add cold cooked rice, frozen peas, spring onions, soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil, and toss over high heat until steaming hot all the way through. Fold the egg back in and serve straight from the pan.
Shortcut: microwave rice pouches, cooled on a tray for ten minutes, work almost as well.
8. Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Ready in 40 minutes · Oven bake
Proper comfort — and it uses up leftover mash too, if you have it. Soften onion and carrot in a pan, stir in chopped turkey, frozen peas and enough leftover gravy — or stock thickened with a spoonful of flour — to make it saucy. Tip into a dish, spoon mashed potato over the top, rough it up with a fork so the peaks crisp, and bake until golden and bubbling.
Shortcut: no leftover mash? Frozen mash portions were made for Friday nights.
9. Turkey Tacos
Ready in 20 minutes · One pan
Shred the turkey and toss it in a hot pan with smoked paprika, cumin, chilli powder and a splash of water and lime juice, warming until the spices coat everything and it’s piping hot. Pile into warm tortillas with shredded cabbage, sour cream and cheese. For a Thanksgiving twist, stir chopped cranberry sauce with lime and coriander for a five-second salsa.
Shortcut: warm tortillas in a dry pan, ten seconds a side, so they fold without cracking.
10. Classic Turkey Salad
Ready in 15 minutes · No cooking
The no-cook classic for when the oven can stay off. Chop the turkey into bite-size pieces and fold through mayonnaise lightened with Greek yoghurt, diced celery, halved grapes or chopped apple, walnuts and a squeeze of lemon. Season well, then pile into sandwiches, spoon over jacket potatoes or serve on crisp leaves. Keep it chilled and eat it the day you mix it, while it’s still crunchy and fresh.
Shortcut: a bag of pre-diced celery and onion skips the chopping board entirely.
Nothing Wasted, Everything Tasty
By Monday the fridge is clear and nobody has eaten the same dinner twice. Better still, our easy slow cooker chicken recipes work beautifully with turkey too — that soup method loves a slow cooker. And browse all our easy recipe ideas for more ideas.
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