Leftover Turkey Salad

The holidays are here and I know most Americans will be cooking up at least 1 turkey this holiday season. But what to do with the leftover turkey?? While I do love a classic turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, it can get old. It’s time to switch it up and make this AWESOME turkey salad! It’s just like chicken salad, but made with turkey and some holiday additions like dried cranberries and pecans! YUM!!

I really love how this recipe turned out and how easy it is to throw together. I don’t know about you, but after cooking for 2 days straight for Thanksgiving or Christmas, the last thing I want to do on the days following is spend a bunch of time cooking in the kitchen. This recipe comes together in just 10 minutes and can be eaten on top of a green salad, on a sandwich with your choice of bread (whatever fits in your diet), or even on a tortilla or wrap! Or you can just eat it plain!

What kinds of dishes do you like to make after Thanksgiving and Christmas with your leftovers? Do you make a turkey for both holidays? Or do you make something different for Christmas like a beef tenderloin? Let me know in the comments below!

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

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Leftover Turkey Salad

• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Paleo
• Low Carb
• Keto
• Whole30

5 from 3 votes

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Perfect for after Thanksgiving and Christmas! This recipe is great for using up your leftover turkey from the holidays and it's so easy to make! This flavor-packed recipe is paleo, gluten free, dairy free, Whole30, and can be made low carb/keto! This recipe can easily be halved if you don't have 2 whole pounds of turkey leftover or if you just want to make a smaller portion.

Prep Time: 9 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 minute min

Servings: 8 -10 servings

Ingredients 

• 2 lb 900g cooked turkey meat (dark and light), chopped (about 6 cups chopped)
• 2 cups 240g diced apple (*see notes for low carb/keto)
• 1 1/2 cups 150g pecan halves, chopped
• 1 cup 190g green grapes, halved (omit for low carb/keto)
• 1/2 cup 70g naturally-sweetened dried cranberries (**see notes for low carb/keto)
• 1 cup diced celery 2 large stalks
• 3 green onions thinly sliced
• 1 cup paleo mayonnaise homemade or store-bought
• 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix gently with a silicone spatula until combined. 
• Use right away or refrigerate for about 4 hours to allow flavors to meld. 

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Notes

*For a lower carb option, I suggest replacing the apple with asian pear. Most asian pears are very low in sugar. If these are still too much sugar for your diet, I suggest replacing the apple with jicama. You still get a nice juicy crunch, but they're super low in sugar. Jicama will add about 10g net carbs to the entire recipe.

**For low carb and keto, I suggest making your own keto-friendly dried cranberries using a recipe like this one! If you're not feeling that ambitious, you can just omit the dried cranberries altogether. 

Category:

• 10 minutes
• American
• Chicken / Turkey
• Christmas
• Dairy-Free
• Dinner
• Fall
• Family Friendly
• Gluten-Free
• Keto
• Low Carb
• Lunch
• Main Dish
• Paleo
• Quick Weeknight Dinners
• Salads
• Thanksgiving
• Turkey
• Whole30
• Winter

Author: Kit

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Did you like the recipe? If so, make sure to leave me a review in the comment section below! Every 5 star review helps others find this recipe! xx Kit