October 11, 2020
updated
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This easy turkey salad is a simple and delicious recipe to help you turn those Thanksgiving leftovers into a light lunch the next day.
It’s tossed with fresh chopped celery, seasonings, and just enough mayo to make it creamy and spreadable.
Easy Turkey Salad
This turkey salad is seasoned with Creole seasoning and has the same great texture as my Southern Chicken Salad but slightly smokier thanks to the combination of white and dark meat turkey.
Of course, you don’t need to wait for a major holiday to make this easy lunch recipe. It’s good for any time of year.
Turkey Salad Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy turkey salad:
- shredded roasted turkey – a perfect way to use those leftovers from Thanksgiving
- celery – for a fresh “crunch”
- lemon juice – adds just the right amount of tang
- mayonnaise or Greek yogurt – creamy and delicious
- salt & pepper – can’t make anything without these two
- creole seasoning – adds a little kick to this classic dish
The ingredients are fresh and simple, just the thing we want after a Thanksgiving feast.
If you want this turkey salad to have a little more spice to it, like my Spicy Chicken Salad, add a dash of hot sauce or two to really bring out the spiciness of the creole seasoning.
How to Make Turkey Salad
To achieve a smooth, even texture, this turkey salad is combined in a food processor. No worries, we aren’t going to puree the salad- but pulse it a few times to give the celery and shredded turkey a good chop.
Combined with a dab of mayo, it makes a creamier salad you can use as a sandwich filling or spread crackers. Here’s how to make it:
- Pulse
Place the turkey meat in a food processor and pulse to roughly chop it. - Make the dressing
Whisk together the lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and creole seasoning, until smooth. - Combine
Add the turkey and celery to the dressing and stir to combine.
How to Serve Turkey Salad
Let’s count the way to serve and pack this turkey salad for lunch:
- to dip with crackers
- in a tortilla wrap
- in a sandwich
- over a bed of lettuce
- in a lettuce cup
- stuffed in an avocado
While there are more ways to serve this turkey salad than in between 2 slices of bread, I can’t pass up a good sandwich with multi-grain bread and loads of veggies. If that sounds like the kind of lunch you want to pack to the office, I’ve got more fresh and healthy sandwich ideas to share with you, here.
Prep ahead Turkey Salad
Once this batch is made, you can serve immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. It will last up to 4 days in the fridge, making it an excellent lunch meal prep option for the week.
It’s also full of protein and much healthier than store-bought mayo-based salad.
I have so many recipes like this one that can be made ahead and turned into healthy meals later in the week, which you can check out in my meal prep post.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
While I may be partial to this turkey salad, I’ve included more ideas to help you finish off those turkey leftovers. All you need is about 2-4 cups of shredded turkey to make any of the recipes below.
Quick & Easy Turkey Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups roasted turkey, shredded
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ⅓ to ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
Instructions
- Place the turkey in the food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop. Continue pulsing for 30 seconds until the chicken is finely chopped. *If you turn on the food processor, the turkey will turn into a paste.
- Combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and creole seasoning in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the turkey and celery to the bowl and fold to combine.
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