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This Turkey Salad is creamy, loaded with texture, and a perfect use for leftover turkey. Quickly mix up a batch to use in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, and more!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy Make Ahead – Mix up the salad and store in the fridge for days for easy lunches.
- Leftover Turkey – Use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
- Customizable – You can swap in different mix-ins to suit your preferences.
Ingredients For Turkey Salad
This recipe is super customizable! Start with the easy tangy dressing, some leftover cooked turkey (or even chicken), and some crunchy and chewy mix-ins. All of the mix-ins offer incredible chances for texture and contrast.
- Dressing: Mayonnaise (for a lighter spin, you can swap in some or all of the mayo for plain greek yogurt), Dijon Mustard, Lemon Juice.
- Cooked Turkey – A great use for leftover turkey!
- Fresh Herbs, Veggies, Fruit, and Nuts – fresh parsley, celery, green onions, pecans, and dried cranberries.
- Salt and Pepper
How To Make Turkey Salad
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Just a quick mix and this easy turkey salad is ready to enjoy!
- Mix Mayo Dressing – Start by mixing together the mayo, mustard, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
- Add Remaining Ingredients – Fold in the remaining ingredients until well combined. I recommend folding gently so you don’t break up the cooked turkey too much.
- Serve – Serve immediately or store in the fridge.
FAQs
It’s made of a tangy mayo-based dressing, cooked turkey, and some mix-ins like celery, nuts, and dried cranberries. Typically you would use diced or shredded leftover turkey, but chicken is similar in taste and texture and can also be used.
Due to the mayo in the dressing, it is not recommended to freeze this dressing. The salad will lose its great texture and the dressing may become watery when thawed.
Serving Suggestions
There are lots of ways to serve this salad, some of my favorites are:
- On toasted bread
- In croissant sandwiches with lettuce and tomato
- With crackers
- In hollowed-out tomatoes
- Spread on apple slices
- Lettuce wraps using romaine or butter lettuce
Variations
Chicken – Instead of turkey, try making the salad with leftover cooked chicken.
Other Mix-Ins – You can easily customize this salad by swapping in other ingredients such as chopped apples, halved grapes, or other nuts.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Expert Tips
- Fold Gently – To avoid breaking up the turkey into tiny pieces, it’s best to fold gently when mixing the salad together.
- Great use for leftover turkey – This is a perfect recipe for leftover Thanksgiving turkey or you can cook up some turkey for this recipe like this air fryer turkey breast.
More Turkey Recipes
- Turkey, Cranberry and Walnut Pasta Salad
- Creamy Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
- BLT Turkey Wraps
- Turkey Vegetable Soup
- Turkey Sliders
Creamy Turkey Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise more or less to taste
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 4 cups cooked turkey chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced parsley
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice.
- Add chopped turkey, parsley, celery, green onions, pecans and cranberries. Mix gently until well combined.
- Serve on toasted bread, croissants, in hollowed out tomatoes or on sliced apples.
