The Best Leftover Turkey Cranberry Salad Recipe- Simple
This Simple Leftover Turkey Cranberry Salad Recipe is filled with crunchy celery, pecans, dried cranberries, and leftover turkey, all topped with a creamy honey Greek yogurt dressing. Each bite is perfectly balanced between crunch, tart, and sweetness! This is my favorite turkey salad recipe.
I don’t know about you, but after a weekend of holiday cooking and entertaining, I don’t want a fussy recipe for leftovers. No thanks. Simple is the name of the game for me, which is why, post-holidays, you will find me cooking something super easy, like chopping up the leftover turkey meat and putting it on top of a Caesar salad.
I’m adding one more excellent, easy leftover recipe to my repertoire today. This cranberry
turkey salad is the perfect no-cook, no-fuss use for leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Dice up
a few ingredients, mix everything, and have a delicious sandwich filling that lasts for days. This is one of my favorite ways to use turkey leftovers! You could serve this on a sandwich with leftover cranberry sauce – my fav!
The flavor of this healthy turkey salad is so good, with tart cranberries and tender turkey in
every bite. The Greek yogurt and mayonnaise dressing is perfectly balanced with honey for
sweetness and fresh lemon juice to keep it light and bright. Feel free to substitute chopped chicken breast!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Recipe Ingredients
To make leftover cranberry turkey salad, you need the following ingredients (full ingredients list with exact measurements are included in the recipe card below):
- 3 cups cooked turkey, cubed or shredded
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- 3 green onions, slice
Ingredient Notes
- I used 2% Fage Greek yogurt. I recommend 2% or full fat Greek yogurt for a thicker and creamier consistency.
- If you are on a gluten-free diet, use a gluten-free mayonnaise such as Sir Kensington.
How To Make Turkey Cranberry Salad – Step by Step
- Add the turkey, celery, cranberries, and pecans to a large bowl. Stir well to combine the ingredients.
- Combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, and milk in a separate small mixing bowl. Stir to mix the dressing, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the dressing and sliced green onions to the salad and stir well to coat all the
ingredients in the dressing. - If desired, top the salad with additional green onions, pecans, and cranberries.
Tips
- You can also make this chopped turkey salad with chicken.
- Serve stuffed into pita bread, rolls or as a salad entree,
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Additions and Substitutions
- Using chopped apples or grapes instead of dried cranberries
- Substituting chopped walnuts or almonds instead of pecans
- Maple syrup instead of honey
- Apple cider vinegar or Dijon mustard instead of lemon juice
- Add chopped red onion instead of green onion
Frequently Asked Questions for Cranberry Turkey Salad
Chopped Chicken Breast or Rotisserie Chicken are delicious in this recipe.
Roasted turkey breast recipe: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a roasting rack inside a roasting pan and grease with olive oil. Dry the turkey breast with a paper towel. Rub soft butter all over the turkey breast and season with fresh herbs (or dried). Our favs are sea salt, pepper, thyme, and sage. Place skin side up and roast for 20 minutes. Then loosely tent with foil and continue roasting until internal temperature is 165 degrees. For a 2-pound turkey breast, that’s about 60 minutes. Remove the turkey breast and let rest for 20 minutes.
I hope you loved this Turkey Cranberry Salad. If you make it, leave a rating so I know you liked it!
Our Favorite
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy!
The Best Leftover Turkey Cranberry Salad Recipe- Simple
This Simple Leftover Turkey Cranberry Salad Recipe is filled with crunchy celery, pecans, dried cranberries, and leftover turkey, all topped with a creamy Honey Greek yogurt salad dressing. Each bite is perfectly balanced between crunch, tart, and sweetness!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 Minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Chop Salad
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked turkey, cubed or shredded
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- 3 green onions, slice
Instructions
- Add the turkey, celery, cranberries, and pecans to a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine the ingredients.
- Combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, and milk in a separate small mixing bowl. Stir to mix the dressing, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the dressing and sliced green onions to the salad and stir well to coat all the
ingredients in the dressing. - Top the salad with additional green onions, pecans, and cranberries, if desired.
Notes
-
- Using chopped apples or grapes instead of dried cranberries
-
- Substituting chopped walnuts or almonds instead of pecans
-
- Maple syrup instead of honey
-
- Apple cider vinegar or Dijon mustard instead of lemon juice
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.