Here are a TON of leftover turkey meat recipes you can use after Thanksgiving or Christmas to make it last!! Love the leftover turkey recipe turnovers I shared last year? I know they’re the best but we have many more!

turkey meat recipes
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Do you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas and looking for some easy turkey meat recipes so it doesn’t go to waste?? Or, do you love making turkey year round but want to try something new. Well I have a TON of great leftover turkey recipe ideas for you to try. (affiliate links present)

Recipes using Leftover Turkey

Do you always cook your turkey in a roasting pan in the oven? Maybe you put it into an oven bag like your mom did back in the day?? There are TONS of other methods of cooking a moist turkey nowadays. We have a few to share with you so you can hop outside of the box and see which one you like best.

Usually you want to dice it up, add other ingredients to moisten it back up and bake into something like our Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits. Of course you can make into a double crust pot pie too if you want more breading but either way it makes a great second or third meal.

baking a turkey in the oven

See how long does a turkey take to cook. Then try it a NEW way this year, then use the leftovers in a few different recipes. We have a bunch of those ideas below, let us know which ones are your favorites!

Different ways to cook a turkey

There are many easy Instant Pot chicken recipes you can use as a leftover turkey recipe. Just swap out the chicken and follow the rest of the directions for a ton of new ideas. Leftover turkey goes great in this crack chicken casserole recipe.

  • On the day after Thanksgiving you must make these turkey pockets!! Grab a large bowl and make this easy turkey mixture. 

Then spoon goodness inside refrigerated crescent rolls with salt and pepper. It’s our favorite weeknight dinner after the big day.

leftover turkey recipe

Leftover Turkey Recipes

You can use any leftover chicken recipe really and use this protein instead. We do this with our Bisquick turkey pot pie recipe. After Thanksgiving this one works great. Basically anything you would otherwise add chicken or tuna to, like our tetrazzini recipe, you could use with this protein.

  1. Leftover turkey pot pie soup with diced precooked turkey breast
  2. Our leftover turkey pot pie is great and we have freezer directions for you too
  3. Stuffing Muffin Cups with Turkey and Ranch
  4. Fun Leftover turkey puff pastry is a great recipe for little hands
  5. Throw it into an Instant Pot casserole and make it cheesy
  6. Instant Pot turkey soup is great with a little onion and garlic

This is a bit like a hearty turkey chili of sorts that’s great topped with cheese and avocado. You could even add some bread crumbs to the top for texture.

Instant Pot Turkey Soup 2

Recipes for Leftover Turkey Breast

Want to slice up what you have? Throw a few pieces on to air fryer sandwiches and that makes a great lunch for sure. It doesn’t really matter what part of the bird you have. Dice it up into bite size pieces and you can use it in one or all of these.

  1. Instant Pot barley soup is great with diced leftover turkey inside of it
  2. Turkey, Fontina and Pancetta Pita Sandwich Recipe
  3. Cream Cheese Turkey and Vegetable Soup Recipe
  4. Southwest Turkey meatball & Green Chili Pinwheels
  5. Here’s gluten free turkey soup if you need something like that

If you have a pressure cooker you can really swap out any precooked meat with your leftovers. We do this when making Instant Pot turkey tetrazzini! It’s a bit like tuna noodle casserole but with the other meat. ๐Ÿ˜‰

instant pot turkey tetrazzini

Easy Leftover Turkey Recipes

Cassoulet with White Beans, Turkey and Sausage is yummy. It could be made with lean ground turkey instead of leftovers too.

  1. Perfect Turkey and Cheese Slider Sandwiches
  2. Turkey and Stuffing Sliders will be your favorite over the old fashioned ground beef varieties.
  3. Easy Turkey Crescent Bites

Pot Pie Bites are a fun choice too

How to Use up Leftover Turkey

  1. Turkey and Cranberry Panini is simple vs. a traditional sandwich
  2. Thanksgiving Cranberry Flatbread pizza is a fun way to jazz that turkey meat up
  3. Cheesy Turkey Stuffing Burritos can be adjusted to mild or super spicy if you like

Our Instant Pot chicken pot pie soup is great with what you have left. You can add as many veggies as you like too. Skip the saute section with olive oil because your meat is already cooked. Dinner in 5 minutes is done.

It will transform leftovers into a new meal everyone will love for sure.

A spoonful of creamy chicken pot pie soup with vegetables, simmering perfectly in an Instant Pot.

Day after Thanksgiving Recipes

  1. Simple Turkey Roll Ups are fun for the kids
  2. Easy Turkey Soup with Potato Dumplings become a hearty meal
  3. Leftover Turkey Casserole with Rice is a bit like Instant Pot chicken and rice which would work well too.
  4. Delicious Turkey Pot Pie Recipe is the traditional style. Give it a whirl if you’ve never made a homemade version before.

Love casseroles? Try our Instant Pot chicken noodle casserole with turkey instead this year.

I have used fresh meat as well as leftovers in this. Either way it is a hit with my girls and husband.

A festive collage showcasing an array of delicious turkey meat recipes, featuring mouthwatering sandwiches, savory pastries, and hearty casseroles.

You can make turkey burgers essentially by slapping some meat on buns and then dressing them up with mayo and lettuce.

After you enjoy these turkey meat recipes you might enjoy these easy desserts!

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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2 Comments

  1. This bakery taste of it is very special very tasty. I often do it on weekends for my husband and children. Thank you!

  2. Thanks for including my recipe. I love, love, love turkey. So happy to find a lot more delicious recipes with turkey.