Thanksgiving is synonymous with delicious turkey, but some people enjoy leftover turkey just as much — if not more — during the days following Thanksgiving than they do on the actual holiday itself. And while it’s easy enough to reheat those leftover slices in the oven or microwave, there are much more creative ways to repurpose leftovers throughout Thanksgiving weekend.
Here, we’ll answer some common questions about leftovers and share some of our favorite recipes that utilize leftover turkey in fun, delicious, and sometimes surprising ways.
Turkey Leftover FAQ’s
How long do turkey leftovers stay good in the fridge?
The USDA recommends using or freezing cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, so you have the entire Thanksgiving weekend to work through those leftovers.
How long do frozen turkey leftovers stay good?
By wrapping leftovers tightly in plastic wrap before putting them in a compact freezer-safe bag, cooked turkey that’s been frozen can stay good for 3 to 4 months, but frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor the longer they are stored in the freezer.
What is the best way to store leftover turkey?
The biggest key to storing food is to limit air exposure to help prevent bacteria growth in fresh foods and freezer burn in frozen foods. A vacuum sealer kit like the Zwilling Fresh Save Glass Container Starter Set is a kitchen staple for those who regularly store foods.
What’s the best way to reheat leftover turkey?
Any method that gets the turkey back to a safe temperature to eat in relatively short order is a good option. Adding some liquid to leftover turkey to mitigate moisture loss is almost necessary to prevent it from drying out, as will regularly checking the temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure the turkey doesn’t get above the 165°F mark.
While the microwave is the fastest reheating method, you’ll want to be sure to microwave at 50% power in 1-minute intervals to avoid drying out or scorching the leftover turkey. Reheating in the oven in a covered baking dish at 300°F will reheat the turkey more evenly, though it will also take about 40 minutes.
Turkey Leftovers Recipes
1. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich
ATBBQ Staff Chef Tom Jackson was so inspired by Ross Gellar’s Thanksgiving leftover turkey sandwich from a classic episode of the 90’s sitcom Friends that he created a recipe based on the fictional pop culture classic. With soft brie cheese, tart cranberry-orange relish, and robust turkey gravy on freshly toasted bread, it's the perfect way to remix Thanksgiving leftovers!
This one-pot wonder meal is a bold and hearty take on a classic dish. The entire recipe takes less than an hour to prepare and cook and is guaranteed to stick to your ribs on a cold Thanksgiving weekend evening.
3. Turkey Stock
Whatever you do, don’t chuck the neck and back bones when prepping your turkey! Slow-cooked along with veggies and herbs like thyme, sage, and parsley, they provide the base for amazingly rich homemade turkey stock that can be used in stews, soups, sauces, or pot pies.
Speaking of pot pie, Chef Tom’s iron skillet recipe combines leftover turkey with five different vegetables as the foundation of his take on the comfort food classic.
This delectable open-faced sandwich features toasted French bread as the base then layered with your juicy leftover turkey, ripened red tomatoes, oven-roasted bacon, and finally generously topped with a luscious mornay sauce that will create a crunchy outer cheese skirt during the final roast. All these flavors together are simply outstanding.
A fusion egg roll recipe is a fun way to reuse Thanksgiving leftovers. It features a crunchy exterior and a warm, flavorful, Thanksgiving-inspired filling. Chef Tom’s cranberry sweet and sour sauce tops it off to add the perfect amount of zing to each bite.
7. Turkey Fried Rice
It’s honestly hard to believe how easy this recipe is to make. Enjoy the classic flavors of fried rice with leftover turkey serving as the primary protein. This dish is a great complement to the Thanksgiving Egg Rolls for those looking to go all-in.
8. Buffalo Turkey Dip
Thanksgiving weekend is packed to the brim with football, making this game-day recipe a go-to while rooting on your favorite team. Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce brings the heat, while finely crushed pork rinds add some crunchy appeal.
9. Barbecue Lasagna
With layer after layer of savory goodness, this recipe calls for leftover turkey, sausage, and brisket for a truly meaty treat. Ricotta, mozzarella, romano and provolone cheeses add to the richness of this dish that’s genuinely a barbecue blast.
Need tips on how to cook the perfect turkey so that you’ll have plenty of leftovers with which to try out all of these great recipes? Be sure to subscribe to our email newsletter, where we share every new recipe video, check out some of our all-time favorite turkey recipes, and take a look at our turkey kits and accessories. You’ll find plenty of insights and pointers that we’ve learned over the years and continue to use when preparing holiday meals for our families.
