I see stretchy sweatpants and leftover Thanksgiving turkey in our future, and I have just the recipe for us both: a healthy spin on classic comfort, Turkey Salad.
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It’s like chicken salad, but with turkey.
Don’t send that turkey away in Tupperware just yet! And don’t use it all for Turkey Tetrazzini.
You need that juicy leftover Thanksgiving turkey for this holiday twist on my reader-favorite Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad. It takes the spirit of the core ingredients in classic chicken Waldorf salad and gives them a special harvest flair.
In addition to leftover turkey, this recipe takes advantage of extra cranberries, thyme, celery, and pecans sitting around after the big meal. When tossed together with a creamy yogurt dressing they transform into a versatile dish you’ll be happy to eat anytime throughout the upcoming week.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Turkey. Just like chicken, turkey meat is wonderful in salad recipes like this. It provides lean protein and a hint of flavor without overpowering the other mix-ins and tasty yogurt dressing.
- Cranberries. While a Waldorf turkey salad with grapes is more traditional, keep Thanksgiving rockin’ by making turkey salad with cranberries.
- Apples. Yes, texture! Crisp apples perfectly balance the tender turkey and creamy Greek yogurt.
- Plain Greek Yogurt. A healthy swap for mayo, the yogurt comes together with fresh herbs and lemon to create a dreamy sauce.
- Celery. Like apples, the crunch provided by celery bits is 100% a necessity.
- Pecans. Never enough crunch. You can also swap them for walnuts or almonds.
- Thyme. Its quintessential Thanksgiving flavor is right at home here. (If you prefer, you could also swap dill, which is a bit more traditional.)
- Curry Powder. This recipe calls for a titch of curry powder for its sweet aroma and warm touch. If you love zesty curry spices and want more, this Curry Chicken Salad is not one to miss!
How to Make Turkey Salad
Get Started. Toast and chop the pecans. Toasting them first brings out the best of their flavor.
Assemble the Salad. Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
Make the Dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to a separate bowl. Whisk until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
Dress the Salad. Pour the dressing over the turkey salad ingredients, then fold everything together. Serve as desired and ENJOY!
How to Serve Turkey Salad
I love having a bowl of chicken or turkey salad ready to go in the fridge for when it’s needed. It covers your healthy and versatility bases so well and can be served in so many ways. Here are some options for you:
- Buns. If you have the odd family member who doesn’t love a leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich, have them try this turkey salad on a sweet Hawaiian roll or pretzel bun. They’ll add it to their thankful list real fast.
- Whole Wheat Bread. A classic, wholesome choice for easy, healthy meals. Add your favorite toppings like red onion or tomato.
- Lettuce Wraps. Try crisp leaf lettuce cups to keep it fancy without the fuss and flavorful without the work.
- Crackers. A spoonful on a cracker makes a perfect snack—or an adult-friendly Lunchable situation.
- Croissant. Stop by your local bakery for these fresh, buttery pillows. A turkey salad croissant is a refreshing change of pace from the standard sandwiches we all eat so often.
Turkey Salad
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Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD:
- ⅔ cup raw pecan halves
- 3 cups ½-inch diced or shredded leftover turkey or swap cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ¼ pounds or 3 small/medium breasts)
- 3 medium stalks celery diced scant 1 ½ cups
- 2 large green onions or 3 small/medium green onions thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
- 1 small tart apple such as Granny smith, diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Serving suggestions: mini pretzel buns whole grain bread, croissants, lettuce cups, chopped lettuce, crackers
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus additional to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the nuts are fragrant, toasted, and crisp. Set a time and don’t walk away! Transfer nuts to a cutting board and let cool. Roughly chop.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the turkey, celery, green onions, apples, cranberries, and chopped toasted pecans.
- In a separate mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, add the dressing ingredients: Greek yogurt, lemon juice, maple syrup, thyme, curry powder, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk the ingredients together.
- Pour the dressing over chicken salad ingredients and stir gently to evenly coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Depending upon the saltiness of your turkey, you may need more salt (I added an extra pinch). Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve on toasted bread, split croissant, pretzel buns, lettuce cups, or dip with crackers. I also love this over chopped greens like romaine or radicchio.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover salad in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: While you can freeze turkey salad with mayo or Greek yogurt, the dressing will likely become watery once thawed. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir well before serving.
Nutrition
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When I made some chicken salad last week, I did a little something different. (Could do the same for turkey salad) I do like mayo in it but decided to combine it half and half with some plain Greek yogurt. It made it taste fresher and also lighter. Your recipe today was a nice reminder that I’m on the right track for keeping things healthier. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving – it’ll be just the 2 of us but we’ll survive. Because our daughter and son-in-law have big plans on getting their decorating done this weekend along with some working thrown in, we’re dropping off a big pan of lasagna to them on Thursday morning and our granddaughter has a dessert she wants to make to share with us. Normally we’re all together but we’ll just make this work. Hopefully by the Christmas holiday, things will be looking better for all of us. Stay safe and well.
Definitely, Chris! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!
This looks wonderful Erin! Can you suggest a substitute for the green onions as they are difficult to find over here. Thx!
Hi Ines! You could just omit them. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
Made this with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey and it was absolutely delicious! Will be a holiday table for us and will probably make it with chicken too if we don’t have turkey around.
So so pleased to hear that Lisa, thank you!!
This was a delicious way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Thanks so much!
Hi Jocelyn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This salad was excellent! I made it with cooked chicken breast, but can’t wait to try it with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. I halved all the ingredients in the recipe and the curry and salt were a bit overpowering for my taste so I simply added an extra 1/4 cup of the yogurt after which it was excellent. It was also great despite the fact I forgot to add the chopped pecans! I will do so with the remaining two servings 😉. I spooned about a third of it on some Canyon Bake House gluten free Hawaiian bread and the rest on butter lettuce leaves. Thank you for this excellent simple recipe
Hi Sherry! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!