Turn your leftovers into a mouthwatering meal with this easy turkey salad!
The combination of flavors and textures is incredible. The crunchy celery and pecans, sweet dried cranberries, and creamy dressing are the ultimate combo.
And let’s not forget the star, leftover turkey!
Enjoy this salad in a sandwich, wrap, or scooped onto crisp lettuce for a satisfying low-carb option.
Why You’ll Love This Turkey Salad
Easy Prep: With convenient ingredients and simple steps, this easy recipe is perfect for a no-fuss bite.
Perfect for Leftovers: Transform leftover turkey into a delicious dish! You reduce food waste, save money, and add excitement to your meals.
Texture Contrast: Talk about texture! Tender turkey, crisp celery, crunchy pecans, and chewy dried cranberries create an irresistible textural contrast.
Make-Ahead Wonder: I love that you can easily prepare this salad in advance. Simply refrigerate, then eat when you’re hungry.
Ingredients
- Cooked Turkey: It’s diced into bite-sized cubes. White or dark meat both work for this recipe.
- Celery and Red Onion: They add freshness and a delightfully crunchy texture to every mouthful.
- Pecans: Toast and chop for extra texture and flavor.
- Dried Cranberries: They’re sweet, tart, and chewy.
- Fresh Dill: It elevates this salad with its bright, herbaceous aroma.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base binds all the ingredients together.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: It adds a tangy taste and creamy texture to the dressing.
- Dijon Mustard: For the sharp and zesty kick.
- Lemon Juice: It adds some much-needed acidity to cut through all the richness.
- Garlic Powder, Salt, and Black Pepper: They bring out the best in each ingredient.
How to Make Turkey Salad
This recipe is as easy as it gets! Just follow these simple steps.
1. Add the ingredients. Add the diced turkey, celery, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and dill in a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
3. Mix. Pour the dressing over the turkey and veggie mixture. Mix gently until combined.
4. Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Serve. Serve chilled as a salad, sandwich, wrap, or scooped onto lettuce.
Tips for the Best Turkey Salad
Besides chilling the salad, I have a few more tips to make this recipe shine.
- Keep things even. Cut the turkey, celery, and red onion into uniform pieces for the best texture and flavor distribution.
- Adjust the mayo. Adjust the mayo to your taste. Use more for an extra creamy salad or less if you prefer a drier consistency.
- Take a longer route. Don’t have leftover turkey? Roast a turkey. Cooking the turkey will take longer, but the results are totally worth it.
- Make it your own. Swap or add other ingredients like diced apples, grapes, hard-boiled eggs, or different nuts and dried fruits.
How to Store
Since this recipe calls for leftovers, it’s best enjoyed fresh! But if you do store it, give it a quick stir before serving. Some liquid separation may occur during storage.
To Store: Transfer turkey salad to an air-tight container. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Turkey Salad
6
servings10
minutes213
kcalTurn leftovers into a masterpiece with this turkey salad recipe! With turkey, onions, celery, cranberries, and pecans in a Greek yogurt dressing, it’s to die for.
Ingredients
4 cups cooked turkey, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the diced turkey, celery, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and dill in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the dressing over the turkey and veggie mixture. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve chilled. Enjoy as a salad, sandwich, wrap, scooped onto lettuce leaves, or with crackers.
