Turkey Salad with Cranberries

What to do with those leftover turkey from Thanksgiving? This easy Turkey Cranberry Salad recipe loaded with dried cranberries is one of my favorite ways to repurpose leftover turkey meat!

And if you are reading this in the middle of summer or the end of a long winter, go get yourself some rotisserie turkey meat and make this turkey salad with cranberries..because this is so good it should totally be enjoyed year around!

And yes, you can absolutely sub with chicken as well. Follow the directions and just substitute turkey for chicken.

Trying to figure out what else you can do with leftover turkey? Make some Turkey Stew or Leftover Turkey Taco! Or make this Dill Pickle Chicken Salad using leftover turkey instead of chicken!

Turkey Cranberry Salad

There are so many reasons why we are loving this delicious turkey cranberry salad. I used to get to tired of leftover turkey after a few days of eating Turkey Day leftovers.

But now I actually look forward to leftover turkey so that I have an excuse to whip up my favorite turkey cranberry salad! Such a game changer.

Whenever I make my Spatchcock Turkey or Herb Butter Turkey Breast, I’ll actually save up some of the white meat ahead of time so that I can make this turkey salad. That’s how much I love!

All the reasons why I love turkey cranberry salad:

• So easy to make! No cook, minimal ingredients, and so quick to put together!
• Incredible flavorful! Something about the creamy mayo combined with tangy lemon juice and dijon mustard creates this yummy, dreamy dressing. And those dried cranberries give it a nice touch of sweetness.
• Perfect for meal prep. I love keeping this in my fridge for whenever I need it!
• Even better the next day! As the flavors sit and merge and do its magic, it taste better the next day!
• Healthy-ish. Yes there’s mayo, but it’s fairly light and not overly heavy. I intentionally kept this light on the mayo.
• Super versatile. Have leftover chicken meat instead? That works as well!

Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to make turkey cranberry salad:

• Cooked turkey meat – this can be dark or meat, make sure to remove bones and skin. Use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, or grab some cooked rotisserie turkey or chicken and shred it.
• Mayonnaise – makes the turkey salad creamy and moist.
• Dijon mustard – balances out the creaminess in the turkey cranberry salad.
• Lemon juice – bring a hint of tanginess and citrus
• Dried cranberries – brings bites of sweetness – a must in my opinion! Turkey and cranberries go hand in hand…
• Salt and pepper – to taste, this will also help open up the flavors!

Let’s Make It!

I can keep telling you how easy it is to make turkey cranberry salad. Or I can just show you. Because it is so easy. Everyone can make this!

Now if only I can feed each and every one of you a bite of this deliciousness…

To make this delicious turkey cranberry salad, first, chop turkey into smaller pieces.

I mainly use turkey breast this time around but feel free to use dark meat, and even some of the skin if you like.

Then add mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, dried cranberries, and salt and pepper to taste.

Use a spatula to give it a stir until everything is combined.

Then serve it! Turkey salad that is creamy, flavorful, with delicious bites of cranberries.

It is truly that simple!

How to serve turkey salad

Turkey cranberry salad is so versatile and there are so many ways you can serve it.

If you are like me and get tired of eating the same thing the same way every time, here are some fun ways to serve this Turkey Cranberry Salad:

• in a sandwich
• add a scoop to your salads or lettuce
• on top of crackers
• with fruits as a low carb meal
• by itself as a snack!

How long can you store it

If storing in the refrigerator, I always like to finish this within 3-4 days, but it also depends on how long you’ve had your turkey.

The recommendation is to store cold turkey for up to 5-6 days in the refrigerator. So if you’ve had your turkey for a while, you might want to finish your turkey salad quickly.

I first made this to use up leftover turkey that I got kinda tired of eating. But before I knew it, I started making this outside of the holiday season because it is so good! You can find this turkey salad in my refrigerator pretty often, Thanksgiving or not.

I typically make turkey salad with cranberries and keep it in the fridge for quick (and yummy) lunches. They are especially great during busy weeks.

So, run, don’t walk, and go get everything you need to make this Turkey Salad! I think you will love it! 🙂

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Other Turkey Recipes

Here are other ways to repurpose leftover holiday turkey!

• Turkey Stew
• Turkey Sweet Potato Chili – use leftover turkey instead of ground turkey
• Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup – use shredded turkey instead of chicken
• Turkey Wild Rice Soup (by Flavor the Moments)
• Turkey Pasta Baked (by Girl Heart Food)