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!
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.
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! 🙂
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
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)
Turkey Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked turkey diced
- 1/2 cup mayonaise
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- salt to taste, optional
- black pepper to taste, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except salt and pepper to a large bowl.
- Using a spatula, mix to evenly combine.
- Taste. And if needed, add salt and black pepper to taste. Just it another stir.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled. Enjoy!
MMMM this is the turkey sandwich of dreams! Love the cranberry addition! I bet it offers a lovely sweetness!
Yes!! It adds nice sweetness and texture! 🙂 Thanks so much!
Leftover turkey recipes are just what we need this time of year. I devoured this in a minute. Great for lunch, brunch, and dinner too. Perfect for the after the holidays when I don’t feel like cooking.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed this!!
Great turkey salad recipe! I added some pecans as well. Everyone loved it.
That’s fantastic! YUM!
We had a friendsgiving gathering this past weekend so I used up the leftover turkey for this salad. The combination, especially with the cranberry, was amazing.
That’s wonderful, Marta! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Such a great simple recipe to use up leftovers. I’m glad I have enough for a few lunches this coming week.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
IMHO you can never have enough leftover turkey ideas and this turkey salad recipe is a keeper. It was creamy and flavorful, and also very easy to make. I enjoyed my Thanksgiving turkey with cranberry sauce, and now I get to enjoy this perfect combination of turkey and dried cranberries in sandwich form for a few more days.
I’m so glad you are enjoying all the turkey and cranberry combo this Thanksgiving season!
This chicken salad was absolutely delicious! My whole family loved it… And it had the perfect touch of holiday flavor!😁
Thank you! So glad you all liked it!
This turkey salad was tasty, simple, easy to make. Such a great way to make use of leftover Thanksgiving Turkey, which we had plenty.
That’s great! It’s truly one of my favorite ways to use up leftover turkey!
I eat this with crackers or a lettuce wrap all the time- such a good combo of flavors and love that it’s on the healthier side 🙂
I love eating turkey salad with crackers too! Just had it for lunch today! 🙂
We made it using leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and it was super easy and delicious. I also added celery and pecans. Had it with sandwiches for lunch the next day and it was a great way to enjoy turkey that we were getting tired of eating.
Thanks for sharing, Hayley! Glad you found a yummy way to use up those leftover turkey! I totally get getting tired of it after eating it for many days!
what a great way to use that leftover turkey! ❤️ I loved those dried cranberries, so much that I doubled it! This was so great in toasted sandwich! ❤️ 😋 😋
Thank you! Happy to hear that you were able to use up those leftovers and enjoyed it!
As someone with a busy schedule, I appreciate recipes that are not only delicious but also time-efficient. This turkey salad was a weeknight savior—quick to make with all the leftovers we have, and added a twist to keep it from being boring. We enjoyed it on top of a bed of lettuce, tomatoes and carrots. It was simple, healthy and yummy!
Thanks for sharing, Jessica! Love this as a salad! YUM!