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This easy turkey salad recipe makes the best salad or sandwich with leftover turkey, dried cranberries, walnuts, celery, and creamy dressing.
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Here's a delicious turkey salad made with juicy roast turkey, dried cranberries, crisp celery, and crunchy nuts tossed in a creamy dressing. The fusion of savory and sweet flavors from this combination makes it crave-worthy. It's quick and easy to make and loves to be stuffed in sandwiches, wraps, or scooped over fresh greens. Whether it's a holiday brunch or grab-and-go lunch, here's everything you need to know about how to make a turkey salad.
Turkey salad ingredients
- Turkey breast - This recipe is a wonderful way to repurpose holiday turkey leftovers, which is both convenient and economical. I love to use the delicious leftovers from roasted turkey breast or air fried turkey breast.
- Dried cranberries (craisins) - Adds the perfect sweetness that balances with the other flavors, especially the savory turkey breast.
- Celery - Crisp and delightful in protein salads.
- Walnuts - Nutty nuggets of crunch add texture, flavor, and depth.
- Green onions - These add delicate onion flavor.
- Mayonnaise - The binding ingredient that also adds flavor and fat.
- Apple cider vinegar - Tangy and acidic for the perfect flavor balance.
- Fresh parsley - Adds a pop of flavor and color.
- Salt and pepper - Bring the flavors together with these simple seasonings.
How to make turkey salad
Place turkey breast, celery, green onions, dried cranberries, walnuts, mayonnaise, vinegar, and parsley in a mixing bowl. Gently fold ingredients together until combined.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve your delicious turkey salad on a bed of fresh greens or tucked between sliced bread for the best-ever turkey sandwich.
The best turkey for this recipe
Holiday leftover turkey is extremely popular for a turkey salad recipe, but holidays come and go. So, I learned long ago from my former deli job experience that you don't need leftovers to make turkey salad. Visit your local deli and ask for a ½-inch thick slice of deli roast turkey – and make a scrumptious turkey salad all year.
Turkey salad recipe tips
- When using frozen leftover turkey, make sure to thaw completely and remove all excess moisture to maintain an optimal turkey salad texture.
- Chop ingredients into small, uniform pieces to ensure a balanced texture in your turkey salad.
- When combining ingredients, gently fold to avoid over-mixing, which preserves the texture and prevents the salad from becoming mushy.
- Since cooked turkey has likely been salted, gradually season this turkey salad with salt and pepper, tasting as you go, to avoid over-seasoning.
Ingredient variations
- Substitute any portion of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt to replace empty calories with more nutrient-dense calories.
- Use other nuts in place of walnuts, such as pecans or almonds.
- Add grapes or diced apples to increase volume and add unique flavors and textures to your turkey salad.
- Fresh cranberry sauce is a delightful spread for a turkey salad sandwich if dried cranberries aren't an option.
Serving ideas
Serve this delightful turkey salad scooped onto a bed of fresh greens for a hearty and wholesome lunch. Alternatively, use it as a filling for sandwiches, wraps, or pita pockets for a satisfying on-the-go option. It's delicious on sliced wheat or sliced French bread with salad greens.
📖 Recipe
Turkey Salad Recipe
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Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Turkey Breast, chopped (4 cups)
- 1 rib Celery, diced
- 2 Green Onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries (Craisins), coarsely chopped
- ½ cup Walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine TURKEY BREAST, CELERY, GREEN ONIONS, DRIED CRANBERRIES, WALNUTS, MAYONNAISE, VINEGAR, and PARSLEY.
- Gently fold ingredients together until combined.
- Add SALT and PEPPER to taste.
Serving and storage
- Serve your delicious turkey salad with crackers, on sandwiches, wraps, or on a bed of fresh greens.
- Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- When using frozen leftover turkey, make sure to thaw completely and remove all excess moisture to maintain an optimal turkey salad texture.
- Chop ingredients into small, uniform pieces to ensure a balanced texture in your turkey salad.
- When combining ingredients, gently fold to avoid over-mixing, which preserves the texture and prevents the salad from becoming mushy.
- Since cooked turkey has likely been salted, gradually season this turkey salad with salt and pepper, tasting as you go, to avoid over-seasoning.
- Check out the recipe variations section for a list of ingredient swap recommendations you might love to have!
Equipment
- chef knife
- large mixing bowl
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Rosemary says
This is a nice change from turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving. It's super delicious and easy to make. This is our new recipe for turkey leftovers 🙂
Traci says
Yay! I'm with you about the leftovers and so glad you're enjoying it. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for lunch today and it was delicious! Such a great way to use leftover turkey. Easily, a new favorite recipe!
Traci says
Yayy!! I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipe. Thanks for the feedback!
Chenee says
This was a restaurant-quality salad! I'm definitely going to be making this one again and again and again!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you went for it and loved it! Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy!!
Kim says
I absolutely loved all the flavors and different textures in this salad. It was definitely one of the best turkey salads I've ever tasted.
Traci says
Yay!! So glad you're enjoying the recipe. The flavor and texture wins me over every time LOL. Thanks for the feedback!
Beth says
This is absolutely delicious! I actually made this with the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and it is amazing.
Casey says
I took your suggestion and made a pita bread sandwich. It was so good! I only wish I'd made more of it!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback!
CJB says
We had an early Thanksgiving celebration last weekend just because we have such a big family that it's hard to get everyone together on the same day! I made this salad with some leftover turkey and it is DELICIOUS! Sure hope everyone puts this on their "must make with leftovers" list because they need to!
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad you went for it. Lucky you to have early Thanksgiving. This is a favorite leftover turkey recipe for sure! Enjoy!
Jeff says
So good, I could eat this all year! In fact, I will, thanks to you for including the pro tip about how to make turkey salad when you don't have Thanksgiving leftovers. This one's a winner anytime!
Traci says
I'm with you about wanting to eat turkey salad all year – exactly why I included the pro tip LOL. Thanks for sharing your experience and glad you're enjoying it!