An easy and healthy paleo turkey salad recipe great for using up leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving! Ideal for meal prepping.
When life gives you leftover turkey – make this easy paleo turkey salad recipe!
So. I have a giant, barely touched turkey in my fridge. Our Thanksgiving dinner consisted of five people, only three of which actually ate turkey.
We bought a thirteen pound bird.
That’s over four pounds per person. So to say I have a lot of leftover turkey on my hands is a bit of an understatement. I basically have an entire bird to eat myself because Scott doesn’t eat turkey.
I am dying to make bone broth out of the carcass though so I have to come up with easy and healthy recipes to use the actual turkey meat on it.
I recently went to a girlfriend’s baby shower and her mom made really good chicken salad, complete with onions and cranberries. Which may seem like a weird combination, but it just works.
Why you will love this easy turkey salad:
The bite from the onion, the crunchy celery, the sweet cranberries and for an added kick – jalapeño chilies. Because I love everything spicy.
You can omit the jalapenos if you’d like, but you should probably put your big girl panties on and try it. It will not make this leftover paleo turkey salad not overly spicy, just adds a nice kick.
The turkey salad recipe is so easy and quick to make! Packed with protein and good-for-you ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Made with homemade avocado oil mayo, it’s also gluten-free and paleo!
How to serve this healthy turkey salad:
It tastes delicious on toasted grain-free buns with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. However, I like to keep things healthy and low-carb and leave the bread out!
You can serve this turkey salad as a simple luncheon salad or use it as a filling for lettuce wraps on lettuce leaves, baby spinach, or fresh spring greens . Slices of avocado, sliced pickles, or tomatoes would be excellent with the salad.
Can I freeze turkey salad?
If you are going to freeze some of your turkey salad, keep food safety in mind. Freeze it on the day it is made. It might be a bit watery when thawed. Simply drain excess liquid and stir in some more mayo to make it creamier.
Tips for making this turkey salad recipe:
- Feel free to add some chopped parsley in the end.
- For a fruity touch, stir some grated lemon or orange zest into the mayo.
- This easy salad recipe also tastes insanely delicious using my homemade bacon mayonnaise.
Variations on this recipe for turkey salad:
- This turkey salad recipe works just as well with leftover rotisserie chicken.
- You can use raisins instead of cranberries. Or use fresh grapes.
- Spring onions are a great substitution for onions.
For more paleo leftover turkey recipes, make sure to check out:
Sweet & Spicy Leftover Turkey Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups turkey chopped
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 jalapeño diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup homemade mayo see notes
Instructions
- Make the mayo (see notes) and set aside.
- Chop all the turkey and veggies above.
- Toss to combine.
Notes
- homemade mayo: two eggs yolks in a food processor, 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, slowly drizzle in one cup of avocado oil
- Feel free to add some chopped parsley in the end.
- For a fruity touch, stir some grated lemon or orange zest into the mayo.
- This turkey salad recipe also tastes insanely delicious using my homemade bacon mayonnaise.
Nutrition
1 Comment
This turkey salad recipe sounds amazing! Would love this as a filling for lettuce wraps!