Best Leftover Christmas Turkey Recipes

chicken korma and rice in bowl topped with fresh coriander — Turkey Korma

Easy chicken Balti Curry Recipe in bowl — Turkey Korma

Leftover Christmas Turkey Recipes are a part of the planning. I've pulled together some of my favourites here. They are all easy, family friendly and don't take too long to cook. I've put them in three sections. Leftover Turkey Curry, Leftover Turkey Pasta and Healthy Leftover Turkey recipes. I hope you'll find something to inspire you and that you finish everything before New Year!

Before we look at the recipes, it's worth just going over the rules on storing turkey. We all want to be confident we are doing it correctly and not risking harm to our nearest and dearest.

How do you store turkey?

Leftover turkey should be stripped from the bone and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Don't leave turkey out at room temperature for longer than about 90 minutes. If you don't have time to remove it all from the bone, just store it in the fridge as it's more important meat doesn't stay out in a warm environment. If you can, weigh your leftovers and you will know how many meals it will make or if you need to put some in the freezer. Ideally, you should freeze the turkey straight away. Store cooked meat away from raw meat in the fridge.

Store Turkey in the fridge for 3 - 4 days & in the freezer for 3 - 4 months.

When reheating turkey, as with all meat, you should only reheat it once. Make sure it is piping hot. The internal temperature should be 74°C / 165°F. Cooked turkey can be frozen and reheated. It is best to defrost the turkey overnight in the fridge before re-heating. You can of course eat leftover turkey cold & it is great in sandwiches or in a salad.

Back to the recipes. Turkey, like chicken is very versatile. Almost any chicken dish can also be made with turkey. The following recipes mention chicken but work just as well with turkey. I've chosen them as they are all great leftover recipes.

Leftover turkey curry recipes

Turkey curry is a popular leftover dish. These are my two favourite curry recipes.

Healthy Chicken Korma Curry with yoghurt

This healthy Chicken Korma curry uses natural yoghurt and is a lighter version of a traditional korma made with coconut milk or cream. The yoghurt still gives it a nice creamy texture, but without all those extra calories. It's also a handy recipe for using up any leftover roast chicken.

Check out this recipe

Easy Chicken Balti Curry Recipe

This Easy Chicken Balti Curry is healthy, has a great flavour and is made with fresh ingredients. Ideally you will need a food processor or hand blender for this recipe.

Check out this recipe

Leftover turkey pasta recipes

Pasta dishes are great for using up leftover turkey, especially if you don't have quite enough meat leftover. You could also add any leftover ham into these pasta bakes. Use extra vegetables to make these dishes go further if you need to. They both use vegetables that are in season in winter.

One Pot Creamy Chicken and Squash Gratin

This Chicken gratin is a very easy one pot dish and is great for using up any leftover bread. Serve with any seasonal green vegetables.

Check out this recipe