Cranberry Turkey Salad is a quick and flavor-packed dish you won’t be able to resist. Get ready to enjoy a blend delicious of sweet and savory flavors that will make this salad an instant family favorite.
If you love this recipe, you’ll definitely want to try my Leftover Thanksgiving Casserole or this easy Leftover Thanksgiving Panini.
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Cranberry Turkey Salad is a testament to the beauty of simplicity. With just a handful of readily available ingredients, you can create a dish that’s perfect for busy weeknights or casual gatherings. Its versatile nature allows you to make it ahead and enjoy it as a sandwich filling, a side dish, or a standalone meal.
Why We Love This Turkey Salad Recipe
Discover what makes this cranberry turkey salad recipe truly exceptional. From its family friendly appeal to its simple yet delicious ingredients, you’ll find out why this salad is a beloved favorite.
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. A wonderful way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey. When you need something tasty on the table in a flash.
- Easy Ingredients: With just a handful of common ingredients from the pantry, you can whip up this salad without a hassle. Great way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.
- Family Friendly: Kids and adults alike adore the sweet and savory combination of turkey, tart cranberries, and almonds in this salad.
- Serve this Turkey Salad: Serve on bread, over a lettuce salad or even on top of your favorite cracker.
Ingredient Notes for Leftover Turkey Recipe
- Turkey: It’s recommended to use cooked turkey breast or other leftover turkey meat including dark meat. Shredded turkey for this recipe, making it an excellent way to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers.
- Tangy Cranberries: Dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness and a delightful chewy texture to the salad.
- Almonds: Slivered almonds provide a satisfying crunchy element and a subtle nutty flavor that complements the other flavorful ingredients.
- All Purpose Seasoning: House all purpose seasoning blend adds depth and flavor to the salad. Making it stand out from the rest.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and nutritional information.
Variations and Substitutions for Cranberry Pecan Turkey Salad
For those looking to customize this cranberry turkey salad to their taste preferences, we’ve got some amazing options.
- Fresh Herbs: Elevate the freshness of your turkey salad by incorporating aromatic fresh herbs such as, chopped parsley or cilantro.
- Green Onions: If you prefer a milder onion flavor, feel free to use green onions. You can also omit the onion from the recipe.
- Season: Add a little lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the salad for a perfect lunch.
- Leftover Chicken: This pinterest worthy recipe is wonderful with chicken or turkey they both work great.
- Plain Yogurt: Greek yogurt is a great swap out for the mayo.
How to Make Turkey Salad with Cranberries
These are the basic steps for making easy Turkey Salad with Cranberries. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Step 1: Mix Together All Ingredients
First, chop the chicken or turkey into uniform pieces. Then in a large bowl combine the turkey, celery, red onion, mayo, dried cranberries, almonds, and All Purpose Seasoning. Finally, mix until all ingredients are well combined.
Recipe FAQs for Leftover Turkey Salad
Expert Tips for Making This Turkey Cranberry Salad
Take your turkey cranberry salad to the next level with these expert tips and tricks. These tips will help you craft a salad that’s not only delicious but also uniquely yours.
- Different Nuts: Experiment with different nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts for a unique twist on this recipe.
- Dijon Mustard: If you enjoy a tangy kick, add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the mayonnaise for extra flavor.
- Bread: Serve your turkey salad on your favorite bread, whether it’s a panini, croissant, or whole wheat slices.
What to Serve with Cranberry Turkey Salad
- Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing
- Parmesan Green Beans
- Homemade Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
Creamy Cranberry Turkey Salad
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Ingredients
- 2 cups Turkey, cooked and shredded
- ¼ cup Celery, minced
- ¼ cup Red onion, minced
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ⅛ cup Dried cranberries
- ⅛ cup Slivered almonds
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir until combined.
Christina’s Notes
- Different Nuts: Experiment with different nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts for a unique twist on this recipe.
- Dijon Mustard: If you enjoy a tangy kick, add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the mayonnaise for extra flavor.
- Bread: Serve your turkey salad on your favorite bread, whether it’s a panini, croissant, or whole wheat slices.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.