If you STILL have leftover turkey, I understand. No one ever eats as much as you think they will. If you haven’t already made soup out of your leftovers, I encourage you to try this shredded turkey salad!

turkey sandwich that has been cut in half, and the halves are stacked on top of each other with a pick in the top this recipe

Finely chopped pecans, Honeycrisp apple and dried cranberries add a satisfying crunch and keep the flavors in line with fall. This is a great fresh option that you can eat with your favorite thick slice or roll into a wrap, taking a break from all the heavy food around the holidays.

a turkey sandwich on a white plate, with cranberries, apple and celery

Dressing

This turkey salad has a creamy mayo based dressing that’s packed with flavor. Add honey mustard, apple cider vinegar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, followed with some fresh tarragon and dill. The light licorice flavor of the tarragon pairs SO WELL with the savory notes of the dill. A sprinkle of celery seed and onion powder round out the flavors.

When I make these kinds of things, I usually like to mix up the dressing the night before and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. The flavors get to know each other, and it saves you an extra step the next day.

all of the ingredients to make turkey salad, including apples, celery, cranberries, pecans, and dressing

Everything else

You already have a bunch of leftover turkey, which is kind of the whole point of making this turkey salad! Dried cranberries add a good tartness that goes well with the dressing. Pecans lend a really nice crunch along with the apples and celery.

This turkey salad gets better after sitting in the fridge overnight, but don’t hold onto it for longer than 3 days. After that, it’ll start to weep and get soggy.

a turkey sandwich on a white plate, with cranberries, apple and celery
Print
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turkey sandwich that has been cut in half, and the halves are stacked on top of each other with a pick in the top

Turkey Salad with Cranberry & Pecans

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  • Author: Megan
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 5 cups turkey salad 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale

To make the dressing:

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup honey mustard
  • 2 TB fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 TB fresh minced dill
  • 1/2 TB fresh minced tarragon
  • 1/2 tsp celery seed
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

To mix up the salad:

  • 3 cups cooked, cooled turkey (pulled or chopped into 1 inch chunks)
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

Instructions

  1. Stir all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. For best results, make the dressing the night before and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight.
  2. Combine the turkey, celery, dried cranberries, apples, pecans and green onion in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing to the bowl and gently stir everything together.
  3. Serve immediately with bread or wraps. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 cup
  • Calories: 259
  • Sugar: 9 g
  • Sodium: 161.3 mg
  • Fat: 21.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 13.4 g
  • Fiber: 1.4 g
  • Protein: 6.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 42.9 mg

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