Turkey Salad with Cranberries is creamy, fresh, and easy to make with cooked turkey breast, celery, herbs, and dried cranberries. It's a great way to use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, but you can also make it with thick-sliced deli turkey or a store-bought cooked turkey breast.
Quick Look: Turkey Cranberry Salad
- Taste: Creamy, savory, slightly sweet, and fresh, with a satisfying crunch.
- Total time: 15 minutes. Chill for 20-30 minutes if desired.
- Main ingredients: Cooked turkey, dried cranberries, celery, red onion, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, and sliced almonds.
- Tools needed: Cutting board, knife, small bowl, large mixing bowl, and spoon or spatula.
- Why you'll love it: It's an easy, make-ahead lunch and a delicious way to use leftover turkey. Serve it in sandwiches, wraps, lettuce cups, or over a salad.
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What To Do With All the Leftover Turkey
So it's the day after Thanksgiving, and you've got a few pounds of roasted turkey in the fridge. It was perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, but now you might want something a little different.
Similar to classic tuna salad and creamy chicken salad, this turkey salad combines diced turkey with dried cranberries, diced celery, fresh herbs, and a simple creamy dressing.
For more easy lunches like this, browse these cold make-ahead deli-style salad recipes.
For a really good post-Thanksgiving sandwich, spread a thin layer of leftover cranberry sauce on the bread, then add a big scoop of turkey salad.
Ingredients
- Cooked Turkey: Use cooked turkey breast, chopped or shredded into small pieces. Leftover roasted turkey works well, and so does a store-bought cooked turkey breast. If you go to the deli counter, ask for thick dinner slices of turkey so you can cube it. If you use a mix of white and dark meat, remove the skin before chopping.
- Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries add sweetness and a chewy bite. They work especially well with turkey and make this salad feel different from chicken salad. You can substitute raisins or golden raisins.
- Celery and Onion: Celery adds crunch and keeps the salad fresh. Dice it small, so it blends into the salad. Use finely chopped red onion or scallions for a little sharpness.
- Creamy Dressing: Mayonnaise makes the salad creamy, Dijon mustard adds flavor, and fresh lemon juice keeps the dressing from tasting heavy. You can replace some or all of the mayo with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, but the dressing may be slightly tangier.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh dill and parsley give the turkey salad a clean, deli-style flavor.
- Nuts: Sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts all work well. Add them just before serving to keep them crisp.
How to Make Turkey Salad with Cranberries
- Chop or shred the cooked turkey into small pieces.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the turkey, celery, red onion, dried cranberries, dill, and parsley to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the turkey mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or mayonnaise if needed.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Fold in the sliced almonds just before serving.
Top Tips
- Use cold turkey. Warm turkey will loosen the mayonnaise and make the salad greasy.
- Chop the turkey small. Turkey breast can be firm, so smaller pieces make the salad easier to eat.
- Do not overdo the onion. A little goes a long way in a cold salad.
- Chill before serving. The flavor gets better after the salad rests in the refrigerator.
- Add nuts at the end. Almonds and pecans stay crunchier when you add them right before serving.
- Taste it cold. Cold salads often need a little more salt or lemon juice after chilling.
What to Serve with Turkey Salad
- Serve turkey salad on sandwich bread, toasted sourdough, croissants, buttery pita chips, or in lettuce cups.
- You can also serve it with homemade everything bagel chips for extra crunch.
- For a simple lunch, spoon it over romaine, butter lettuce, or mixed greens. Add sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickles on the side.
- Serve it on a simple salad plate with potato chips or deli-style potato salad.
- For a tangier alternative, serve it with creamy potato salad with pickles and eggs.
Variations
- Turkey Salad with Grapes: Add ½ cup halved seedless grapes with the cranberries, or replace the cranberries with grapes. For a similar version made with chicken, try this creamy chicken salad with grapes and dill.
- Turkey Salad with Apples: Add ½ cup diced crisp apple. Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith all work. If you like fruit in savory salads, this Whole Foods cranberry apple tuna salad has a similar sweet-and-creamy flavor combination.
- Turkey Salad Wraps: Spoon the turkey salad into tortillas or lettuce leaves with sliced tomato.
- Chicken Salad with Cranberries: Replace the turkey with 2 cups cooked chicken. For especially tender homemade chicken, start with these easy poached chicken breasts.
Storage and Leftovers
Store turkey salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Stir before serving. If the salad looks dry after chilling, add a spoonful of mayonnaise or a small squeeze of lemon juice.
Do not freeze turkey salad. The mayonnaise dressing can separate once thawed.
FAQ
Yes. This recipe is a good way to use leftover roasted turkey. White meat works well, but you can also use a mix of white and dark meat. Remove the skin before chopping.
Yes. A cooked turkey breast from the grocery store works well. You can also use thick slices of deli turkey. Chop the turkey into small pieces before mixing the salad.
Turkey salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Yes. Prepare it up to one day ahead and refrigerate it. Fold in the sliced almonds just before serving to keep them crisp.
Good additions include halved grapes, diced apples, scallions, dill pickles, extra fresh herbs, sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts.
Yes. Leave them out or replace them with raisins, golden raisins, halved grapes, or diced apple.
Yes. Replace the turkey with the same amount of cooked chicken. Leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken both work well.
If you tried this Turkey Salad recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments. I love hearing from you!
Turkey Salad with Cranberries
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Small mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Spoon or silicone spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked turkey breast, shredded or diced
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup diced celery, about 1 stalk
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop or shred the cooked turkey into small pieces.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the turkey, celery, red onion, dried cranberries, dill, and parsley to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the turkey mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or mayonnaise if needed.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Fold in the sliced almonds just before serving.
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