Turkey Salad with Grapes

Turkey Salad is ideal to use leftover turkey meat, seasoned with creamy mayo and dijon mustard. Made with crunchy celery, apple, pecans, chewy dried cranberries, and fresh sweet green grapes. This salad is perfect to fill a sandwich, in wraps, paninis, and even on a bed of greens.

We like hearty and filling salads that can be passed as a meal, try our famous Chicken Salad, Crab Salad, and the mouthwatering vegetarian Deviled Eggs Potato Salad. All these are delicious and will keep you full for a long time. Also, they are great options for potlucks, family gatherings, or when you have to feed a big crowd.

Easy Leftover Turkey Salad

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I am sure everyone is busy planning what to serve. If you plan on serving a turkey, we highly recommend that you try our easy and flavorful Oven-Baked Turkey recipe, or try your hand at a Dry Brined Bird, it will melt in your mouth!

Alternatively, if you do not want to cook an entire bird, go for this incredibly flavorful Cranberry Orange Baked Turkey Breast. Similarly, this Oven Baked Turkey Breast with an Orange Honey Sauce will be a great addition to your holiday table!

Or, if would you rather cook it in the Instant Pot, then go with our popular Instant Pot Turkey Breast! The benefits of cooking it in the pressure cooker is quite amazing? Firstly, the meat is super tender and cooked at a fraction of the time. Also, you can cook it both ways – fresh or frozen!

Regardless of how you choose to cook the bird, you will most likely have some leftover meat. You should be only happy because you can make so many other delicious recipes using it! Let’s start with this incredibly simple, yet full of flavor and textures salad that will rock your world!

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What goes into Turkey Salad?

Like I have mentioned before, this recipe is made with easy to find ingredients, that complement nicely each other:

• leftover turkey
• celery
• dried cranberries
• onion
• pecans
• apple
• grapes
• mayo
• greek yogurt
• dijon mustard
• salt and pepper

How to make leftover Turkey Salad?

1. Prepare the ingredients: First, start by gathering your ingredients. Wash the fruits and veggies and chop or cut them according to the recipe.
2. Combine: Since this is a super simple dish, all you have to do next is combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well, so everything is well coated in the creamy mayo/yogurt sauce.
3. Refrigerate: For best results, refrigerate this salad 30 minutes or one hour before serving. This will allow the flavors to combine, the meat to get more tender from the mayo and overall it will have a more refreshing taste.
4. Serve: Lastly, garnish the salad with some chopped parsley, chives, or green onions. Also, feel free to top it with one or two boiled eggs. Serve it as is, or on greens, as a sandwich or wrap.

Recipe variations and substitutions:

• Meat: Substitute the meat with chicken.
• Veggies: Add more veggies to your liking. I like to add sweet bell peppers, sliced baby carrots, chopped broccoli, or cauliflower.
• Fruits: I used apples and grapes. However, you can also use pears and pomegranate seeds, as they will add some sweetness and tartness. Also, the fruits will complement perfectly the other flavors in this dish.
• Dried fruits and nuts: Using dried cranberries and pecans is another delicious option and addition to this dish. Alternatively, go with raisins, chopped walnuts, or slivered almonds.
• Dressing: Make the dressing healthier by using only yogurt and a bit of sour cream. In addition, make it fancier by adding a touch of honey and some poppy seeds.

What to serve with it?

This dish is great on its own, serve it with some rye bread, brioche bread, or homemade roll as a hearty sandwich.

Also, use it in wraps, or serve it on top of mixed greens.

I also like a nice bowl of soup on the side, it definitely compliments the refreshing salad.

How long does turkey salad last?

To store, use an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Because it is mayo-based I do not keep it at room temperature for more than 3 hours. 

Can you freeze turkey salad with mayo?

My recommendation is to NOT freeze this mayo-based salad. Because the mayo tends to separate when frozen. Then, when you thaw it, the dish will not taste as good as you make it fresh.

More easy turkey recipes:

• Turkey Stuffed Peppers
• Turkey Grilled Cheese
• Cheesy Turkey Sliders
• Easy Turkey Tetrazzini
• Turkey Pinwheels
• Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf

Recipe Tips:

• Either dice or shred the turkey, and use a combination of white and brown meat for the salad to be more tender and juicier.
• Refrigerate the salad before serving, it will help all the flavors to soak and settle in.
• Add a kick to it with some red pepper flakes.
• Taste and adjust, if it needs more seasoning or more mayo.