This easy Turkey Salad is the ultimate Thanksgiving leftover turkey recipe. Make it into a delicious turkey salad sandwich for lunch, and you’ll be the envy of your entire office. This post is sponsored by MacFarms® but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Have you ever tried adding macadamia nuts to a turkey salad recipe? They add an unexpected nutty buttery crunch to the dish. This is the first time we’re making this using our homemade Thanksgiving Roast Turkey, and I think it’s going to make a regular appearance for the holiday seasons to come.
We ate turkey salad sandwiches all week that I tested this recipe and I’m not even tired of it yet. I could seriously eat this all year round! The cranberry sauce adds a really nice tangy sweet element to the sandwich, and is a must.
Ingredients for turkey salad
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Roast turkey – use 4 cups of shredded leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving dinner. If you’re making this out of season, you could make a small portion of roast turkey using a turkey breast and thighs or substitute roast chicken.
- Celery – this adds a refreshing crunch to the turkey salad. If you don’t like celery, you can skip it but you’ll miss out on the texture. You could try substituting a different crunchy vegetable like carrot or jicama, but the taste won’t be the same.
- Green Onion – this adds a mild flavor to the turkey salad. Don’t skip.
- Macadamia nuts – I’m using my go-to MacFarms natural macadamia nuts. Use code “wildwildwhisk” for 25% off at their online shop.
- Mayonnaise – full fat real mayo is the best. Substitute at your own risk.
- Salt – just a pinch or to taste.
- Pepper – I used ¼ teaspoon but add more or less to your taste.
How to make this super easy turkey salad recipe
This is definitely a one bowl recipe. Simply add all the ingredients for turkey salad into a large bowl, except for salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, then add salt and pepper to your taste.
Fixings for the Sandwich
- Bread – any type of sandwich bread will work. But if you want fancy bread, you can use sourdough, brioche, milk bread, and even croissants.
- Green leaf lettuce – adding a little greens to your sandwich always makes it feel healthy and refreshing.
- Tomato – use large tomatoes like beefsteak tomato or heirloom tomato, slice into ¼” thick slices.
- Red onion – slice thinly. You can soak the slices in water to mellow out the flavor if you wish.
- Cranberry sauce – this is a must, homemade or store bought will both work. Don’t skip this, it really makes the sandwich.
More baker’s tips
- I only added a pinch of salt to my turkey salad because I used homemade roast turkey that has been brined overnight. Depending on the saltiness of your turkey, you may want to adjust the additional salt to your taste. Same goes for pepper.
- Feel free to customize your turkey salad sandwich to your liking by adding other condiments, pickles and veggies.
- Only assemble the sandwiches when you’re ready to serve them or they’ll get soggy.
- If you want to take this sandwich to work for lunch, I suggest packing everything separately and assembling the sandwich at your lunch table. It’s a little more work but worth it.
Storage
The turkey salad will last a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Thanksgiving is usually pretty epic at our house. And of course we always have leftover galore, so this turkey salad sandwich recipe is going to come in handy for years to come. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!
More Thanksgiving fixings
- Creamed Corn Au Gratin
- Easy Thanksgiving Dressing
- Easy Turkey Gravy
- Spiced Apple Cider
- Turkey Brine Recipe
Hungry for more?
Turkey Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
For the turkey salad
- 4 cup roast turkey, chopped, 550 g
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped into ¼” cubes, about ¾ cup
- 3 green onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped, 62 g
- 1 cup mayonnaise, 224 g
- A pinch of kosher salt, or more to taste, see notes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
For the sandwich
- Bread, sandwich bread or bread of your choice
- Lettuce, wash and let drain
- Tomato, steak tomato, ¼” slice
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- Cranberry sauce, homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Add turkey, celery, green onion, macadamia nuts and mayonnaise to a larger bowl. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Assemble the sandwich with all the fixings to your liking and serve immediately with a side of pickle, fries or chips to make it a complete meal.
Notes
- I only added a pinch of salt to my turkey salad because I used homemade roast turkey that has been brined overnight. Depending on the saltiness of your turkey, you may want to adjust the additional salt to your taste. Same goes for pepper.
- Nutrition info for the turkey salad only.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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