I get a little OCD about making sure I am taking full advantage of leftovers, and Thanksgiving is like the Olympics of leftover repurposing. One can only eat so many turkey sandwiches, right? And then we need to move on, and figure out how to turn all that leftover turkey meat into delicious meals the family will be excited to see later in the week.

Here are a bunch of recipe options for those Thanksgiving leftovers – and remember, anywhere you can use leftover shredded chicken, turkey is pretty much fair game!

What Is the Best Way to Store Cooked Turkey?

First, when possible, slice the meat off the bones, and then use the bones, skin and scraps to make turkey stock. Cutting the meat from the bones will allow you to pack your leftover turkey more compactly and reduce the amount of air inside the container, which will make it last longer. You can also freeze leftover turkey, in whole pieces or sliced or cubed.

Any uneaten cooked turkey should be sealed up and refrigerated within 2 hours of serving it. If your turkey has sat out for significantly longer, it won’t keep as well. 

How Long Can Leftover Cooked Turkey Stay in the Fridge?

If your turkey has been properly handled and refrigerated shortly after serving, you can store and eat it for up to 4 days, even 5 days, if you got it into the fridge quickly. After that, it’s safer to toss it, but with all of the recipes below you should find plenty of way to use it!

If you are planning to freeze turkey, it’s best to freeze it within 1 day of cooking for optimal texture and taste. However, leftover turkey can be frozen after 3 days, and it will be fine. If your turkey has been in the fridge for up to 3 days, you are still good to freeze it. Just make sure to store it in a well-sealed container so it doesn’t dry out.

How Do You Reheat Leftover Turkey?

The concern with turkey — as every turkey lover knows — is that it can dry out when reheated. I like to put the turkey in a baking pan, add a small amount of chicken or turkey broth, cover the pan with foil, and heat it gently in a 300-degree oven until it is warmed through. You can pour off any remaining liquid from the pan.

You can also reheat turkey in the microwave using the carousel tray. Put the turkey in a microwave-safe container, add a bit of broth, and cover the turkey with a damp paper towel. Make sure the tray can rotate in the microwave — if it’s too big, use the oven.

If you’re looking for a great turkey recipe, check out this Easy Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey and also, see How to Carve a Turkey!

---

15 Recipes Using Leftover Turkey

Some of these recipes normally use chicken, but they’re just as great with your leftover turkey.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---