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Home » Blog » Main Dish Recipes » Leftover Turkey Tacos

Leftover Turkey Tacos

Cathy Roma Published: Nov 21, 2017

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Transform your favorite Thanksgiving leftovers into a brand new meal. Sautéed onions and jalapeño, seasoned turkey, and cranberry chutney all folded into a perfectly charred taco. You’ll make sure there’s always plenty left over!
Leftover Turkey Tacos

Raise your hand if you always feel like you’ll never eat again after Thanksgiving?

Oh sorry, it’s hard to type with two hands up.

But seriously, after completely overdoing it and swearing off food forever, the next day I’m scrounging through the frig pulling out all of the usual suspects…turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce. As the queen of leftovers I’m always good for at least one Thanksgiving on a Roll…my favorite sandwich that I only indulge in once a year. But after the remaining leftovers are packaged up and parceled out, I find that I’m usually left with an excess of two things…turkey and cranberry sauce.

Leftover Turkey Tacos

And you know what they say when life hands your turkey and cranberries…you make tacos.

We’re transforming those Thanksgiving leftovers into a whole new meal. The turkey is cooked with onions, jalapeños, chili powder, and cumin, then folded inside a lightly charred tortilla and topped with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and a big dollop of cranberry chutney. The cranberry chutney replaces your usual salsa or pico and brings a hint of sweet and a whole lot of zesty to these tacos that taste nothing like Thanksgiving dinner.

Tips for success

  • I love cranberry chutney in these tacos because it packs a zingy, tangy punch thanks to apple cider vinegar and fresh ginger. Leftover cranberry sauce will work too, but maybe kick it up with a sprinkle of ground ginger and cayenne.
  • Make these tacos your own by adding in your favorite toppings like cotija cheese or a big splash of hot sauce.
  • Don’t cook the the turkey with the spices for very long. You just want to heat it through, remember it’s already cooked so we won’t want it to become tough or leathery!
Leftover Turkey Tacos
5 from 2 votes
Four Leftover Turkey Tacos on a round wooden tray with cranberry chutney, minced cilantro and sour cream in small bowls with whole cranberries and cilantro scattered around.
Print
Leftover Turkey Tacos
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

Transform your favorite Thanksgiving leftovers into a brand new meal. Sautéed onions and jalapeño, seasoned turkey, and cranberry chutney all folded into a perfectly charred taco. You’ll make sure there’s always plenty left over!

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: leftover turkey, tacos, turkey tacos
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 181 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For…
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced into half moons
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 8 oz leftover turkey, diced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • leftover cranberry chutney
  • sour cream
  • cilantro, chopped
  • 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
  • 8 flour tortillas, warmed or charred (fajita size, 6 inch)
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil over med/high heat in a large saute pan until hot. Add the onion and jalapeño and saute until golden brown, about 8 mins.
  2. Add the turkey and spices and cook until heated through, stringing constantly, about 5 mins. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. To serve, spoon some of the chicken/onion mixture on a tortilla shell and garnish with cranberry chutney, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado.

Recipe Notes
  • I love cranberry chutney in these tacos because it packs a zingy, tangy punch thanks to apple cider vinegar and fresh ginger. Leftover cranberry sauce will work too, but maybe kick it up with a sprinkle of ground ginger and cayenne.
  • Make these tacos your own by adding in your favorite toppings like cotija cheese or a big splash of hot sauce.
  • Don’t cook the the turkey with the spices for very long. You just want to heat it through, remember it’s already cooked so we won’t want it to become tough or leathery!
Nutrition Facts
Leftover Turkey Tacos
Amount Per Serving
Calories 181 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 14mg5%
Sodium 233mg10%
Potassium 232mg7%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Vitamin C 5.6mg7%
Calcium 40mg4%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Leftover Turkey Tacos
28

Main Dish Recipes, Recipe mexican. Thanksgiving, cilantro, cranberry, leftovers, taco, tacos, turkey, cranberry chutney

About Cathy Roma

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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Previous Post: « Cranberry Chutney and Brie Crostini
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda says

    November 28, 2018 at 1:52 am

    5 stars
    This was the best recipe for leftover turkey tacos! I cheated a bit using my leftover Trader Joe’s Cranberry sauce, but the combination of sweet hot was so delicious! Love all the spices too, that changed my boring tacos into a family hit! Thank you

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      November 30, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      Wow! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. No cheating at all here…glad you made them your own!

  2. Brenda Williams says

    November 19, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    What is the serving size for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      November 21, 2020 at 4:58 pm

      1 taco is a serving.

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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