Thanksgiving turkey leftovers get a lightened lift when you turn them into Leftover Turkey Tacos accompanied with lettuce or other greens.
Leftover turkey. I know you’ve got a mess of leftover turkey (or you’re about to!). And I KNOW you’re tired of eating it (or you’re about to be!). It’s uninspiring, and the sheer volume is daunting.
Turkey sandwiches are an obvious choice for leftover turkey, but that gets old real quick. But a leftover turkey taco? Now that’s something that can get me moderately excited about eating leftover turkey.
Plus, if you’re feeling the bloat you can reach for a low-carb tortilla for a lightened-up meal that repurposes Thanksgiving leftovers.
To make these Turkey Leftover Tacos (aka Thanksgiving Tacos), I specifically used leftovers from these two recipes:
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast (that was seasoned with Iron Range Porchetta Seasoning)
- Cruciferous Crunch Salad (with a homemade Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette)
Let’s break this Leftover Turkey Taco recipe down a bit, with serving suggestions and substitutions.
Jump to:
The Turkey
I opted to cook a turkey breast in the Instant Pot (Instant Pot Turkey Breast). Since turkey is often not aggressively seasoned for Thanksgiving, it’s a good blank slate for a taco. You can sprinkle on some taco seasoning, add a few dashes of hot sauce, or top with salsa to give it that Mexican flair.
The Greens
Bagged salad anyone? Convenient and comes in a variety of options, reach for whatever greens you’d like for this Leftover Turkey Taco. I opted for Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Salad, which contains shredded Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, and green and red cabbage.
The Dressed Greens
I’m a fan of using an oil and vinegar type vinaigrette here. You can use a store-purchased option or consider dressing your greens with a homemade vinaigrette, like this Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette. It’s zesty, bright, and acidic.
The Toppings
Once you’ve got the turkey and the greens, everything else is gravy (see what I did there!? Ha.). Try dressing up your Leftover Turkey Tacos with these toppings:
- Fresh or pickled jalapeno slices
- Shredded cheese, or a crumbly cheese like cotija or feta
- Hot sauce or salsa
- Guacamole
- Pico de gallo
- Sour cream or crema
For the pictures in this recipe, I took a few tablespoons of crema and added in several dashes of Tabasco sauce. The result is a slightly spicy yet cool crema.
How do you make Turkey Leftover Tacos (aka Thanksgiving Tacos)?
To make these super easy Leftover Turkey Tacos you will need the following ingredients. Since this is a leftovers recipe, you can expect more of a loose set of instructions with many paths to a successful (tasty) outcome. The *exact* amounts of each ingredient used I leave to your personal preference, but I find that using 1 - 1.5 ounces of turkey per taco is a perfect starting point when using the smaller corn tortillas.
Leftover Turkey Tacos - Ingredients Needed
- Leftover turkey, seasoned (or not) as you'd like (try this homemade Taco Seasoning)
- Cruciferous Crunch Salad (with Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette)
- Hot sauce or salsa
- Pickled jalapenos
- Shredded cheese or crumbly cotija or feta cheese
- Corn or flour tortillas (small taco ones)
Leftover Turkey Tacos - Instructions
Reheat leftover turkey however you’d prefer, and season however you'd like. To reheat on the stovetop, add shredded pieces of turkey to a covered pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of water to help keep things moist as the turkey reheats. Reheating will take around 5 or so minutes.
Dress your greens, if not using leftover Cruciferous Crunch Salad, while the turkey reheats.
Warm up or char your tortillas to make them pliable.
Assemble! Add 1 - 1.5 ounces of turkey to each tortilla.
Top with a generous amount of dressed greens.
Finish off with garnishes of your choosing - try topping with pickled jalapenos and shredded cheese.
If you dig these Turkey Leftover Tacos...
Try these other outstanding recipes!
- Ground Turkey Quesadilla
- Roasted Green Tomato Salsa
- Mashed with Sweet Potatoes (with Chipotle Honey Butter)
- Ground Venison Tacos
- Instant Pot Spanish Rice
- Quick Sauteed Tex-Mex Beef
- Instant Pot Pozole
- Turkey Lentil Soup
As you know, using leftovers is a great way to save money. For more money-saving ideas, check out Practical Ways to Stretch Your Food Budget.
Leftover Turkey Tacos
Ingredients
- Leftover turkey (seasoned (or not) as you'd like)
- Cruciferous Crunch Salad (with Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette)
- Hot sauce or salsa
- Pickled jalapenos
- Shredded cheese or crumbly cotija or feta cheese
- Corn or flour tortillas (small taco ones)
Instructions
- Reheat leftover turkey however you’d prefer, and season however you'd like. To reheat on the stovetop, add shredded pieces of turkey to a covered pan over medium heat. Add in a tablespoon of water to help keep things moist as the turkey reheats. Reheating will take around 5 or so minutes.
- Dress your greens, if not using leftover Cruciferous Crunch Salad, while the turkey reheats.
- Warm up or char your tortillas to make them pliable.
- Assemble! Add 1 - 1.5 ounces of turkey to each tortilla.
- Top with a generous amount of dressed greens.
- Finish off with garnishes of your choosing - try topping with pickled jalapenos and shredded cheese.
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