Looking for something to do with all that extra holiday turkey? Try this leftover turkey curry! This dish is both gluten free and dairy free, quick to make, and puts a new spin on yesterday’s dinner.
How to make leftover turkey curry
This recipe is SO easy, and you probably have most of what you need on hand. Here’s what you’ll want to gather up to make this:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Carrots
- Bell pepper
- Sweet potato
- Canned tomatoes
- Chicken broth
- Coconut milk
- Curry powder
- Salt + pepper
- Cooked turkey
- Rice
You’ll start by sautéing your onion, carrots, and sweet potato in the olive oil.
Then you’ll add in the tomatoes, broth, coconut milk, curry powder, salt and pepper. You’ll let that simmer for around 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Now just mix in your leftover turkey and let that heat up for a few minutes. Boom – that’s it!
You can serve this over some plain white or brown rice for a filling meal that tastes great. My kiddo has loved this dish since he started eating solids. Here’s him a few years ago (my mom heart is aching looking at this photo and how big he is now!):
Ways to mix it up
Keep in mind I kept this dairy free curry recipe pretty simple to make it quick & easy, as well as kid-friendly for those with picky palates. But if you’re familiar with curries and have a little extra time, you can obviously add extra spices, chiles, cilantro, or other ingredients to amp up the flavor profile even more.
You can also mix this up with different veggies, like using butternut squash instead of sweet potato, or adding in spinach, mushrooms, and/or chickpeas.
Allergens in this recipe
Disclaimer: I try to note potential allergens in all recipes – but as you know, manufacturers can change ingredient formulations or I may miss something. Always double check ingredients and labels prior to consuming if you have an allergy.
This gluten free curry recipe is free of most major allergens. There is no dairy, eggs, wheat/gluten, or peanuts present in this recipe. As long as you choose a safe broth, there is also no soy present in this recipe.
There is coconut milk used in this recipe. Some people with tree nut allergies are able to tolerate coconut, others are not. Obviously follow your doctor’s recommendations.
One quick note – if you are gluten/wheat free, do not use leftover turkey that was previously stuffed with bread ingredients. The risk of cross contamination is high. You want to choose turkey that was not stuffed.
Other dairy free leftover turkey ideas:
If you need more inspiration to use up that leftover turkey, try one of these tasty dairy free ideas:
- Baked rice with leftover turkey – This looks like a nice combo of rice and beans, plus the addition of cooked turkey and spices.
- Leftover turkey with roasted vegetables – I don’t know about you guys, but after a big Thanksgiving dinner all I want is a big ‘ol plate of veggies to balance things out later that weekend. This looks like a great way to do so!
- Sweet potato and turkey frittata – Most of the time we focus on ways to use leftover turkey at dinner, but I love this idea for mixing it into breakfast too.
- Creamy turkey mushroom soup – Who doesn’t love a classic turkey soup, especially on a cold fall day!
I hope you enjoy this dairy free gluten free turkey curry as much as my family did. If you get a chance to try it, be sure to leave a comment or recipe rating below!
Leftover Turkey Curry
This leftover turkey curry is the perfect way to use up holiday leftovers - plus it is dairy free and gluten free!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups cooked turkey
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
-
Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, pepper, and sweet potato for about 5 minutes.
-
Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the sauce has reduced a bit.
-
Add the cooked turkey and let simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, until turkey is hot. Serve as-is or over rice. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes 4-6 servings.
Nutrition analysis (approximate per serving, assumes 1/4 of recipe + 1/2 cup cooked white rice): 497 calories, 16 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 520 mg sodium, 43.5 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 43 g protein
Pingback: 40+ Savory & Sweet Rice Recipes » The Nutrition Adventure
Is this suitable for freezing? Thanks
Hi Sally! I know I answered this over on FB but just wanted to leave an answer here too in case anyone else has the same question. 🙂
Since you’re making it with leftover turkey, you’d be heating it up twice and then freezing, which wouldn’t be ideal. If you want to make it to freeze, I’d make it without the turkey, cool down, and then mix the leftover turkey in and freeze. That would be best for quality and food safety upon heating up out of the freezer. I’d also recommend just doing the rice separately the day you plan to eat it. Hope that helps!
Pingback: 15 Recipes to Get the Absolute Most from Thanksgiving Leftovers | healthbz
Pingback: 15 Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes That Are Scrumptious and Straightforward • DGVenom