Hungry Healthy Happy

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Salad Recipes
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Recipes to your Inbox
  • Shop
search icon
Homepage link
  • Salad Recipes
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Recipes to your Inbox
  • Shop
×
Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Curry

15 Minute Leftover Turkey Curry

Updated: Nov 23, 2024 · Published: Dec 23, 2019 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 21 Comments

564 shares
  • 315
  • 2
Diet: Gluten Free / High Protein
Jump to Recipe
Leftover Turkey Curry with a text title overlay.

Ready in just 15 minutes, this Leftover Turkey Curry recipe is a great way to use up that post Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey. A really simple curry dish, that is packed with flavour, and uses ingredients you most likely have in your cupboard right now. You can easily use leftover chicken, or cook some chicken or turkey fresh for this dish too.

Turkey Curry with rice in a round white dish.

About this Turkey Curry Recipe

By the time it gets to about the 27th December, I am ready to scream if I see yet another turkey sandwich! But, we don't like wasting anything, so we are always looking for ways to use leftover turkey. There are lots of ways to add vegetables to this curry with leftover turkey too.

The best thing about this is how easy it is. You just throw what ever you have leftover into a pan with some shredded turkey, spices, tomato and a little coconut milk and it is ready in just 15 minutes.

After all the calories of Christmas (nothing wrong with that), it can be nice to have a lighter meal. There are just 259 calories for a big bowl of this turkey curry with leftovers.

This is one of our favourite leftover turkey recipes because it is so simple and doesn't need any fancy ingredients. If you are looking for more recipes with leftover turkey, why not try our Turkey Grilled Cheese, Leftover Turkey Pasta, Leftover Turkey Soup or Leftover Turkey Quesadillas?

Jump to:
  • About this Turkey Curry Recipe
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • How to Make Leftover Turkey Curry - Step by Step
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Extra Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Turkey Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Ingredients and Substitutions

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Shredded turkey - We use this as our main turkey leftovers recipe and use the majority of our turkey in it. We shred ours, but you could chop it into chunks. Only got chicken? Use that instead. You can use this recipe with out leftovers too, just cook some chunks of chicken or turkey breast fresh.
  • Vegetables - After an indulgent festive season, we like to pack as many vegetables into this leftover turkey curry recipe as possible. A base of onion, mushrooms and peppers work, and we like courgette and/or aubergine too. We sometimes throw in leftover roasted vegetables from Christmas day too. Just before serving, we had a couple of handfuls of spinach to give it a green boost too.
  • Spices - The spices are the most important part of a curry, but we wanted to keep it simple with just a couple of tablespoons of curry powder. But you could use a tikka or korma powder or even you favourite curry paste.
  • Sauce - This is a tomato based curry, with just a tin of chopped tomatoes. We wanted to make it a little bit creamy, so we added half a tin of coconut milk which also adds loads of flavour. But you could leave it out or swap it for double cream, which you might have leftover from Christmas anyway.
  • Mango Chutney - If you haven't tried mango chutney in a curry before, then you are seriously missing out. It adds so much flavour, with very little effort. So always have some in your fridge for a quick flavour boost to your favourite homemade curry. You could swap it for cranberry sauce if you have a lot of that that needs using up.

More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.

How to Make Leftover Turkey Curry - Step by Step

A large silver pan with onions, mushrooms, peppers and zucchini cooking in it.
  1. Step 1: Cook the vegetables in the oil for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Curry powder added to the vegetables.
  1. Step 2: Add the garlic and curry powder. Stir and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Tomatoes, shredded cooked turkey and coconut milk added to the pan.
  1. Step 3: Add the turkey, tomatoes, coconut milk and mango chutney. Stir and simmer for 7 minutes.
Spinach added to the pan.
  1. Step 4: Add the spinach and continue cooking until it has wilted.

Serving Suggestions

This is a pretty healthy curry, so we don't tend to go overboard with sides and keep them light. We love a brown rice and quinoa mix with this curry and then some mini popadoms and mango chutney.

It has mango chutney in the actual curry (it's our not so secret ingredient for most of our homemade curries), but you can never have too much, right?

Why not try serving some Peshwari Naan with it or our Easy Naan Bread. I dipped it in some Homemade Mango Chutney. If you wanted some rice, then our Pilau Rice, Turmeric Rice or Coconut Rice is a delicious side.

Turkey curry and rice with spinach and vegetables.

Extra Tips

  • You don't have to wait until you have leftovers to make this. Simply fry some chunks of chicken or turkey breast first, and then follow the rest of the instructions for this recipe.
  • Add some extra flavour to this turkey curry with leftover turkey with a couple of spoonfuls of mango chutney or cranberry sauce. This is optional though.
  • You can use any cooked vegetables you have leftover in this recipe, or cook some fresh. We added some spinach in at the end, however you could use kale.
  • You can leave the coconut milk out of this recipe (however replace it with a little stock) or use cream instead.
  • You can bulk this turkey curry out by chopping up leftover roast vegetables too.
  • Add some extra sweetness with a handful of raisins.
  • If you want to bulk out this turkey curry a little, then add some cooked lentils.
Turkey curry and rice in a bowl next to a blue towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can turkey curry be reheated?

We wouldn't recommend reheating this curry as it would have already been cooked twice - once for the turkey and again for this curry. Food, especially poultry, should be cooked no more than twice.

Is turkey curry gluten free?

Yes, as long as the curry powder you are using is gluten free, this is a delicious gluten free curry. Just be careful of the side dishes you serve up.

Can you I make this in the slow cooker?

Yes, this curry can be made in the slow cooker. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook for 2 hours on high.

How to remove the leftover turkey

Once you have finished your Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, cover the turkey up, leave it to cool and then put it in the fridge. When you are ready to use the leftovers, slice off whatever meat you can, and then use your fingers to take off whatever else you can. You can use the carcass to make stock with, so nothing goes to waste.

More Turkey Recipes

  • Low carb lasagna on a plate with salad.
    Low Carb Lasagna
  • Leftover BBQ Turkey Quesadilla surrounded by nachos and Christmas decorations.
    Leftover BBQ Turkey Quesadilla
  • Slices of air fryer turkey on a wooden board with sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
    Air Fryer Turkey
  • Greek Turkey Burgers on a wooden serving board
    Greek Turkey Burgers

If you’ve tried this Leftover Turkey Curry, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Leftover Turkey Curry in a white bowl with rice and mini popadoms.

15 Minute Leftover Turkey Curry

By: Dannii Martin
Ready in just 15 minutes, this Leftover Turkey Curry is a great way to use up leftovers from Christmas or Thanksgiving. Quick, simple and delicious.
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
A circular logo saying HP.
High Protein
4.93 from 26 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: British, Indian
Prep: 3 minutes mins
Cook: 12 minutes mins
Total: 15 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 306kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a cow's head.
Meat

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 Onion - thinly sliced
  • 1 Red bell pepper - diced
  • 1 Courgette (zucchini) - diced
  • 6 Mushrooms - sliced
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) Spinach
  • 300 g (10.5 oz) Leftover turkey - shredded
  • 3 Garlic clove - crushed
  • 2 tablespoon Curry powder
  • 400 g (14 oz) Chopped tomatoes - canned
  • 200 ml (0.75 cups) Light coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoon Mango chutney

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan. Cook 1 Onion, 1 Red bell pepper, 1 Courgette (zucchini) and 6 Mushrooms for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the 3 Garlic clove and 2 tablespoon Curry powder. Stir and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  • Add 300 g Leftover turkey, 400 g Chopped tomatoes, 200 ml Light coconut milk and 2 tablespoon Mango chutney. Stir and simmer for 7 minutes.
  • Add 100 g Spinach and continue cooking until it has wilted.
  • Serve over rice.

Recipe Tips

  • You don't have to wait until you have leftovers to make this. Simply fry some chunks of chicken or turkey breast first, and then follow the rest of the instructions for this recipe.
  • Add some extra flavour with a couple of tablespoons of mango chutney. This is optional though.
  • You can use any cooked vegetables you have leftover in this recipe, or cook some fresh. We added some spinach in at the end, however you could use kale.
  • You can leave the coconut milk out of this recipe (however replace it with a little stock) or use cream instead.
  • You can bulk this turkey curry out by chopping up leftover roast vegetables too.
  • Add some extra sweetness with a handful of raisins.
  • If you want to bulk out this turkey curry a little, then add some cooked lentils.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 897mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3551IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 4mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

You'll love these too...

  • Sliced breaded chicken covered in katsu curry sauce.
    Katsu Curry Sauce (just like Wagamama)
  • A bowl of Chinese chicken curry and rice.
    Chinese Chicken Curry
  • Slow cooker beef massaman curry in a bowl with rice.
    Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry
  • Prawn tikka masala in a bowl with rice and a naan bread.
    Prawn Tikka Masala

Comments

  1. Euan Thomas says

    December 31, 2019 at 7:47 pm

    When does the turkey go in? It's not mentioned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      December 31, 2019 at 11:16 pm

      Apologies, that was missed out from step 5. It has been included now

      Reply
  2. Tina Williams says

    December 29, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    5 stars
    Easy and quick and very tasty. Just what you need after spending days in the kitchen

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      December 30, 2019 at 8:24 am

      So glad you enjoyed it. We will be eating it with leftover roast chicken throughout the year too.

      Reply
  3. Sara Welch says

    December 26, 2019 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    I know what I will be having for dinner tonight; this looks too good to pass up, indeed!

    Reply
« Older Comments
4.93 from 26 votes (9 ratings without comment)

Made this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dannii with a sunset behind her.

Welcome

My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

About me...

Salad Recipes

  • Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad in a white dish surrounded by crumbled feta.
    Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad

  • A plate with salad surrounded by watermelon slices
    Kale, Watermelon and Feta Salad

  • A large bowl of chickpea tuna salad with a serving spoon in it.
    Chickpea Tuna Salad

  • Chopped Blue Cheese Salad in a large white bowl.
    Chopped Blue Cheese Salad

  • A bowl of watercress salad with a wooden fork and spoon in it.
    Watercress Salad

  • Little Gem Salad in a round white bowl.
    Little Gem Salad

Recipe Books

The Hungry Healthy Happy book cover.
The healthy slow cooker book cover.
the front cover of The Picky Plate eBook.

Popular Recipes

  • Leftover chicken pasta on a black plate.
    Leftover Chicken Pasta

  • Mediterranean Rice Salad in a large round serving dish.
    Mediterranean Rice Salad

  • Fourteen healthy flapjacks on a sheet of parchment paper.
    Healthy Flapjacks

  • A tortilla chip being dipped into some nacho cheese sauce.
    2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce

  • Sticky Ginger Beef in a bowl with rice and broccoli.
    10 Minute Sticky Ginger Beef Mince

  • Baked Egg Tortilla in a round baking dish.
    Baked Egg Tortilla (Tortilla Quiche)

Footer

Help & Information

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Advertising
  • Blog

About us

  • About us
  • Newsletter Sign Up!
  • Press enquiries
  • FAQ

Follow us


Featured in

A selection of publications that Hungry Healthy Happy has been featured in

As an Amazon Associate we earn certain commissions from qualifying purchases. By using our site, you agree that we can collect and use your data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright © 2011-2024 Hungry Healthy Happy • All Rights Reserved

  • 315
  • 2

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.