This Leftover Turkey Fricassee turns Christmas or Thanksgiving leftovers into a creamy, comforting dinner in just 20 minutes. Tender pieces of cooked turkey are coated in a delicious mushroom sauce with garlic, thyme and crème fraîche. It's a completely different way to enjoy leftover turkey, and it's delicious served with pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
By Boxing Day, I'm usually ready for something that doesn't resemble another roast dinner or leftover sandwich. This easy turkey fricassee is perfect when there is a container of turkey in the fridge, everyone is hungry, and I don't want to spend ages cooking again.
We use reduced-fat crème fraîche instead of double cream, giving the sauce a lovely creamy texture and a slightly tangy flavour without making it too rich. It's a simple, family-friendly meal that feels a little bit special without much effort.
Recipe update: Originally published in December 2024, this recipe was updated in October 2026 with clearer instructions, more helpful cooking tips, storage advice and FAQs.
Looking for more leftover turkey recipes? Why not try our delicious leftover turkey soup, 15 minute leftover turkey curry or our comforting leftover turkey pie?
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Why You'll Love It
- A different way to use leftover turkey - No more turkey sandwiches! The creamy mushroom sauce transforms your leftover roast turkey into a completely different meal.
- Ready in 20 minutes - Using cooked turkey makes this a really quick dinner, especially after all the Christmas cooking.
- Easy to adapt - Add leftover vegetables, use cooked chicken instead, or throw in some leftover Christmas ham.
- Creamy and comforting - The combination of mushrooms, garlic, thyme and crème fraîche makes a delicious sauce without needing double cream or wine.
Recipe Overview
- One pan - Everything cooks in one large pan.
- Leftover turkey - Use 500g/1lb of cooked turkey breast or thigh meat.
- Creamy sauce - Made with mushrooms, stock, thyme and crème fraîche.
- Top tip - Keep the heat low so the sauce stays creamy and the turkey doesn't dry out.
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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.
- Turkey - You will need leftover cooked turkey, with the bones and skin removed. Both breast and thigh meat work well, either chopped into bite-sized pieces or shredded. You can also use leftover roast chicken.
- Mushrooms - We used chestnut mushrooms for their rich flavour, but closed-cup or button mushrooms work too. For something different, try a mixture of shiitake, oyster and portobello mushrooms.
- Butter - Used to soften the mushrooms and shallots. Olive oil works if you prefer.
- Shallots and garlic - These give the creamy sauce plenty of flavour. A small onion works instead of the shallots, and frozen chopped garlic is a great time-saver.
- Plain flour - Thickens the stock to make a lovely creamy sauce. This is all-purpose flour in the US.
- Chicken stock - Adds flavour to the sauce. Leftover turkey stock is even better if you have some, but vegetable stock works too.
- Fresh thyme - Gives the fricassee a lovely herby flavour. You can use dried thyme if that's what you have, starting with about a third of the fresh quantity.
- Crème fraîche - We use reduced-fat crème fraîche to make the sauce creamy without double cream. Full-fat crème fraîche gives a richer sauce and is less likely to split. Double cream (heavy cream) is another option.
- Sweetcorn - An easy way to add some extra vegetables and colour. Frozen peas are a great alternative.
- Parmesan - Just a little grated Parmesan adds extra savoury flavour to the sauce.
- Salt, pepper and parsley - Season to taste, then finish with chopped fresh parsley if you have some.
More ways to adapt this recipe can be found in the Variations section below.
How To Make Turkey Fricassee
- Cook the mushrooms & shallots: Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.
- Add the flour: Sprinkle over the flour and stir well to coat the mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, so the flour doesn't taste raw.
- Add the stock: Gradually pour in the chicken stock, stirring as you go to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow the sauce to start thickening.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the crème fraîche, sweetcorn and Parmesan. Add the cooked turkey and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer: Simmer gently for around 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is steaming hot throughout. Don't let the sauce boil rapidly.
- Serve: Serve with pasta, rice or mashed potatoes and finish with some chopped parsley if you like.
Turkey Fricassee Variations
One of the best things about this leftover turkey recipe is how easy it is to adapt to whatever you have in the fridge after Christmas.
Turkey and ham fricassee: If you have some leftover honey roast ham or slow cooker gammon chop it into small pieces and use it to replace some of the turkey. The ham adds a lovely savoury flavour.
Add more vegetables: Swap the sweetcorn for peas, or add some leftover cooked carrots, broccoli, cauliflower or green beans. Stir cooked vegetables in with the turkey to heat through. You could also add a handful of baby spinach towards the end.
Make it richer: Replace some of the stock with dry white wine, letting the wine bubble briefly before adding the remaining stock. You can also use full-fat crème fraîche or double cream.
Use leftover chicken: This works just as well with cooked roast chicken, making it an easy dinner to enjoy all year round.
Use less turkey: If you only have around 300g of cooked turkey rather than 500g, add extra mushrooms or vegetables to bulk out the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
We love serving this creamy turkey fricassee over pasta, as the sauce coats it really well. It's also delicious spooned over slow cooker mashed potatoes or our perfect microwave rice.
If you have leftover mash from Christmas dinner, that's an easy option too. You could also try our make ahead mashed potatoes or Italian parmesan roasted potatoes.
For something really simple, serve it with warm crusty bread or air fryer garlic bread to mop up the creamy sauce.
To add some extra greens, try some garlic spring greens, roasted tenderstem broccoli or minted peas.
Storage
Fridge: Because this recipe uses previously cooked turkey, the original turkey's storage time matters. Cool and refrigerate your roast turkey within 2 hours of cooking, and use or freeze leftovers within 48 hours. Making fricassee does not start a new 48-hour storage period.
Reheating: Heat the turkey until steaming hot throughout when making the fricassee. As the turkey has already been reheated in this recipe, avoid reheating leftover fricassee again. I recommend making only the amount you plan to eat.
Freezing: We don't recommend freezing the finished fricassee for best results, as the crème fraîche sauce can separate and become grainy when thawed. If you know you won't use all your leftover turkey, freeze the cooked turkey separately in portions and make the sauce fresh when needed.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Don't overcook the turkey. It is already cooked, so you only need to heat it until steaming hot throughout. Prolonged cooking can make it dry, especially if using turkey breast.
- Keep the heat low after adding the crème fraîche. Reduced-fat crème fraîche can split if boiled too vigorously. Gently simmer the sauce rather than letting it bubble rapidly.
- Adjust the sauce thickness. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of stock. If it's too thin, simmer it gently for a little longer, or add a small cornflour (cornstarch) slurry.
- Add a little lemon. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little zest just before serving can brighten up the creamy mushroom sauce.
- Season at the end. Stock and Parmesan can both be salty, especially if you're using leftover homemade stock. Taste the sauce before adding extra salt.
- Cut the turkey into evenly sized pieces. This helps everything heat through at the same time, without some pieces becoming dry while others are still cold.
- Save time with prepared ingredients. Pre-sliced mushrooms, frozen chopped garlic and leftover cooked vegetables make this even quicker to put together.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The sauce has split or looks grainy | The heat was too high after adding the crème fraîche. | Remove from the heat and gently stir in a splash of cool stock. This may improve the texture, although it might not become completely smooth again. |
| The sauce is too thin | It hasn't thickened enough, or too much liquid was added. | Stir in 1 teaspoon of cornflour mixed with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Heat gently, stirring, until thickened. |
| The sauce is too thick | Too much liquid has evaporated. | Add a splash of chicken stock, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your preferred consistency. |
| The turkey is dry | It was already dry or has been heated for too long. | Stir in a little extra stock or crème fraîche to moisten it. Next time, add the turkey at the end and heat only until steaming hot. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Turkey fricassee is a dish of tender turkey in a creamy sauce, usually made with stock, mushrooms and herbs. It's based on the traditional French cooking method of fricassee, where meat is cooked gently in a sauce. Our version is much quicker because it starts with turkey that's already cooked.
Yes. You can leave out the mushrooms and replace them with vegetables such as cooked carrots, peas, broccoli or green beans. The mushrooms add depth of flavour, so you might want a little extra garlic or thyme if leaving them out.
Yes, provided the cooked turkey was cooled and frozen safely. Defrost it thoroughly in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of defrosting, and heat it until steaming hot throughout when making the fricassee.
You can chop the vegetables and measure out the ingredients ahead of time. However, because the recipe uses previously cooked turkey and a reduced-fat crème fraîche sauce, it's best to finish cooking the fricassee just before serving.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
If you've tried this turkey fricassee recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Leftover Turkey Fricassee
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 25 g (1 ¾ tablespoons) of Butter
- 2 Shallots - diced
- 200 g (7 oz) of Chestnut mushrooms - sliced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 1 teaspoon of Fresh thyme - leaves only
- 1 tablespoon of Plain flour
- 250 ml (1 cup) of Chicken stock
- 200 ml (¾ cup) of Reduced fat crème fraîche
- 100 g (⅔ cup) of Sweetcorn
- 15 g (¼ cup) of Parmesan - grated
- 500 g (1 lb) of Leftover turkey - chopped
- ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley - optional; to serve
Instructions
- Cook the mushrooms & shallots: Melt 25 g of Butter in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add 2 Shallots (diced) and 200 g of Chestnut mushrooms (sliced) and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.Add 2 Garlic cloves (crushed) and 1 teaspoon of Fresh thyme and cook for another minute.
- Add the flour: Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of Plain flour and stir well to coat the mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, so the flour doesn't taste raw.
- Add the stock: Gradually pour in 250 ml of Chicken stock, stirring as you go to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow the sauce to start thickening.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Reduce the heat to low and stir in 200 ml of Reduced fat crème fraîche, 100 g of Sweetcorn and 15 g of Parmesan.Add 500 g of Leftover turkey and season with ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper.
- Simmer: Simmer gently for around 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is steaming hot throughout. Don't let the sauce boil rapidly.
- Serve: Serve with pasta, rice or mashed potatoes and finish with some Fresh parsley if you like.
Recipe Notes
- Don't overcook the turkey. It is already cooked, so you only need to heat it until steaming hot throughout. Prolonged cooking can make it dry, especially if using turkey breast.
- Keep the heat low after adding the crème fraîche. Reduced-fat crème fraîche can split if boiled too vigorously. Gently simmer the sauce rather than letting it bubble rapidly.
- Adjust the sauce thickness. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of stock. If it's too thin, simmer it gently for a little longer, or add a small cornflour (cornstarch) slurry.
- Add a little lemon. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little zest just before serving can brighten up the creamy mushroom sauce.
- Season at the end. Stock and Parmesan can both be salty, especially if you're using leftover homemade stock. Taste the sauce before adding extra salt.
- Cut the turkey into evenly sized pieces. This helps everything heat through at the same time, without some pieces becoming dry while others are still cold.
- Save time with prepared ingredients. Pre-sliced mushrooms, frozen chopped garlic and leftover cooked vegetables make this even quicker to put together.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
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