You can't beat a creamy risotto for classic comfort food, and this one is a great way to us up Christmas leftovers. This Leftover Turkey Risotto makes a little leftover turkey go along way and it's easy to adapt with different vegetables and cheese too.
This leftover turkey risotto is rich, creamy and oh-so-comforting. Risotto might be a labour of love, and need some attention when cooking, but it is so worth it. And when you have more leftover turkey than you know what to do with, and you are bored of turkey sandwiches, this is a simple way to make it more exciting.
If you have got a lot of guests staying this Christmas, then this is an easy way to feed a crowd, as you can easily scale up this recipe depending on how much leftovers you have.
Looking for more leftover turkey recipes? Why not try our creamy Leftover Turkey Fricassee, easy Leftover Turkey Pasta, quick Leftover Turkey Curry or our comforting Leftover Turkey Soup?
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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.
- Butter - This is what everything is cooked in. You could use olive oil instead.
- Turkey - We used leftovers from our Roasted Turkey Breast recipe, however any leftover turkey would work. You could use use leftover chicken in this risotto too. Any part of the turkey works in this turkey risotto recipe, because it's all shredded up and mixed together. So you can use little bits of breast and leg.
- Mushrooms - If you don't have a lot of leftover turkey, then this is a good way to bulk it out. We used shiitake mushrooms, but you could use a mixture to get lots of different textures. Chestnut and oyster work well too.
- Leeks - These add a really rich flavour. You could leave them out, but we use less onions and add these in.
- Shallots - You could use a small brown onion if you prefer.
- Stock - Use a good quality chicken stock pot for a rich flavour. You could use vegetable stock if that is all you had. Why not try our Homemade Chicken Stock or make your own turkey stock by using the carcass left from Christmas.
- Salt and pepper - Generously season.
- Lemon - A little bit of lemon juice (and zest if wanted) really lights up a quite heavy dish.
- Garlic - You can use frozen crushed garlic to save time.
- Herbs - Fresh thyme adds a lovely flavour and it's usually something we have a lot of at Christmas time.
- Cheese - A little bit of grated Parmesan adds some creaminess to the turkey risotto.
- Rice - Use arborio rice (risotto rice) to make the best risotto. You could use brown rice, but you would need to adjust the cooking time and the texture just wouldn't be the same.
Turkey Risotto Variations
When it comes to veggies, there are lots of options. You can cook some asparagus, peppers and courgette (zucchini) at the same time as the mushrooms. You can also stir in some frozen peas and sweetcorn when the last bit of stock goes in.
For a green veggie boost, why not stir some spinach in just before serving.
Whilst we have just used turkey, bacon is delicious with this as well. Or, you can use leftovers of our Honey Roast Ham and dice it into small chunks.
Wine in Risotto
Risotto usually has wine in it, but we skipped it as we very rarely have alcohol in the house. If you want a richer flavour, then swap some of the stock for white wine. It's a good way to use some up after Christmas too.
If you do want to include wine, we recommend an unoaked Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
How To Make Turkey Risotto - Step by Step
- Step 1: Heat the butter in a large pan and add the shallots, leeks and garlic. Cook over a medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the mushrooms. Stir and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the rice. Mix it in and cook until it becomes translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the thyme. Add the stock, a little at a time. Mixing it in and waiting for the liquid to absorb. Once it has been absorbed, add a little more stock. Continue to add stock until it has all absorbed.
- Step 5: Add the leftover turkey meat, salt, pepper, lemon juice and Parmesan. Mix it all together and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This really has everything it needs in one dish. However, if you wanted to make it go further and serve it with something filling, then you can't go wrong with garlic bread. Why not try our Air Fryer Garlic Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread?
If you want a side of greens to balance out all the festive chocolate, then why not try our Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic or Air Fryer Kale?
Extra Tips
- Never rinse the rice for risotto, as it rinses off the starch and that's what makes it nice and creamy.
- We stirred Parmesan cheese into our risotto, but feel free to sprinkle loads more on top before serving too.
- You can also stir through a bit of butter before serving to make it even creamier.
Storage
Risotto is always best eaten straight away. However, if you have leftovers then they can be stored. You need to make sure it cools down quickly first by spreading it out on a baking tray.
Once it is cool you can transfer it to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add to a frying pan with a little water and heat until piping hot throughout. We don't recommend freezing this.
Frequently Asked Questions
For best results, use arborio rice to make this. It will ensure that you get a really creamy baked risotto. However, if you wanted to give this dish a nutrient boost, then you could swap it for brown rice. Please note that cooking times and nutritional values will vary though.
Whilst risotto is cooking, leave the lid off. However, we recommend putting the lid on for a couple of minutes once finished cooking, as this will allow it to get the perfect texture.
You don't add all the stock at once in a risotto. You add a ladle at a time, so the rice can gradually soak up the stock which gives you a creamier risotto at the end.
More Risotto Recipes
If you’ve tried this turkey risotto recipe, 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 Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 Leek - sliced
- 2 Shallots - diced
- 115 g (4 oz) Leftover turkey
- 120 g (0.5 cups) Shiitake mushrooms - chopped
- 150 g (0.75 cups) Risotto (arborio) rice
- 700 ml (3 cups) Chicken stock
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 0.5 Lemon - juice only
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 4 sprig Fresh thyme - leaves only
- 30 g (0.33 cups) Parmesan - grated
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoon Butter in a large pan and add 2 Shallots 1 Leek and 2 Garlic cloves. Cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add 120 g Shiitake mushrooms. Stir and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
- Add 150 g Risotto (arborio) rice. Mix it in and cook until it becomes translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add 4 sprig Fresh thyme. Add the stock, a little at a time. Mixing it in and waiting for it to absorb. Once it has been absorbed, add a little more stock. Continue to add stock until all of the 700 ml Chicken stock has been absorbed.
- Add 115 g Leftover turkey, 1 pinch Sea salt, 1 pinch Ground black pepper, juice of 0.5 Lemon and 30 g Parmesan. Mix it all together and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Never rinse the rice for risotto, as it rinses off the starch and that's what makes it nice and creamy.
- We stirred Parmesan in to our risotto, but feel free to sprinkle loads more on top before serving too.
- You can also stir through a bit of butter before serving to make it even creamier.
Nutritional Information
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.
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