Leftover turkey fried rice with lean and delicious cooked turkey, light and fluffy rice, perfectly scrambled eggs, colourful vegetables, and classic Asian seasonings, is just what your healthy meal planning menu needs. Plus, it's made in one skillet in just 10 minutes. Hello new favourite easy weeknight dinner!
With Thanksgiving coming up in less than a week, it's never too early to start planning ahead on what to do with all those delicious turkey leftovers, especially if you are like me and end up with a big stash of crave-worthy turkey meat after the holidays. Turkey fried rice is the perfect way to use it up in another meal that the whole family will love.
I love using turkey meat in fried rice because it is a super versatile protein that just soaks up all of the delicious Asian flavours that are thrown in there.
I have partnered with the Turkey Farmers of Canada to bring you this delicious leftover turkey fried rice recipe. All images and opinions expressed are my own.
Ingredients in Turkey Fried Rice
- leftover cooked turkey - you will need 1.5 cups of leftover shredded or cubed cooked turkey. I used turkey breast (about one-third to half of one breast) but you can use any part of the turkey. This is a great way to use up leftovers that you may have from a whole roasted turkey, roasted turkey breast, or slow cooker turkey breast.
- white rice - freshly cooked works best in this recipe, but you can easily use leftover rice. You will just need to add some water (up to ¼ cup) to soften the rice.
- eggs - a staple in fried rice dishes.
- vegetable oil - required for any stir-fry.
- onions
- garlic
- jalapeño pepper - optional, for a spicy kick
- green onions
- carrots and peas - I used a frozen vegetable mix to make it easy. You can add them into the stir fry directly from the freezer.
- seasonings - soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable stock powder (or chicken stock powder), white pepper, salt and ground black pepper.
- white sesame seeds (for garnish)
You will also need a large wok or skillet.
How to Make the Best Leftover Turkey Fried Rice
Leftover turkey fried rice is so easy and convenient to make. It takes about 5 minutes to prep, and just 10 minutes to stir-fry.
First, heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the oil sizzles and shimmers. Add onions and garlic and sauté with a spatula for 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in jalapeño (if using).
Add shredded or cubed turkey and stir to combine, about 1 minute. Move the turkey mixture to one side of the skillet and add eggs to the empty space in the skillet. Stir the eggs until scrambled and cooked through, yet still tender, about 1 minute. The eggs should be springy and bright in colour, and not too dry at this stage. Stir to combine all ingredients together.
Add cooked rice and all seasoning including soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable stock powder, white pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine, about 2 minutes. If rice is not soft enough, add up to ¼ cup of water to soften it.
Add carrots and peas, and stir fry for 2 minutes to evenly mix and distribute the ingredients. Then, stir in green onions.
Serve hot on a plate and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Leftover Turkey Fried Rice Variations
Turkey is great at taking on different flavours across all cuisines. Here are some ways that you can change up the flavours in this fried rice:
- Customize the vegetables: You can throw in whatever vegetables that you have on hand, just chop them up into bite-sized pieces. Some of my favourites to use are bean sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
- Customize the seasoning:
- Add in a spoonful of teriyaki sauce for a Japanese twist.
- Add in spoonful of satay sauce for a Malaysian twist.
- Replace the soy sauce with fish sauce and add in some roasted peanuts for a Thai variation.
- Add in a spoonful of BBQ sauce for another variation.
Tips and Tricks
- Prep the ingredients. Have all your ingredients prepped and ready and within hands reach before you begin. Cooking fried rice is a very fast process and things move fast. Being prepared will ensure that the process goes smoothly.
- Continuously stir. Cooking a good stir-fry is all about continuously stirring over high heat. This ensures an even distribution of heat and even cooking. I usually use 2 spatulas to stir fry evenly and quickly.
- How to store. Store fried rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can reheat in the microwave or for a few minutes on a skillet.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
- Leftover Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Creamy Turkey Orzo Soup
- Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Turkey Tetrazzini with Spinach
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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Recipe
Leftover Turkey Fried Rice
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Leftover turkey fried rice with turkey, fluffy rice, scrambled eggs, vegetables, and classic Asian seasonings is a one skillet meal made in just 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup onions, finely chopped (approximately half an onion)
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, sliced (optional for a spicy kick)
- 1 + ½ cups leftover cooked turkey, shredded or cubed into ½-inch thick pieces
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups white rice, cooked
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 cup carrots and peas vegetable mix, frozen
- ½ tablespoon green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes until sizzling and hot. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in jalapeño (if using).
- Add shredded or cubed turkey and stir to combine, about 1 minute. Move the turkey mixture to one side of the skillet and add eggs to the empty space in the skillet. Stir the eggs until scrambled and cooked through, yet still tender, about 1 minute. (The eggs should be springy and bright in colour, and not too dry at this stage). Stir to combine all ingredients together.
- Add cooked rice and all seasoning including soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable stock powder, white pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine, about 2 minutes. If the rice is not soft enough, add up to ¼ cup of water to soften it.
- Add carrots and peas, and stir fry for 2 minutes while evenly mixing and distributing the ingredients. Then, stir in green onions.
- Serve hot on a plate, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Notes
Equipment used: large wok or skillet.
How to use leftover rice: To use leftover rice, add some water (up to ¼ cup) to soften the rice.
Prep the ingredients: Have all your ingredients prepped and ready and within hands reach before you begin. Cooking fried rice is a very fast process and things move fast. Being prepared will ensure that the process goes smoothly.
Continuously stir: Cooking a good stir-fry is all about continuously stirring over high heat. This ensures an even distribution of heat and even cooking. I usually use 2 spatulas to stir fry evenly and quickly.
How to store: Store fried rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can reheat in the microwave or for a few minutes on a skillet.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Rice
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
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Mike Y says
Made this tonight with some minor substitutions (I used frozen corn instead of pea's because that's all I had). Adjusted some of the seasonings at the end for my taste but this was absolutely a hit with my kids who are very picky eaters. They did not eat any of the turkey on Thanksgiving, but happy ate all of the fried rice (and I added extra turkey since I had so much leftover) tonight. Thanks for sharing the recipe! This one is a keeper!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Mike! So happy you liked the recipe!
Judy says
I made this recipe twice, and I doubled the recipe both times. I prepped the ingredients while the rice cooked in the rice cooker. The turkey, vegetables, eggs, rice, and seasoning proportions are perfect, with the exception of the pepper. If you love pepper, then perhaps the combination of a full teaspoon of white pepper and a full teaspoon of finely ground black pepper is appropriate for a single batch, but when doubling the recipe, you would have four teaspoons of pepper, which is a sizeable amount. I cut the pepper in half for my first try, and then I cut the pepper in half again for my second try (i.e., I used 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper in my second batch). My 93-year-old mother said that she could still taste the pepper in the second batch. I think the recipe is delicious with 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper, but my lips felt hot for several minutes after eating, and I did not include a jalapeño pepper... just as well. I definitely will use this recipe again. The leftover turkey fried rice was yummy the next day in a pork and tofu soup. The pairing was delicious and a great way to use leftover fried rice. Thank you, Sam! You created a tasty fried rice recipe!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Judy! So happy you liked the recipe and shared your preference on how much black pepper you enjoy. We do like a little spice, so that is a great tip for others, thank you!
Leslie says
Curious what you can add if you don't have vegetable powder? TY
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Hi Leslie, you can use chicken bullion powder or miso.
Jenny says
That is such a great idea! We usually have tons of turkey leftover since there is only two of us. Great recipe, pinned and bookmarked to use for the days after thanksgiving. My husband loves jalapeños, he adds them on everything, he is going to love your recipe!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Jenny! It really is such a great way to use up those leftovers. Let me know how it goes 🙂
veenaazmanov says
Simple and flavorful and perfect and easy when leftovers. My kids to love it for sure. Comfort and Happy Meal.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you! So happy you liked the recipe!
Amy says
Yum! Turkey is not something we eat a lot of in Australia but I understand it's very lean and good alternative for other white meats. Love the addition of jalapeno peppers. What a great idea! So going to give this a go!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Jonelle says
Made this recipe with Holiday leftovers. Loved it so much, I made it again 2 days later!!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Jonelle! So happy to hear that!