15-Minute Cranberry Turkey Salad

Ready in less than 15 minutes, this Cranberry Turkey Salad Recipe is the ideal solution for your leftover turkey. With simple ingredients like onions, celery, walnuts, tangy cranberries, and turkey, all it takes is a quick stir to bring it all together. Bursting with fresh flavors and a satisfying crunch, this salad is not only a great way to utilize leftovers but also adds a refreshing twist to your post-holiday meals.

Ready for your taste buds to do a little dance of joy?  This turkey salad is not only flavor-packed, but it is also the perfect way to use leftover turkey breast.

Plus, it is super-versatile.   You can have it as a standalone dish, serve it with crackers, or use it to make a turkey salad sandwich.  

And the best part? It only takes a few minutes to put together!

Gather your ingredients, and let's get started.

Ingredients

• Cooked Turkey:  You can use either diced or shredded leftover Thanksgiving turkey, depending on your preference. If you don't have leftover turkey, cooked chicken or even canned tuna can be used as a substitute.
• Red Onion: If it's too strong for your taste, you can soak the diced onion in cold water for about 10 minutes before using it, or substitute with milder green onions or shallots.
• Scallions: Also known as green onions, they lend a mild yet distinct flavor. Chives or leeks can be used if scallions aren't available.
• Celery: Chopped celery is a must to give crunch to this delicious turkey salad.
• Walnuts: Feel free to substitute with pecans, almonds, or even sunflower seeds for a nut-free option.
• Dried Cranberries: These add a sweet-tart element to the salad. Raisins, dried cherries, or chopped dried apricots could also work.  You could also use sliced red grapes.

For the dressing

• Mayonnaise: It creates a creamy base for the dressing. If you prefer, you can use Greek yogurt or sour cream.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This adds tanginess to the dressing. White wine vinegar or lemon juice can be used as a substitute.
• Dijon Mustard: It gives a bit of spiciness and depth of flavor. Yellow mustard can work too, but it's a bit more pungent.
• Sriracha: This adds a kick to the dressing. If you don't have Sriracha, any hot sauce or even some red pepper flakes can do the trick.
• Sugar: It balances the acidity in the dressing. Honey or maple syrup are great natural alternatives.
• Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper: Feel free to adjust the quantities to your liking.

Step by Step

For the full recipe with measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post.

Tips and Tricks

• Use Leftovers: This salad is perfect for using up leftover turkey from your holiday meals. Just remember to remove any skin and bones before dicing or shredding it.
• Adjust to Taste: Feel free to tweak the dressing ingredients to suit your preferences. If you like it tangier, add more vinegar. If you prefer it sweeter, a bit more sugar will do the trick.
• Chill Before Serving: Chilling the salad for an hour or two before serving allows the flavors to meld together, making it even tastier.
• Add Some Greens: If you want to make the salad a bit more substantial, you can serve it on a bed of lettuce.  Tomato is a nice addition if you are making a turkey salad sandwich.
• Make Ahead: You can prepare this salad ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a quick and easy meal. It should keep well for 2-3 days. (Depending on the freshness of your turkey.)
• Toasting the Walnuts: For an extra layer of flavor, consider toasting the walnuts before adding them to the salad. Just be careful not to burn them!

More Salad Recipes to Try

• Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad: A crowd-pleasing dish, our Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is packed with smoky bacon, tender pasta, fresh veggies, and a tangy homemade ranch dressing.
• Broccoli Apple Salad: Crunchy and refreshing, this Broccoli Apple Salad combines fresh broccoli florets, tart apples, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds in a sweet and tangy dressing.
• Edamame Quinoa Salad: Healthy and satisfying, our Edamame Quinoa Salad is a protein-packed meal that features nutty quinoa, vibrant edamame, crunchy bell peppers, and a zesty lime vinaigrette.
• Cranberry Chicken Salad: Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, this Cranberry Chicken Salad combines tender chicken breast, sweet dried cranberries, and crunchy celery in a creamy, flavor-packed dressing.

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15-Minute Cranberry Turkey Salad

Ready in less than 15 minutes, this Cranberry Turkey Salad Recipe is the ideal solution for your leftover turkey. With simple ingredients like onions, celery, walnuts, tangy cranberries, and turkey, all it takes is a quick stir to bring it all together. Bursting with fresh flavors and a satisfying crunch, this salad is not only a great way to utilize leftovers but also adds a refreshing twist to your post-holiday meals.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Lunch, Main

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: turkey

Servings: 6

Calories: 339kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 pound cooked turkey diced or shredded
• 1 medium red onion diced
• 3 scallions diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• ¼ cup walnuts chopped (preferably toasted)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries

Dressing

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

• Combine the turkey, red onion, scallions, celery, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl.
• Place the mayonnaise in a small bowl and add the vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
• Pour the dressing over the turkey and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings and desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg