This easy Smoked Turkey Chowder is a delicious way to use up Thanksgiving leftover turkey. Made in just one pot, it has a warm, smoky flavor, a hint of creaminess, and a ton of tender sweet potatoes!
Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and of course, delicious food. But what happens to all that leftover turkey? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some of the best smoked turkey recipes to help you use up every last bit of that delicious bird.
Soups and Stews:
- Smoked Turkey Soup with Wild Rice: This hearty soup is packed with flavor and perfect for a cold winter day. The wild rice adds a nutty flavor and texture that complements the smoked turkey perfectly.
- Dutch Oven Smoked Turkey Stew: This recipe is perfect for those who want a more hands-off approach. Simply throw all of the ingredients into a Dutch oven and let it simmer until everything is tender.
- Smoked Turkey Chili: This chili is a great way to use up leftover turkey and beans. The smoky flavor of the turkey adds a depth of flavor that will have everyone asking for seconds.
- Smoked Turkey Chowder with Sweet Potatoes: This chowder is a delicious and creamy way to use up leftover turkey. The sweet potatoes add a touch of sweetness that balances out the smokiness of the turkey.
Sandwiches and Sliders:
- Smoked Turkey Sliders: These sliders are perfect for a party or game day snack. They’re easy to make and can be customized with your favorite toppings.
- Leftover Turkey Pesto Sliders: These sliders are a delicious and flavorful way to use up leftover turkey. The pesto adds a bright and herbaceous flavor that will tantalize your taste buds.
- Turkey Cranberry Sandwich: This classic sandwich is always a crowd-pleaser. The cranberry sauce adds a touch of sweetness and tartness that complements the smoked turkey perfectly.
- Roasted Turkey Avocado BLT: This BLT is a delicious and healthy way to use up leftover turkey. The avocado adds a creamy texture and the sriracha aioli adds a spicy kick.
Salads:
- Pea Salad with Smoked Turkey: This salad is a refreshing and light way to use up leftover turkey. The peas add a sweetness that balances out the smokiness of the turkey.
- Smoked Turkey Salad: This salad is a classic for a reason. It’s easy to make and can be customized with your favorite ingredients.
- Turkey Salad: This salad is a delicious and healthy way to use up leftover turkey. The cranberries and pecans add a touch of sweetness and crunch that will make you want to come back for more.
Pasta Dishes:
- Cajun Smoked Turkey Pasta with Kale & Andouille Sausage: This pasta dish is a flavorful and hearty meal that’s perfect for a cold winter day. The Cajun seasoning adds a spicy kick that will have everyone asking for seconds.
- Best Ever Leftover Turkey Cannelloni: This recipe is a delicious and impressive way to use up leftover turkey. The cannelloni are filled with a creamy ricotta cheese filling and topped with a rich tomato sauce.
- No-Boil Pasta Bake with Turkey: This pasta bake is a quick and easy way to use up leftover turkey. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal or a potluck.
Casseroles:
- Hot Brown Casserole: This casserole is a classic Louisville dish that’s perfect for a special occasion. It’s made with turkey, bacon, bread, and cheese, and it’s absolutely delicious.
- Friendsgiving Casserole: This casserole is a delicious and easy way to use up leftover turkey and stuffing. It’s perfect for a potluck or a family gathering.
Pies:
- Leftover Turkey Pot Pie: This pot pie is a classic comfort food that’s perfect for a cold winter day. It’s made with a flaky crust and a creamy filling that’s packed with flavor.
- Leftover Turkey Puff Pastry Pie: This pie is a delicious and easy way to use up leftover turkey. The puff pastry crust is light and flaky, and the filling is creamy and flavorful.
- Leftover Turkey Empanadas: These empanadas are a delicious and portable way to use up leftover turkey. They’re perfect for a snack or a light lunch.
No matter what your taste, there’s a smoked turkey recipe out there for you. So get creative and experiment with different flavors and ingredients. You’ll be surprised at how many delicious dishes you can make with leftover turkey!
How to Make Smoked Turkey Chowder with Sweet Potatoes
Since we’re using leftover turkey, this chowder recipe is especially easy to make. All you need to do is cook a few bacon slices, add some veggies, and simmer until everything is soft!
- Cook the bacon and vegetables. In a heavy pot, melt the butter and cook the bacon until it starts to brown. Add the celery, onion, red pepper, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the onion is completely softened. Sprinkle in the chipotle powder, then the flour. Stir until it starts to bubble.
- Add the broth. Increase the heat and bring it to a gentle boil for one minute while stirring continuously. Subsequently, lower the heat and incorporate the leftover components, excluding the turkey.
- Add the turkey. Simmer the turkey for 20 minutes after adding it once the sweet potato is soft.
- Serve. Add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with crackers or warm, crusty bread.
It’s hard to go wrong with this recipe because it’s so versatile. Switch things up if you like!
- Although I prefer the taste of smoked turkey, you can definitely make this with regular turkey or an oven-baked turkey. Naturally, you won’t get that smoky flavor, so you might want to add more seasoning to compensate, but the rest of the recipe will still work!
- Swap the turkey for chicken or ham. In the event that you also have leftover chicken or ham, you can simply modify this recipe. Simply replace the turkey with ham—smoked ham would be fantastic in this case—or chicken—rotisserie chicken included!
- Use the seasonings and vegetables you have on hand. Use your imagination when choosing your seasonings, or just add the veggies you already have on hand—for example, regular potatoes in place of sweet potatoes. Green chili and cumin are excellent sources of flavor as well. When I’m in the mood for heat, I frequently add extra ground chipotle or whisk in some hot sauce.
I like to serve a bowl of steaming smoked turkey chowder with some crackers or crusty bread. My favorite part of the chowder is the crusty bread, which helps you savor every warm, smoky bite.
I like to stir in some hot sauce or add a little more chipotle powder when I’m craving more flavor.
This soup doesn’t need any additional sides, but if you’d like a lighter supper, you could certainly make a soup and salad combination with a crisp green side salad!
Easy Turkey Chowder Recipe
Whenever our family spends Thanksgiving at our own home, you can bet that we’re enjoying a smoked turkey. Blake gets up before the sun to prepare the smoker for another delicious bird to grace our table. And the big bonus? It makes for especially awesome turkey leftover recipes!.
This easy Smoked Turkey Chowder is packed with flavor, an irresistible bowl that features leftover turkey. It’s perfectly lightly creamy, loaded with tender sweet potatoes, and has just a touch of chipotle heat. It’s warm comfort through and through!.
Many years ago, when our extended family joined us for Thanksgiving dinner at our house, we had our first taste of smoked turkey. It was our first time hosting the large meal, and I made the decision that a baked turkey would not be going on my to-do list while I was assembling a menu, selecting wine bottles, and planning our tiny dining room’s seating arrangement!
Smoked turkey it was! And Blake was more than happy to take it on. He definitely enjoys Thanksgiving day, watching football and tending to a turkey on our Big Green Egg!
Ohhhhhh, what a little smoke can do to that poultry!
Everyone loved it, and the next day I made this smoked turkey chowder. It was another holiday weekend hit!.
I’m a super fan of leftover turkey. Here are some more of my favorite recipes for leftover turkey: Make my (nearly famous) Chicken Wild Rice Soup with leftover chicken instead of turkey. Add it to Turkey Pot Pie Soup. Or a childhood favorite of mine, Leftover Turkey Casserole!.
All you need for this simple leftover turkey chowder is bacon, a ton of fresh vegetables, and a few kitchen essentials!
- Unsalted butter
- Bacon – Because bacon makes everything better!
- I used canned corn, carrots, red bell pepper, yellow onion, and celery as my vegetables.
- Use fresh mushrooms for the best flavor and texture; avoid canned mushrooms.
- Garlic
- Chipotle powder – For a warm, smoky flavor. Add as little or as much as you like!.
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth – I always use reduced-sodium.
- Sweet potato – Peeled and cut into cubes.
- Half and half – Lends a creaminess to the chowder.
- Although it might seem like an odd ingredient, I enjoy adding soy sauce to a lot of my soups. It adds a salty flavor with more depth.
- new parsley
- Smoked turkey: If you don’t have any leftover Thanksgiving turkey, you can use regular turkey instead; the soup will still taste delicious!
- Salt & pepper
TURKEY LEFTOVERS
FAQ
How long is it safe to eat leftover smoked turkey?
How do you cook a turkey that is already smoked?