• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Effortless Foodie
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Ebooks
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Ebooks
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Easy Leftover Turkey Curry Recipe

    Published: Nov 16, 2021 · Modified: Nov 23, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Turkey curry pin.

    An easy leftover turkey curry recipe, packed full of flavour and ready in just 40 minutes. This is my go-to turkey curry for Boxing Day on the 26th of December!

    It's mild, fragrant, creamy, and just perfect for the whole family! You might also like my leftover turkey fricassee recipe!

    Turkey curry served with rice and chopped coriander.
    Creamy Turkey Curry

    My creamy turkey curry is the perfect recipe for using up leftover turkey meat at Christmas or Thanksgiving. After all, there are only so many turkey sandwiches you can eat!

    It's also delicious made with other leftover roast meats such as chicken, lamb, or beef.

    👩‍🍳 Love turkey? Try my air fryer turkey crown recipe!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
    • 🛒 Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make creamy leftover turkey curry
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ FAQs
    • 😋 More curry recipes to try
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!

    Here's why this is the best leftover turkey curry recipe!

    • Uses up leftover roast turkey from Christmas or Thanksgiving.
    • The curry sauce is made with pantry staples.
    • It's mild and creamy so suitable for the whole family, but you can adjust the spice level to suit your own preference.
    • Easily customisable with different vegetables, or no vegetables at all.
    • Freezer-friendly.

    🛒 Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make leftover turkey curry.
    • Turkey - 300-400g of leftover cooked turkey which has been cubed and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also use fresh turkey pieces (instructions given below).
    • Onion - one large brown onion, chopped finely.
    • Garlic - three cloves, peeled and finely chopped.
    • Ginger - one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.
    • Coriander stalks - chopped finely.
    • Indian Curry Paste - I use a mild paste such as korma. If you prefer your curry spicy, use madras.
    • Turmeric - for colour and a delicate flavour.
    • Mushrooms - chestnut or closed cup mushrooms, sliced.
    • Courgette - halved and chopped. You could substitute with two chopped red peppers if you prefer.
    • Ground Almonds - helps thicken the sauce.
    • Chicken Stock - made from a stock cube or stock pot, or you could use fresh turkey stock.
    • Mango Chutney - gives the curry a lovely fruity flavour.
    • Double Cream - makes the curry creamy and indulgent.
    • Baby Spinach - wilts into the sauce and adds colour.
    • Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.
    • Coriander Leaves - finely chopped to garnish.

    🔪 How to make creamy leftover turkey curry

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or shallow casserole and gently cook the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and coriander stalks for 5 minutes.

    Step 2: Stir in the curry paste and turmeric.

    The base of the turkey curry in a frying pan.

    Step 3: Add the mushrooms and courgettes and fry for 5 minutes.

    Step 4: Stir in the ground almonds, chicken stock, mango chutney, and season. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

    Adding vegetables to the turkey curry.

    Step 5: Add in the cooked turkey pieces, spinach, and double cream. Warm through for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt.

    Step 6: Serve with chopped coriander and rice.

    Turkey curry simmering on the hob.

    💭 Top tips

    • Use leftover turkey gravy instead of stock, if you have any leftover from Christmas lunch.
    • If you don't have any double cream, use coconut cream or coconut milk instead.
    • For a thicker curry sauce add a tablespoon of thickening granules or cornflour slurry.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    Serve the turkey curry with pilau rice, naan bread, or flatbreads, raita, and mango chutney, and popadoms! I often make a vegetarian curry to serve alongside it too. My vegan chickpea and spinach curry is a favourite here!

    For something a bit healthier, serve the turkey curry with brown rice and wholemeal chapatis.

    📖 Variations

    Here are some ways to customise this easy turkey curry recipe!

    • Use leftover roast vegetables instead of fresh veg in the curry. Cooked cauliflower, roasted brussels sprouts and peas would all work well.
    • Like your food hot and spicy? Use madras curry paste instead of korma and half the amount of double cream. If you're somewhere in the middle with spice, use tikka masala paste.
    • Swap curry paste for curry powder and sprinkle garam masala into the sauce 5 minutes before serving.
    • Use fresh turkey pieces instead of leftover cooked turkey. Just add them after the onions.
    • Lower the fat and skip the double cream. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes instead.
    • Use turkey mince and make my easy turkey mince curry.
    Easy turkey curry in pan.

    🥡 Storage

    Store. Place the leftover turkey curry into an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

    Reheat. You shouldn’t reheat food more than once. If your turkey was cooked on Christmas day, and it was then reheated in this curry on Boxing Day, you shouldn’t freeze and reheat it again.

    ❓ FAQs

    What to do with turkey leftovers?

    Here are a few ideas for what to do with turkey leftovers!
    Turkey curry, turkey bolognese, turkey soup, turkey nachos, turkey pasta bake, turkey sandwiches, turkey toasties, and turkey pie.

    Can I make turkey curry in the slow cooker?

    This turkey curry can easily be made in a slow cooker. Place all of the ingredients (except for the cooked turkey, double cream, and spinach) in your slow cooker basin, and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in the turkey, double cream, and spinach for the last 20 minutes of cooking. If the curry sauce is too thin, sprinkle in some thickening granules or use a cornflour slurry.

    A pan of leftover turkey curry.

    😋 More curry recipes to try

    • A pan of beef mince keema curry.
      Easy Beef Keema Curry Recipe
    • Chickpea and spinach curry in a pan.
      Creamy Chickpea & Spinach Curry Recipe
    • A pan of mild chicken curry.
      Mild Chicken Curry Recipe (Great For Kids!)
    • Homemade pilau rice in a pan
      Quick and Easy Pilau Rice Recipe

    Recipe

    A pan of leftover turkey curry.
    Email
    Print Pin
    5 from 6 votes

    Easy Leftover Turkey Curry

    An easy leftover turkey curry recipe, packed full of flavour and ready in just 40 minutes. This is my go-to turkey curry for Boxing Day on the 26th of December!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine British
    Keyword creamy turkey curry, easy turkey curry, leftover turkey curry
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 419kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Knife
    • Shallow Casserole

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 Onion finely chopped
    • 3 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger peeled and grated
    • 1 teaspoon Coriander Stalks chopped
    • 4 tablespoon Mild Curry Paste
    • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
    • 250 g Chestnut Mushrooms sliced
    • 1 Courgette halved and chopped
    • 50 g Ground Almonds
    • 400 ml Chicken Stock
    • 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Pepper
    • 60 ml Double Cream
    • 300 g Leftover Turkey chopped
    • 75 g Baby Spinach
    • 2 tablespoon Coriander chopped

    Instructions

    • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or shallow casserole and gently cook the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and coriander stalks for 5 minutes.
    • Stir in the curry paste and turmeric.
    • Add the mushrooms and courgettes and fry for 5 minutes.
    • Stir in the ground almonds, chicken stock, mango chutney, and season. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
    • Add in the cooked turkey pieces, spinach, and double cream. Warm through for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt.
    • Serve with chopped coriander and rice.

    Notes

    Top Tips:
    • Use leftover turkey gravy instead of stock if you have any left over from Christmas lunch.
    • If you don't have any double cream, use coconut cream instead.
     
    Variations:
    • Use leftover roast vegetables instead of fresh veg in the curry. Cooked cauliflower, roasted brussels sprouts and peas would all work well.
    • Like your food hot and spicy? Use madras curry paste instead of korma and half the amount of double cream.
    • Use fresh turkey pieces instead of leftover cooked turkey. Just add them after the onions.
    • Lower the fat and skip the double cream.
    • Use different leftover meat such as cooked chicken, lamb or beef.
     
    Storage:
    • Store. Place the leftover turkey curry into an air-tight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
    • Reheat. You shouldn’t reheat food more than once. If your turkey was cooked on Christmas day, and it was then reheated in this curry on Boxing Day, you shouldn’t freeze and reheat it again.
     
    Nutrition:
    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.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Leftover Turkey Curry
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    419
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    23
    g
    35
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    44
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    105
    mg
    35
    %
    Sodium
     
    545
    mg
    24
    %
    Potassium
     
    882
    mg
    25
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    24
    g
    8
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    12
    g
    13
    %
    Protein
     
    30
    g
    60
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    4486
    IU
    90
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    19
    mg
    23
    %
    Calcium
     
    122
    mg
    12
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

    Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

    More Easy Christmas Recipes

    • Slow cooker gammon in pineapple with a glistening honey glaze on top.
      Easy Slow Cooker Gammon in Pineapple Juice
    • Baked apples with mincemeat in a baking dish.
      Easy Baked Apples with Mincemeat Recipe
    • Individual apple and mincemeat crumbles in blue ramekins.
      Easy Apple and Mincemeat Crumble Recipe
    • Frangipane mince pies on a blue and white plate.
      Easy Frangipane Mince Pies Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lauren Michael Harris

      November 16, 2021 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      I have had every kind of curry under the sun. but never turkey! What a great way to use up some leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!!

      Reply
    2. Savita

      November 16, 2021 at 2:23 pm

      5 stars
      This looks amazing, perfect for family dinners.

      Reply
    3. Eliza

      November 16, 2021 at 2:51 pm

      5 stars
      What a great recipe! And perfect timing with Thanksgiving next week! I'm so excited to have a delicious way to use our leftover turkey, and thanks for the detailed instructions and tips. Another winning recipe from Effortless Foodie!

      Reply
    4. Dannii

      November 16, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      5 stars
      Turkey curry is a must for us on boxing day. it's the best way to use up leftover turkey. and mango chutney is always my "secret" ingredient in every curry. It adds so much flavour.

      Reply
    5. Pam

      November 16, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      I'm always looking for ways to use leftover turkey and this recipe is something more unique than your typical soup. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Beth Sachs

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

    More about me →

    My Web Stories

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Effortless Foodie