Enjoy a quick and easy leftover turkey curry ready in just 40 minutes—my go-to recipe for Boxing Day!
It's mild, fragrant, creamy, and just perfect for the whole family. You might also like my leftover turkey fricassee recipe!
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This mild and creamy turkey curry is the perfect recipe for using up leftover turkey meat at Christmas or Thanksgiving.
It's also delicious when made with other leftover roast meats such as chicken, lamb, or beef.
👩🍳 Love turkey? Try my air fryer turkey crown recipe!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Uses up leftover roast turkey.
- The curry sauce is made with pantry staples.
- It's mild and creamy so it's 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
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, finely chopped.
Garlic - three cloves, peeled and finely chopped.
Ginger - one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.
Coriander stalks - chopped.
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
One: 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.
Two: Stir in the curry paste and turmeric.
Three: Add the mushrooms and courgettes and fry for 5 minutes.
Four: Stir in the ground almonds, chicken stock, mango chutney, and season. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
Five: Add in the cooked turkey pieces, spinach, and double cream. Warm through for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt.
Six: Serve with chopped coriander and rice.
Top Tips
- Use leftover turkey gravy instead of stock, if you have any leftovers 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 use a cornflour slurry.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the turkey curry with pilau rice, naan bread, flatbreads, raita, mango chutney, and popadoms. I often make a vegetarian curry to serve alongside it too. My vegan chickpea and spinach curry is a favourite.
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.
🥡 Storage
Store - Place the leftover turkey curry into an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat - In a microwave or on the hob until hot. 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
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.
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) into 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.
😋 More curry recipes to try
More leftover recipes
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Recipe
Easy Leftover Turkey Curry
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 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.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 3 Garlic Cloves, 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger, 1 teaspoon Coriander Stalks
- Stir in the curry paste and turmeric.4 tablespoon Mild Curry Paste, 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- Add the mushrooms and courgettes and fry for 5 minutes.250 g Chestnut Mushrooms, 1 Courgette
- Stir in the ground almonds, chicken stock, mango chutney, and season. Simmer on a low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes.50 g Ground Almonds, 400 ml Chicken Stock, 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- Add in the cooked turkey pieces, spinach, and double cream. Warm through for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt.60 ml Double Cream, 300 g Leftover Turkey, 75 g Baby Spinach
- Serve with chopped coriander and rice.2 tablespoon Coriander
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Lauren Michael Harris
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!!
Savita
This looks amazing, perfect for family dinners.
Eliza
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!
Dannii
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.
Pam
I'm always looking for ways to use leftover turkey and this recipe is something more unique than your typical soup. Thanks for sharing.