If you are looking for something different to do with the leftovers from a festive roast, this sweet and sour leftover turkey recipe is just what you need. Vibrant and delicious, it makes a marvellous change from all the usual leftover turkey recipes.
Leftover sweet and sour turkey
This easy to make sweet and sour leftover turkey recipe uses store cupboard staples and fresh ingredients that keep well. If you are feeling a bit jaded after a big family feast for Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter, this is a great way to use up the leftovers from the roast.
See also
- Easy to make this leftover turkey curry any time of the year.
- Another great use of all that holiday turkey is our leftover turkey tagine
- My roast turkey biryani recipe is easy to make (I included Instant Pot instructions too)
- Perfect use for small amounts of leftover turkey. Try my creamed pea soup that is topped with delicious turkey
If you have been eating roast turkey with all the trimmings for a couple of days, it can start to pall. You need something that creates a real contrast to use up the leftovers.
This sweet and sour turkey recipe is based on the takeaway Cantonese-style sweet and sour dishes that we all recognize and it’s full of flavour.
The tangy sweet and sour sauce cleanses the palate and cuts through after all that rich food. Bright and lively, it makes a great change from the more usual curry, and there’s no need to go shopping.
Even better, this sweet and sour turkey can be made in pan and is ready in just 20 minutes. So put your feet up now the family have gone home and enjoy this fresh and fruity Chinese-inspired treat for supper.
Why make leftover sweet and sour turkey
- A quick and easy way to use up turkey
- Complete contrast in flavours to a roast dinner
- Quick and easy recipe
- Fresher and better than takeaway
Leftover sweet and sour turkey ingredients
- Leftover turkey – white meat, brown meat or a mix
- Cornflour – cornstarch, if you’re in the US
- Peppers – I like a mix of red and green, as it looks good and you get a contrast between the underripe astringent green and the ripe, sweet red.
- Onion & Garlic – a large ordinary white onion and a few cloves of garlic.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger is always best – most recipes that call for fresh ginger only need a little. Buy a piece and store in a tub in the freezer and grate from frozen with a Microplane style grater (no need to peel), then return to the freezer for next time. It will last for months.
- Vegetable oil – neutral flavoured oil
- Sugar – dark muscovado, or soft brown sugar if you have them, but white will do
- Ketchup – Choose a rich tomato sauce for preference, but if it is a bit astringent, use a touch less vinegar.
- Chilli sauce – I used sriracha but it is optional.
- Soy sauce – dark soy (use a gluten free tamari if necessary)
- Pineapple – canned pineapple in juice, slices or chunks
- Vinegar – a nice white wine, rice wine or apple vinegar, nothing too astringent
- Sesame seeds and spring onions (scallions) – optional, for garnish (not shown)
How to make leftover sweet and sour turkey – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Cut the ready-cooked turkey into bite sized chunks. Put it in a bowl with a tablespoon of the cornflour and season well with pepper and salt. Then set to one side.
Step Two – Prepare the vegetables:
- Onion – peel and cut into ½” chunks
- Peppers – remove membranes and seeds, then chop into chunks, not slices
- Garlic – peel and chop roughly
- Pineapple – drain (reserving the juice) and cut each ring into 8 chunks
Step Three – Fry the turkey in a tablespoonful of vegetable oil over a medium high heat until crispy. Stir from time to time to avoid burning but try not to knock the crispy coating off. This should take about five minutes. Add a little more oil if needed.
Helen’s Pro Tip
It is essential to do this in a good heavy non-stick pan. I tried an enamel pot and all the crispy bits stuck to the pan!
Set a few sheets of kitchen paper on a plate. Put the turkey pieces on the paper to drain off the oil.
Step Four – Now put the onions and peppers in the pan over a medium high heat, stirring all the time until the onions are fragrant and the peppers softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
You always want to fry garlic for less time than onion, as it cooks faster and burns more easily.
Step Five – Turn the heat down and add the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup and chilli sauce (if using). Grate in some fresh ginger, using a microplane-style grater. Mix it all together.
Step Six – Put the remainder of the cornflour into a small bowl. Add some cold water and stir until well combined, to make a smooth liquid. This will thicken the sauce giving that characteristic takeout gloopyness.
Step Seven – Add this to the pan. The sauce will look milky at first, but don’t worry.
Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer, stirring all the time. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan, as the sauce will thicken there first.
If necessary, you can add a splash of water to make more sauce, or thicken the sauce further with another teaspoon of cornflour ‘slurry’. Never add cornflour directly to a hot sauce, it will clump and you will never get the lumps out.
If you are making the dish in advance stop here. When ready to serve reheat the sauce and proceed as below.
Step Eight – Finally, add the crispy turkey pieces back in the pan together with the pineapple. Stir through to heat and serve immediately while the turkey is still crispy.
Serving suggestion
Serve with rice and garnish with chopped spring onions (scallions) and sesame seeds. My easy Chinese rice makes a great side dish with this sweet and sour leftover turkey recipe.
Variations
- Add a handful of toasted cashew nuts.
- When frying the turkey in the seasoned cornflour, add a pinch of five spice.
- Vary the vegetables. Green beans, carrots, mangetout, baby corn, mushrooms and beanshoots all work well.
- Use a little less sugar and add some honey or maple syrup for extra flavour.
Storage
This sweet and sour turkey is best eaten immediately, as the turkey coating will lose its texture if left.
If you have leftovers that you want to keep, however, simply cool and pack them into storage boxes in the usual way.
Fridge – Keep in the fridge for three days and reheat to piping hot.
Freezer – You can freeze and reheat, but I don’t really recommend it. It is safe, but disappointing. If your leftover cooked turkey has been frozen before, do not freeze and reheat it again.
Hints and tips
- Don’t stir the turkey too enthusiastically in the pan, as it may fail to crisp up. Turn it gently from time to time.
- Don’t be tempted to mix the garlic with the onion and put them in the pan together. Garlic burns easily and turns horribly bitter.
- Always mix the cornflour thoroughly with cold water before adding to your pan. If you don’t, you will end up with gelatinous lumps.
FAQs
Not so much! Although Chinese carnivores have a pragmatic reputation for enjoying a variety of meats, this American native hasn’t really caught on in China and is farmed in tiny quantities. I don’t think that matters, however. The sauce works well, just as it does on chicken.
As soon as your roast turkey is cold, cover and put into the fridge. I try and strip all the meat from the carcass the next day and pack into plastic takeaway style trays. Keep in the fridge and eat within several days, or freeze for 3 months.
Absolutely, finely chop the chilli and add along with the garlic.
More recipes with leftover turkey
- Leftover turkey tagine – when it’s time for something completely different!
- Easy leftover turkey tacos – spice up your leftovers with this Mexican style treat
- Turkey, ham and mushroom pasta bake – a simple, hands-off supper for using up festive leftovers
- Leftover turkey coleslaw – a delicious salad with tahini and cranberry
Sweet and Sour Leftover Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g (2 cups) roast turkey
- 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bell peppers
- 435 g fresh pineapple, slices or chunks (1 can, including the juice)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (neutral flavour)
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar (or muscavado)
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce
- ½ tsp fresh ginger root (grated)
- black pepper and salt (to season)
- sesame seeds (optional garnish)
- sliced spring onions/scallions (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Cut the roasted turkey into bite sized chunks. Put it in a bowl with a tablespoon of the cornflour and season well with pepper and salt. Then set to one side.250 g roast turkey, 2 tbsp cornflour, black pepper and salt
- Prepare the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Remove the stalk, membrane and seeds from the peppers and chop. If using pineapple rings, cut these into 8 chunks and reserve the juice.2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 2 bell peppers, 435 g fresh pineapple, slices or chunks
- In a non-stick pan, fry the turkey in a tablespoonful of vegetable oil over a medium high heat until crispy. Stir from time to time to avoid burning but try not to knock the crispy coating off. This should take about five minutes.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Set a few sheets of kitchen paper on a plate. Put the turkey pieces on the paper to drain off the oil.
- Now put the onions and peppers in the pan over a medium high heat, stirring all the time until the onions are fragrant and the peppers softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
- Turn the heat down and add the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup and chilli sauce (if using). Grate in some fresh ginger and stir well.2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp chilli sauce, ½ tsp fresh ginger root, 2 tbsp ketchup
- Put the remainder of the cornflour into a small bowl. Add some cold water and stir until well combined, to make a smooth liquid.
- Add the cornflour mix to the pan. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer, stirring all the time. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan, as the sauce will thicken there first. If you are making this dish in advance make to this point, cover, allow to cool, and reheat before adding the turkey and pineapple chunks.
- Finally, add the crispy turkey pieces and the pineapple. Stir through to heat and serve immediately, while the turkey is still crispy. Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions.sesame seeds, sliced spring onions/scallions
Notes
Storage
This sweet and sour turkey is best eaten immediately, as the turkey coating will lose its texture if left.If you have leftovers that you want to keep, however, simply cool and pack them into storage boxes in the usual way. Fridge – Keep in the fridge for three days and reheat to piping hot. Freezer – You can freeze and reheat, but I don’t really recommend it. It is safe, but disappointing. If your leftover cooked turkey has been frozen before, do not freeze and reheat it again.
Hints and tips
- Use a non-stick pan.
- Don’t stir the turkey too enthusiastically in the pan, as it may fail to crisp up. Turn it gently from time to time.
- Don’t be tempted to mix the garlic with the onion and put them in the pan together. Garlic burns easily and turns horribly bitter.
- Always mix the cornflour thoroughly with water before adding to your pan. If you don’t, you will end up with gelatinous lumps.
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