Leftover Turkey Nachos

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This is one of the best new recipes to use up leftovers. Leftover turkey, toppings, and melted cheese all on a bed of delicious tortilla chips, and you've got one of the most convenient and tasty recipes for leftovers in your collection - leftover turkey nachos!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Leftover turkey is something we'll all have laying around at some point, especially after Thanksgiving and Christmas, and these yummy nachos keep you from falling back on the same old boring turkey sandwiches. They can be made as a snack or starter dish, or as a delicious main family meal.

Special Equipment Needed To Make This Recipe

While there aren't any specific pieces of special equipment that you'll need to make these turkey nachos, you'll need to have some things ready. You'll need an oven or similar cooker, as well as a large skillet.

You will also need a baking pan with a large enough area for your chips, as well as raised sides to prevent spills. If you have sensitive skin, consider gloves when chopping jalapeños.

How To Make Leftover Turkey Nachos

Fry cooked turkey with flour until crispy.

Drown the turkey in your favourite BBQ sauce.

Add grated cheese on top of tortilla chips.

Bake until the cheese has melted.

Top with BBQ turkey, jalapeños, sour cream and cilantro.

Top Tips

For best results, use a good quality BBQ sauce, with a heat level matching your taste.
Leftover meats such as beef, lamb, pork, and chicken will also work brilliantly with this leftover recipe.

What to Serve/Pair with Your Turkey Nachos

Sides

Enchiladas can be made with similar ingredients and taco seasoning, but create a very different dish. Check out this Enchiladas Suizas recipe
Extra sour cream or similar dip to eat with the nachos
Cranberries can blend well with the turkey flavor, so cranberry sauce or even dried cranberries on top can add a festive twist and a sweet flavor that balances the savory and spicy flavors well

Drinks

Horchata
Imported beer

Popular Substitutions For Turkey Nachos

The most popular substitutions will be for the meat. You can make this recipe with any common (or uncommon!) meat, and for those who would prefer a vegan alternative, extra firm tofu or a meat substitute can fill in.

Those with dairy allergies or intolerances can also use non-dairy or lactose-free cheese or cheese substitutes in their recipes.

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Variations To Turkey Nachos

Mexican Style

To do Mexican style, substitute taco seasoning for the BBQ sauce, and add green onions, cooked black beans, or refried beans to the list of potential toppings. For street taco-style, only add chopped onions, cilantro, and a little lime juice as your toppings.

This is a great way to stretch leftovers of leftovers, while still making a delicious dinner meal that will appeal to the whole family. Don't forget the tortillas, smaller tortillas for tacos, or larger ones for burritos.

Salad Style

For those who would like a lighter dish, particularly one that's great for taking to work for lunch, or simply on a night when you don't feel like having a big plate of nachos, turn your turkey nachos into a yummy BBQ turkey or chicken salad. This can also be done by adding taco seasoning instead of BBQ sauce for a Mexican turkey nacho salad bowl.

Instead of topping nachos, take a few spoonfuls of the leftover turkey nachos topping, add some melted cheese, and spread it onto a bed of your preferred salad mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add a few more toppings like chopped tomatoes and onions.

It's just as filling as a nacho plate, and you can add a few crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch. Serve in a bowl for easier mixing.

Top Tips

Keep your leftover turkey from drying out by making sure you don't have the heat too high, and when reheating, mix in ½ tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of water per cup of cooked turkey mixture prior.
When choosing cheese, go with softer cheeses. Sharp cheddar cheese, for example, while tasty, has a much higher oil content and doesn't give that gooey, melted finish. Mozzarella cheese, provolone, or Mexican queso can be great cheese flavors to experiment with.

Can this recipe be scaled?

Yes, this recipe can be scaled both up and down. You can prepare as little as you like, or as much as you need, from lunch for yourself to enough to feed an army dinner.

Can This Recipe be made in advance?

Absolutely! Since it's made from leftovers in the first place, as long as you manage your storage properly you can make it up to several days in advance and keep it chilled until needed. This is a great option for a busy family.

How do I Reheat This Dish?

The easiest way is going to be to pop the turkey topping into the microwave, though you'll need to be careful of drying it out if heated too long. You can also pop it under low broil for a few minutes to warm it up.

Other Leftover Turkey Recipes You’ll Love

Turkey soup - This is one of the staple recipes for using up more of your turkey leftovers.
Turkey lasagna - Try this Italian twist when you have extra turkey, but need to change up your recipes.
Turkey curry - For those that want a little spice in their life, leftover turkey curry recipes will heat things up.
Turkey chowder - Turkey and corn, two thanksgiving all-stars in one of the most delicious soup recipes.

Food Safety

Be sure that you're storing your poultry safely, as well as cooking it thoroughly.

Wash your hands before and after handling raw poultry.

If you're using jalapeños, be sure you wash your hands immediately after and don't touch your eyes, face, or any sensitive mucous membranes.

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how your recipe turned out!

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