Leftover Turkey: Tikka Masala Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to do with dry turkey leftovers? ›

The dried meat will absorb the moisture and be more edible. Make any kind of dish with a rich sauce, to give the dry meat some richness. Or just serve it with a rich gravy. The next time I do turkey and have leftovers I will make this recipe…..

Dispose of it the Right Way

Pour the grease into a seal-tight container and throw in the waste bin. Some homeowners pour the grease down the drain or even the toilet. This can be catastrophic if the grease solidifies in the septic tank, leading to solid globs that clog the system.

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

You can make your leftovers into new meals and then freeze them. If you make a new meal such as curry or casserole from the leftovers, then you can also freeze this, even if you are using turkey that was originally frozen.

Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of stock and/or butter. Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the sliced turkey (cover with a damp paper towel) in a microwave-safe dish at 50% power in 1-minute intervals.

Turkey typically lasts up to four days in the fridge before it goes bad. It can be stored in the freezer for up to four months before it starts to lose its flavor and texture. The USDA offers the following tips for storing and handling your turkey leftovers.

Left over pan drippings from your roast turkey can be poured off into a separate container and used later to flavour a host of dishes such as soups, stews and mashed potatoes. You can freeze them in ice cube size quantities and store them for months, adding a few to a casserole to lift the flavour.

If you roasted a turkey, don't throw out the drippings from the pan! This flavorful liquid makes a great base for gravy, stock, or soup. Start by pouring the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Then remove the fat that floats to the top.

1) Allow the oil to cool down, and then put it in leak-proof containers. 2) Check out 1800recycling.com to find a recycling center in your area. 3) Drop off the containers, or, depending on local regulations, you might be able to leave the containers next to your waste bins for pick-up on recycling day.

Frozen Turkey

Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

Is it OK to eat turkey that's been in the fridge for 2 weeks? ›

If properly stored, raw turkey can last in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cold cuts last up to 5 days. How long does cooked turkey last in the fridge? If you have leftovers that include cooked turkey, you can expect those to last in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

Like other leftovers, leftover cooked turkey can—and will—go bad. “The texture and smell of turkey will indicate when it has gone bad,” Edwards says. “Generally it will smell bad and get a slimy texture. It's best to throw it away after four days in the fridge or move it to the freezer at that point.”

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that cooked turkey should be eaten or frozen within two days of cooking. Celebrity chef Vivek Singh says it can last a little longer. He says cooked turkey is good for up to five days – the day of cooking plus four more – if stored in the fridge.

In the fridge Technically, you shouldn't reheat food more than once, according to the Food Standards Agency. So if your turkey was roasted on Christmas Day and then reheated to make this curry, really you should be eating it straight away.

As the turkey has already been cooked and reheated once you should avoid reheating the curry as meat shouldn't be reheated more than once for food safety reasons. If you'd like to make this curry ahead of time simply follow the instructions to make the sauce but don't add the turkey.

You don't want the meat to dry out while it sits overnight, so you will need to cover it with a liquid. Spoon some chicken broth or the drippings from the roasting pan (and the cutting board) over the turkey so it stays moist.

If you roasted a turkey, don't throw out the drippings from the pan! This flavorful liquid makes a great base for gravy, stock, or soup. Start by pouring the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Then remove the fat that floats to the top.

Dehydrating meat is a great way to preserve and store it for up to 30 years when done correctly. Dehydrating meat involves removing water content and achieving a kill step temperature of 165°F is essential to ensure that all harmful bacteria are eliminated.

Turkey is a lean meat, and Healthline reports that turkey has slightly less fat in its dark meat than chicken. Another reason why turkey may be dry is due to its poor breast-to-leg ratio. By the time one gets the leg meat to cook to temperature so it's safe for consumption, the breast meat often has dried out.