Easy New York Deli-Style Turkey Salad is a simple, creamy deli classic and a budget-friendly recipe to repurpose your leftover turkey using simple pantry ingredients. Creamy, dairy-free, and flavorful, it makes a terrific side or sandwich!
About this deli salad
This turkey salad is quick and easy to make. It's a great light meal for kids and adults alike. It takes little effort, and everyone loves it.
It's great anytime for a light, quick, and easy-to-make meal.
It's versatile!
Eat it alone on a plate, in a sandwich, in a wrap, or with a leafy salad. It's terrific on rye bread, white bread, in a roll, on a bagel...you name it.
It's customizable, so you can add whichever chopped veggies, herbs, or seasoning you like.
And you decide the texture. Make it with small chunks of turkey, chopped fine, or blended in the blender.
Whether you bought too large of a bird for Thanksgiving, you had fewer guests than expected for the holidays, or the kids didn't make it for a family weekend, if you have leftover moist turkey that you don't know what to do with, this recipe is a terrific solution!
Figuring out what to do with leftover turkey is an age-old problem. In fact, recipes for turkey salad started appearing in cookbooks at least as far back as the beginning of the 1900s!
And turkey has nutritional benefits!
Recommended pantry ingredients
I'm not great at meal planning, so I like to keep a large variety of seasonings and spices in the cupboard to be ready for anything. Here's a list of some of the items I like to keep around for...just in case!
- salt (my recipes use regular table salt)
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
- onion powder
- sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground, dried red pepper; pepper flakes are crushed, dried red pepper)
- hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
- ground turmeric
- ground cumin
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- ground nutmeg
- ground cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
- sugar (granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consommé powder / beef bouillon powder (regular or vegetarian)
- onion soup mix
- onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion-3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best way to use leftover turkey for this salad?
This recipe is designed for moist leftover turkey (from Thanksgiving, holidays, or roasted turkey breasts). Cut the turkey into small chunks, chop it fine, or pulse it in a blender depending on the texture you prefer.
Is this New York deli-style turkey salad dairy-free?
Yes. This recipe is dairy-free, making it a great option for anyone avoiding dairy or keeping kosher.
How should I serve deli-style turkey salad?
It is incredibly versatile. Serve it piled high on white, rye, or whole-grain bread, inside a roll, wrap, or bagel, as a side dish, or simply scooped out of the bowl with crackers.
Can I customize this turkey salad recipe?
Absolutely. You can easily fold in extra chopped vegetables, fresh herbs, or your favorite seasonings to your taste. You can also leave out whatever ingredients you don't like and just keep the turkey and mayo!
Which mayo is best to use?
You can use whichever mayo you like, including low-calorie mayo. My favorite is Hellman's and Best Foods, which is the same mayo-the name is just different depending on where you are in the US.
But what is needed to make this New York Deli-Style Turkey Salad?
These are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last-minute!
cooked turkey (preferably breast)
mayonnaise
celery
onion
white granulated sugar
Dijon mustard, or yellow mustard
salt
granulated garlic
white or black ground pepper
herbs or chopped vegetables, as desired
These deli salads can make great sides for a turkey salad sandwich!
- Deli-Style Cucumber Salad
- Deli-Style Red Cabbage Salad
- Deli-Style Coleslaw
- Deli-Style Broccoli Salad
- Deli-Style Potato Salad
Want another way to use up your turkey?
Easy New York Deli-Style Turkey Salad Recipe
Simple and flavorful turkey salad that's a perfect way to repurpose your leftover turkey.
Ingredients
- 1 ½- 2 pounds cooked turkey (preferably breast), diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise*
- ½ cup celery, diced or chopped small
- ¼ cup onion, chopped or diced small
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar or to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard or yellow mustard, for slightly tangy flavor (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon white or black ground pepper
- additional herbs or chopped vegetables, as desired
Instructions
- Put turkey cubes in a bowl**
- Mix in celery, onion, and mayonnaise.
- Mix in sugar, salt, garlic, and pepper.
- Add mustard, herbs, and/or chopped vegetables, as desired.
- Chill for at least an hour or so (chilled salad tastes better than warm).
Notes
*The best mayonnaise to use is Best Foods or Hellman's (they're the same, just with different names depending on where you live in the US).
**How you prepare yours depends on how fine you want your turkey. This recipe calls for diced, but if you just want less chunky use a fork to mash the pieces, and if you want the pieces fine, put the turkey in the blender.
Additional notes:
1) This recipe is very much "to taste." If you like more or less mayo, more or less spices, or more or less veggies, feel free to adapt.
2) If liquids seep out, mix before use or drain and add a little more mayo to keep salad creamy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 776Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 11gUnsaturated Fat: 49gCholesterol: 214mgSodium: 1133mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 50g
