Make this easy fried rice with turkey recipe! This family-friendly, tasty recipe uses leftover turkey and is ready in about 20 minutes.
Did you get leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas? This fried rice with turkey is your answer! You can whip up this hearty and satisfying dish in no time; it’s the perfect way to make the most of those Thanksgiving leftovers.
This recipe for fried rice with turkey is a simple way to enjoy leftovers in a new, delicious way. Combine tender turkey, rice, scrambled eggs, veggies, and flavorful seasonings for a quick, satisfying dish. Make this tasty leftover turkey fried rice recipe for a fuss-free meal that's sure to please your whole family.
And if you like this dish, here are more ideas for an easy dinner: Pork Belly Fried Rice, Quick Ketchup Fried Rice, Simple Tuna Fried Rice, or Fried Rice with Spam and Eggs.
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Recipe ingredients and substitutions
Rice: Day-old cooked rice. To serve 4, you will need 3-4 cups (about 700 g). White rice like Basmati or Jasmine works great in this recipe.
Turkey leftovers: Either dark or white meat works well. Depending on how much you have leftover, you can use anything between 1 and 2 cups (150-300 g) of meat shredded or cut into small pieces.
Shaoxing wine is a traditional Chinese rice wine used in cooking. It has a fragrant aroma and can add a sweet, nutty flavor to dishes. You can replace it with dry sherry, white wine, mirin, or sake. If you don’t have any of those, use chicken stock and maybe an extra dash of soy sauce.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make turkey fried rice?
- Use a large wok, a large skillet, or a large non-stick pan.
- Prepare all the ingredients before you start frying the rice. Finely chop the bacon, onions and garlic. Set them aside. Dice the carrots and defrost the peas. Set them aside. Chop the turkey. Cut the green onions into thin slices and keep them separated from the rest of the ingredients.
Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set it aside.
Sauté bacon, onions, and garlic in the hot wok on medium-high heat for 1 minute using a wooden spoon.
Add carrots and peas and stir fry for another minute.
Push vegetables to one side of the pan. Pour the eggs into the empty space.
Scramble the eggs shortly.
Mix eggs with the vegetables.
Add rice, oil, chopped meat, and sauce. Mix until everything is combined and hot, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the green onions and adjust the taste.
Try this delicious Thai Pork Curry, too.
Tips
Use leftover cold rice cooked a day ahead. When rice is freshly cooked, it tends to have more moisture. When this moist rice hits the hot pan for frying, it can turn a bit soggy or mushy.
Prep work: Make sure to prepare all your veggies before you begin cooking. Once you start cooking, there won't be a pause to chop things, so having everything prepped in advance will make the process smoother.
Recipe FAQ
Ensure the pan or wok is adequately heated before adding the rice. Stir frequently and break up any clumps to prevent sticking.
Allow the leftover fried rice to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or a pan until heated through.
Yes. Put it in a freezer-safe container or sealed bag, which should last about 1-2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to serve with it?
- Stir-fried vegetables like broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, carrots, and snow peas.
- Salad: Try the Apple Cucumber Salad or a light and refreshing salad with an Asian-inspired dressing, such as sesame ginger.
More Asian-style recipes
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📖 Recipe
Simple Fried Rice with Turkey
Equipment
- Large wok or skillet
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce + 1 extra to adjust the taste
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine Note 1
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Fried rice:
- 3 ½ cups cooked white rice day-old, 700 g, Note 2
- 1 ½ cups cooked turkey 225 g, Note 3
- 2 oz bacon chopped, 60 g
- 1 small onion
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup carrots finely diced, 60 g
- ½ cup frozen peas defrosted, 75 g
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil used 1 tablespoon at a time
- 3 large eggs
- 1-2 green onions finely chopped
Instructions
Sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Set it aside.2 tablespoons light soy sauce + 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce + 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine + 2 teaspoons sesame oil + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Prepare ingredients:
- Remove the rice from the fridge and the peas from the freezer.3 ½ cups cooked white rice /700 g + ½ cup frozen peas / 75 g
- Chop or shred the turkey, chop the bacon. Finely chop the onion and the garlic. Set them aside.1 ½ cups cooked turkey / 225 g + 2 oz bacon / 60 g + 1 small onion + 1 garlic clove
- Finely chop the carrot and set it aside separately. Finely chop the green onions and keep them separated from the rest.½ cup carrots / 60 g + 1-2 green onions
- Lightly whisk the eggs in a small bowl.3 large eggs
Fried rice:
- Stir fry: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Stir fry bacon, onions, and garlic for 1 minute. Add carrots and peas and stir for another minute. Push everything to one side of the wok or pan.
- Eggs: Add another tablespoon of oil in the empty space. Add the eggs and scramble them shortly in the pan. Once they are slightly set (but not completely dry), mix them with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add rice, another tablespoon of oil, chopped meat and sauce. Mix until everything is combined and the rice is brown and heated through about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the green onions and adjust the taste with a bit more light soy sauce if necessary.
Notes
- Shaoxing wine: You can replace it with dry sherry, white wine, mirin, or sake. If you don’t have any of those, use chicken stock and maybe an extra dash of soy sauce.
- Rice: The rice must be cooked one day in advance.
- Turkey: You can use anything between 1 and 2 cups (150-300 g), depending on how much you have left over.
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