Is it really Thanksgiving if you don’t wind up with leftovers? For many of us, that too much is just enough, because the actual best parts of the holiday are the meals that follow the original turkey feast. I’ll be honest and admit that I look forward to my Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich more than the holiday meal itself. But perhaps you’ve faced the remnants of that gorgeous, golden turkey centerpiece and debated the best way to store it, keeping safety (and flavor!) in mind. How long can you actually keep turkey in the fridge? Should some of the meat be frozen right away?
While you’re clearing the table and beginning to wash dishes, thinking about what you’re going to do with all that leftover turkey, here’s what you need to know.
Thanksgiving dinner leaves us stuffed with delicious food and our fridges stuffed with tasty leftovers. From cranberry sauce to mashed potatoes to that glorious turkey we suddenly have enough for several more meals. But with all those leftovers it’s natural to wonder – how long will they last?
When it comes to turkey, you can maximize your Thanksgiving leftovers and enjoy your holiday bird for days after if you store and reheat it properly. Follow these turkey leftover storage times and safety tips and you’ll be gobbling up tasty turkey creations through the whole weekend!
Storing Leftover Turkey
The first key to enjoying your leftover turkey is proper storage. According to the USDA, cooked turkey will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 4 months in the freezer. Here are some tips for safe storage:
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Store turkey within 2 hours of finishing cooking. Leftovers left out too long risk growing dangerous bacteria.
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Divide turkey into smaller portions before refrigerating. Large portions or whole birds won’t cool quickly enough.
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Use shallow airtight containers. This exposes more surface area for faster cooling.
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Don’t wait for turkey to cool completely before refrigerating. Despite popular belief, you can put steaming hot turkey straight into the fridge.
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Place turkey leftovers in the back of the fridge, where temperatures are coldest.
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Freeze any turkey you won’t eat within 3-4 days. Portion it into freezer bags or airtight containers.
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Label bags/containers with date and contents. This prevents mystery leftovers.
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Use frozen turkey within 4 months for best quality. It’s safe indefinitely but quality declines over time.
Follow these fridge and freezer storage tips, and your leftover turkey will stay fresh and ready to enjoy!
How To Tell If Turkey Has Gone Bad
Even with proper storage methods, leftovers eventually spoil. Follow these guidelines to know if your turkey is past its prime:
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Check the color. Leftover turkey is normally light pink or brown. Unpleasant gray, green or black hues signal spoiled meat.
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Give it a sniff. Fresh turkey has a mild scent. Foul, strong odors mean spoilage.
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Note the texture. Turkey should be moist and tender. Dry, slimy or sticky turkey is no longer edible.
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Watch for mold. Any fuzzy growth means bacteria is present. When in doubt, throw it out.
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Mind the expiration. Toss turkey that is older than 3-4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer.
Using your senses of sight, smell and touch will help you determine if your leftovers are still safe to eat. If there is any doubt, don’t risk it – just throw it out.
Creative Ways To Use Leftover Turkey
Once you know your turkey is safe to eat, it’s time for the fun part – eating it! Thanksgiving turkey makes for endless creative meals. Here are delicious ways to reinvent your leftovers:
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Turkey sandwiches – The classic! Get creative with different breads, cheeses, lettuces, and condiments.
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Turkey casserole – Mix turkey with rice or pasta, veggies, sauce and cheese for an easy baked meal.
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Turkey tetrazzini – A twist on casserole, this uses a creamy sherry mushroom sauce.
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Turkey soup – Simmer turkey with veggies and stock for a soothing soup.
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Turkey enchiladas – Fill tortillas with turkey, cheese, beans, etc. for a Mexican meal.
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Turkey hash – Sauté turkey with veggies like potatoes, peppers and onions for a hearty hash.
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Turkey stuffed peppers – Fill bell peppers with turkey and top with cheese for a color boost.
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Turkey quesadillas – Quick leftover meal! Fill tortillas with turkey, cheese and other fillings.
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Turkey salad wraps – Shred turkey into fresh wraps with lettuce, cheese, tomato and dressing.
Get even more ideas for using up turkey leftovers before they go bad. With so many inventive ways to enjoy it, you certainly won’t get bored of turkey before it’s time to dispose of it.
Reheating Leftover Turkey Safely
A final key to enjoying your turkey leftovers is properly reheating them. Here are some food safety tips for reheating:
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Use leftovers within 3-4 days. Don’t risk eating older leftovers.
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Only reheat once. Don’t keep reheating the same portions.
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Reheat to 165°F internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to verify.
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Bring sauces, soups and gravies to a boil when reheating.
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Microwave turkey covered, with liquid to retain moisture. Vent to let steam escape.
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Heat thoroughly – check temperature in multiple spots. Cold spots can harbor bacteria.
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Allow standing time before checking temperature. This allows heat to fully distribute.
Follow these reheating recommendations, and you can safely enjoy your leftover turkey all the way until it’s time to dispose of it.
Thanksgiving turkey is too good to waste! By properly storing, identifying spoiled food, creatively reusing and safely reheating your leftovers, you can turn your holiday bird into a whole week of tasty eats. With these turkey tips in hand, go ahead and gobble up every last morsel. Happy eating!
How long does turkey last in the fridge?
With your leftovers sitting in front of you, the first step in smart turkey storage is to think about what you’re going to do with them. Do you have a leftover turkey recipe that you’re already planning to try for Friday dinner? Or would you like to keep that delicious turkey in reserve for sometime down the road? Even though you may be exhausted from a day or two of cooking, entertaining and feasting, it’s still best to deal with your turkey in one way or another as soon as possible.
From a food safety perspective, it’s important to minimize the time your turkey spends in the “Danger Zone,” or between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The USDA notes that food has a limit of two hours at room temperature before bacteria growth becomes an issue.
Asking the experts how long cooked turkey keeps in the fridge yields a range of answers. LG’s resident culinary expert Brian Karam recommends capping it at one to two days, but also suggests that “time can be maximized by keeping larger pieces whole and not making them smaller before refrigerating, [as] smaller pieces are more susceptible to air exposure and could hasten spoilage in refrigerator.” Aly Forster of Diestel Family Ranch says “you will want to consume within three to four days.” The USDA’s guidelines state that “Thanksgiving leftovers are safe to eat up to four days in the refrigerator.” At the furthest end of the spectrum, Patrick L. Guzzle, vice president of food science at the National Restaurant Association says that “seven days is the maximum time recommended for cooked foods to be stored in the refrigerator.”
The wide variation in answers largely comes down to the difference between food safety and food quality. Guzzle points out that “Food safety is primarily concerned with harmful microbiological organisms, [and] may veer from what an average consumer might consider for quality (i.e., taste, texture, aroma, etc.)” Fortunately, Forster adds, “We like to say ‘poultry isn’t shy’—one whiff easily lets you know if that meat is still wholesome!” Ultimately, when using leftovers, Forster concludes, you’ll need to use your best judgment to determine how long you feel comfortable within this range. Be sure, she notes, to “inspect the turkey for any signs of spoilage.” Or as I like to say, “When in doubt, throw it out.”
If you’ve only got enough turkey left for a few sandwiches and a batch of turkey jook, keeping your leftover meat in the fridge will be enough. But if you have enough for a couple more full feasts, then you’ll want to think about freezing that turkey for the future.
We’ve still got half a bird!
You’re not alone. Whether you’re buying a frozen Butterball turkey, a heritage bird from your local butcher shop, or a smaller turkey breast, leftovers are almost a given. According to a 2011 USDA study, around 35% of turkey is wasted each year, so understanding how to best store your leftovers goes a long way to reducing the amount of turkey that ends up in landfills and compost heaps. That statistic feels even larger when you learn that the National Turkey Federation reports that 88% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, and Butterball’s senior brand manager Chad McFadden notes that 79% of consumers surveyed for a 2023 report planned to buy a whole bird. McFadden also says that the most popular Thanksgiving turkey option weighs between 16 and 20 pounds, and the average guest count for the holiday is nine people, with a suggested estimate of 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. After we do some quick turkey math, this suggests that, generally, households have somewhere between 2.5 and 11 pounds of turkey and turkey bones left after the Thursday Thanksgiving feast. That’s a lot of sandwiches.
How long is leftover Thanksgiving turkey good for?
FAQ
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