Turkey Rice – Thankful for Leftovers
"What ultimately sets a great holiday leftover dish apart from the rest? The answer: lots of flavor, not a lot of ingredients, and the ability to stand on its own rather than remind us of the meal it came from. This turkey rice, which is in fact a little more turkey than rice, checks all the boxes, and a fresh, 3-ingredient salsa adds the bright finishing touch."
Ingredients
- 1 cooked turkey leg
- 1 cooked turkey thigh
- 1/2 cooked turkey breast
- 4 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3/4 cup uncooked rice jasmine preferred
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp minced green onions
- 2 tbsp minced red pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, minced
Instructions
- Combine leftover turkey leg, thigh, and breast meat in a stockpot over high heat; add chicken broth and onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer, flipping turkey pieces over halfway, until meat falls off the bone, about 1 hour.
- Transfer turkey pieces to a bowl and let cool until safe to handle. Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil and stir in rice. Season with black pepper, cayenne, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and let rice simmer until it starts to plump up, about 10 minutes.
- Pick turkey meat off the bone and chop into small pieces. Stir into the rice, adding more broth as needed. Cook over medium-low heat until rice reaches desired tenderness, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Smash green onions, red pepper, and cilantro together for the salsa. Taste and season turkey rice as desired, then scoop into serving bowls and top with salsa.
