Turkey Rice – Thankful for Leftovers
Michael
"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."
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 minute min
Total Time 17 minutes mins
- 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
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.