Leftover Turkey Pizza
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This is turkey leftovers reimagined to a whole new level! Sure, turkey leftovers are good for a sandwich or two, but this turkey pizza, with smoky BBQ sauce, red onion, pineapple, cilantro, and jalapeño is a fresh take on your holiday turkey!
Another unique pizza you gotta try is this brussels sprouts pizza – don't knock it 'til you try it!
Turkey on the day of a big holiday meal is great. Turkey the day after, even the day after that is good, too. But nothing touches this turkey glow-up. If you're looking for a truly delicious and revamped version of your Thanksgiving leftovers, you couldn't ask for anything better than this turkey pizza recipe.
The best news is that this turkey pizza comes together in less than 30 minutes, a blessing especially after you spent so much time pulling off a big feast for the holidays.
Ingredients needed
Here's what you need for your turkey pizza:
- Pizza dough: This recipe makes two pies. You can use store-bought pizza dough or make the pizza dough yourself. Just remember to factor in time to let the dough rise if you're making it from scratch.
- Pineapple: For all the pineapple-on-pizza fans, this one's for you! Dice 1 ½ cups of fresh pineapple to make the base of your pineapple salsa.
- Red onion: Mince ¼ cup of red onion to add a sharp bite to the salsa. It's a nice contract to the melted cheese and BBQ sauce.
- Cilantro: Chop up ¼ cup of cilantro to add a bright, herby flavor to the pineapple salsa.
- Lime: Juice ½ lime for a punch of citrus. It really brings all the flavors of the pineapple salsa together.
- Jalapeño pepper: Mince ½ of a jalapeño pepper for the salsa to give some heat. If you don't want to include the pepper you can omit it from the salsa.
- Cooked turkey: It's important to use cooked turkey for this recipe, since the cooking time is so short. Shredded turkey with the bbq sauce gives this pizza a pulled pork vibe.
- BBQ sauce: You can easily use your favorite store-bought bbq sauce as the base for the pizza, or you can make your own bbq sauce (it's really good).
- Mozzarella cheese: Pick up a ball of mozzarella from the deli at your local grocery store, and tear it into pieces to drop on top of your pizza. Trust, it's way better than the packaged shredded mozza.
How to make turkey pizza
Just 15 minutes to prep, and it's easy as (pizza) pie! Here's the gist of what you'll do to make your turkey pizza:
- Make the pineapple salsa: While your oven preheats, combine all the ingredients to make your bright and punchy pineapple salsa.
- Prep your pizza dough: If you're making the dough from scratch you can stretch it into circles or pull your store-bought crusts out of the fridge or freezer.
- Turkey time: Coat your shredded, cooked turkey with your favorite bbq sauce.
- Assemble & bake: Slather some bbq sauce over your pizza crust as your base, add the turkey and mozzarella cheese. Then, slide your pizzas into the oven to bake.
- Add the salsa: Once the pizza is cooked, add the pineapple salsa over top and enjoy!
Alternatives and substitutions
There are lots of ways to customize and enjoy your leftover turkey on a pizza (if, you know, pineapple salsa is a controversial topping in your household):
- Turkey & ham: You may also have leftover ham from a holiday meal. The two will pair well together with the bbq sauce, mozza, and sliced pineapple (if you're into it!)
- Mediterranean: To get a more Mediterranean flavor, pair your shredded turkey with some sliced olives, fresh tomato, red onion, and feta cheese.
- Pesto turkey: Add some fresh pesto as your base, shredded turkey, sliced red pepper, spinach, and sprinkle with feta cheese.
More recipes using leftover turkey
Sometimes you simply don't want yet another turkey sandwich. Totally get that. Fortunately, there's lots you can do to get creative with leftover turkey:
- Spice things up a little: You'll barely recognize the leftover turkey as such in this butter turkey curry or this Thai coconut turkey soup
- Make it a soup: Use your leftover meat in a hearty soup, like this homemade turkey soup, turkey pot pie soup, or this creamy turkey mushroom soup.
- Classic meals with a turkey twist: Worthy of your leftovers are these classic meals like leftover turkey bolognese, or turkey shepherd's pie
- Turkey for breakfast: Heck yes! Try this turkey eggs benedict
What to serve with turkey pizza
This turkey pizza will be the centrepiece of your meal. Here are some side dishes that will complement your pizza party:
Recipe FAQs
I don't have a pizza stone, how hot should the oven be if using a baking sheet instead?
Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit if you're going to use a baking sheet instead of a pizza stone. Bake the pizza for 12-14 minutes.
Not a fan of pineapple on pizza, can I leave it off?
The pineapple adds a sweet note to the pizza and the pineapple salsa gives lots more flavor overall. If you really aren't a fan of pineapple you can omit the pineapple salsa altogether and add some of your other favorite toppings instead.
How long does leftover turkey last?
Cooked leftover turkey lasts 3-4 days in the fridge. So it's best to whip up this pizza within that time frame.
Turkey Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pizza doughs (see notes)
- 1 ½ cups diced fresh pineapple
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Juice from ½ lime
- ½ jalapeño pepper (minced)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cooked turkey
- ¾ cup bbq sauce (divided)
- 1 ball mozzarella cheese (torn into pieces)
Instructions
- Place your pizza stone (if using) into your oven on the middle rack and turn your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, or as high as it will go. While your oven is preheating, mix the pineapple, red onion, cilantro, lime, and jalapeño pepper in a medium-sized bowl.1 ½ cups diced fresh pineapple, ¼ cup minced red onion, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, Juice from ½ lime, ½ jalapeño pepper
- Stretch each pizza dough to form a circle. Either place the pizza crust on an upside-down baking sheet or on your pizza peel if you're using a pizza stone.2 pizza doughs
- Mix the shredded turkey with ½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Spread the remaining ¼ cup of BBQ sauce on top of the two pizzas – 2 tablespoons each. Top with the shredded turkey, mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of sea salt.1 ½ cups shredded cooked turkey, 1 ball mozzarella cheese, ¾ cup bbq sauce
- Bake the pizzas, one at a time, in your oven for 12-14 minutes if you are using a baking sheet, or 9-10 minutes if you are using a pizza stone. When the turkey pizza comes out of the oven, sprinkle the pineapple salsa over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our turkey dinner leftovers!
