If you want a delicious way to use up leftover Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey, this turkey ragu is ideal. Serve it with pasta, potatoes, or rice, and you can freeze portions for quick meals later.
Turkey is wonderful on the holiday table, but often there’s more cooked bird than anyone wants to eat immediately. This ragu turns leftover turkey into a comforting, flavorful meal that feels fresh when served a few weeks later.
The recipe here is a slight adaptation of Jamie Oliver’s winter ragu and works well with any leftover cooked meat—turkey, chicken, pork, or beef, or even a combination. Dark meat from the leg or thigh gives particularly good texture and flavour, but use whatever you have.
Ingredients for leftover turkey ragu
To make this ragu you will need:
- Onion – red or brown, diced
- Carrots – finely diced
- Celery – finely diced
- Garlic – fresh, crushed (or garlic purée)
- Rosemary – dried or fresh
- Red wine – or stock if you prefer not to use wine
- Tinned chopped tomatoes – you can substitute fresh tomatoes plus extra tomato purée if needed
- Tomato purée
- Bay leaf
- Leftover cooked turkey – diced (about 400g suggested)
How to make turkey ragu
Start by finely dicing the onion, carrot and celery. Warm a little oil in a large saucepan and cook the vegetables gently until softened, then stir in the crushed garlic and cook for a minute more.
Pour in the red wine, bring it up to the boil and cook for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Add the tinned tomatoes and a spoonful of tomato purée. Rinse out the empty tomato tins with water or stock and pour that liquid into the pan too to loosen the sauce.
Add the chopped turkey, a teaspoon of dried rosemary (or a few sprigs of fresh rosemary) and a bay leaf. Bring everything to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 90 minutes so the flavours meld and the sauce thickens.
What to serve with turkey ragu?
This ragu is delicious with pasta, rice or any style of potato—boiled, mashed or baked. A side of green vegetables, such as broccoli or green beans, brightens the plate and balances the rich sauce.
How to adapt this turkey ragu
The recipe as written makes roughly six servings. If you have a lot of leftovers to use up, double or triple the quantities to make larger batches. Ragu is forgiving, so you can safely increase vegetables, liquid or meat according to what you have on hand.
If you don’t have red wine, substitute stock. Use fresh herbs when available, or dried herbs if that’s what you have after the holidays. The finely diced vegetables will soften and blend into the sauce, boosting flavour and body.
Other ways to use turkey ragu
Beyond pasta and rice, this ragu makes a great filling for lasagna, cannelloni or baked buns. It also works well in stuffed peppers or as a hearty topping for polenta. The robust tomato-based sauce and tender shredded meat adapt to many formats.
Storing and freezing
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat thoroughly on the stove or in the microwave before serving. For longer storage, freeze portions in individual containers for up to three months. Freezing in single servings makes defrosting quicker and more convenient.
Recipe
Leftover Turkey Ragu
A simple, flavourful ragu made with leftover turkey. Make a big batch for easy meals through the week or to freeze for later.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 1 hr 40 mins
Total time: 1 hr 50 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 200 ml red wine (or stock)
- 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml water or stock
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 400 g leftover cooked turkey, diced
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion, celery and carrot until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Pour in the wine, bring to the boil and let it reduce for a few minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes. Half-fill each empty tin with water or stock, swirl and add that liquid to the pan.
- Stir in the turkey, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 90 minutes until the sauce has thickened and flavours have developed.
- Serve with pasta, rice or potatoes and vegetables as desired.
Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a guideline only.
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Places this ragu works well
This recipe is perfect for cooking once and enjoying more than one meal—ideal for busy weeks after a big holiday feast.