Turkey Rice
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.
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
-
½ cooked turkey breast, chopped
-
4 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
-
1 yellow onion, diced
-
¾ cup uncooked white rice
-
2 teaspoons kosher salt
-
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
-
1 pinch cayenne pepper
For the salsa topping:
-
2 tablespoons minced green onions
-
2 tablespoons minced red pepper
-
¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced
Method
-
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.
