Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Congee

The biggest dilemma after Thanksgiving for my family is always what to do with leftovers. We always make too much food, and there’s only 3 of us, so we often can’t finish everything. Using leftover turkey is usually the biggest issue, so the past few years, my mom has made leftover Thanksgiving turkey congee the day after. It’s a great way to not only use leftover turkey, but it’s also a comforting, lighter dish compared to the heavy meal from the night before.

How can I use leftover Thanksgiving turkey?

I would think of Thanksgiving turkey sort of like chicken. Whatever you can do with a rotisserie chicken, you can do with a Thanksgiving turkey. In this case, I modeled my turkey congee recipe after my chicken congee recipe with a few changes. One of the main adjustments was taking off the cooked meat, shredding it, and setting it aside as a topping for the congee. Since the meat is already cooked, cooking it more will over cook it and deprive it of all its flavor. I only cook with the turkey bones.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Turkey Broth

• Leftover turkey – I used 2.5 pounds of leftover turkey, but you can use more than that if you have more. Use whatever amount you have. Make sure to remove the meat from the bones before using it in the broth, so you don’t overcook the meat. Use only the bones in the broth.
• Yellow onions – Adds sweetness to the broth. You can also use shallots or white onions as substitutes.
• Fennel and coriander seeds – Adds more flavor to the broth.
• Celery – I had leftover celery from the stuffing, so I added it to the broth. It adds more flavor. Feel free to use more, less, or just leave it out.
• Low sodium chicken broth – Chicken broth adds more flavor to the broth. I would recommend using low sodium chicken broth, so you can control the amount of salt in the broth.
• Granulated sugar – Sugar helps balance out the salt from the broth and the turkey.
• Salt for seasoning

Turkey Congee

Below are some toppings I like on my congee, but feel free to use whatever toppings you like! Good congee is about making it suit your tastes.

• Jasmine rice – Jasmine rice is my favorite kind of rice to use for congee because it produces the best results. Any sort of long grain rice should work for congee. Use uncooked, dry rice.
• Garlic and garlic salt – Both add more flavor to the rice. You can use regular salt instead of garlic salt as a substitute.
• Green onion and cilantro – Both balance out the rich flavors of the congee by adding a bit of freshness to the dish. Use one, both, or leave both out entirely.
• Fried shallots (optional) – I like my congee with fried shallots because it adds some texture to a pretty mushy dish. I buy my fried shallots from the grocery store or on Amazon. Sometimes, I make them at home.
• Chili oil (optional) – This is another optional ingredient. I like that the spiciness balances out the rich flavors of the congee. I also think everything needs to be spicy. 🙂
• Pepper for seasoning

Making my leftover Thanksgiving turkey congee recipe

This turkey congee recipe definitely takes a long time to make, but it is definitely worth it in the end! First, take all the meat off the turkey leftovers, shred them, and set them aside. Next, make your spice package. Add coriander seeds and fennel seeds to the center of a 8×8 cheese cloth. Tie the corners together to create your little spice package. Set aside. Add the turkey bones to a large soup pot. Add water until it just covers the turkey leftovers. Bring water to a boil. Once the water boils, lower to a simmer and add the onions, spice package from step 1, celery, chicken broth, sugar and salt. Simmer for 2.5 hours. Check every 30 minutes for impurities and scoop them out of the soup.

While the broth is simmering, rinse your rice and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The rice needs to dry out before you start cooking it. Once the soup is done, taste the broth for seasoning. Add salt if it tastes bland. Now it’s time to make your congee! Sauté rice, minced garlic, and garlic salt in a small soup pot until the rice turns a light brown color. Don’t use oil for this process. Add 10 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat until the rice is mushy. Add more broth if needed. Make sure to stir every once in awhile so the rice at the bottom doesn’t burn.

Once the rice is done, assemble your bowls of congee! Add a few spoonfuls of congee to a bowl. Top with green onions, cilantro, fried shallots, shredded turkey, a few drops of chilli oil, and pepper to taste.

Tips on how to make the perfect turkey congee

What is the key to a clean and clear broth?

The key to any good broth is to get rid of the impurities. Impurities are the foam-y bubbles that float at the top of the broth as you cook it. You can typically see them when the broth begins to boil. Use a spoon to skim them off the top.

Dry out your rice before sautéing

If your rice is not bone dry before your start sautéing it, the rice will tend to clump up which results in a clumpy congee. I would wash your rice then let it sit at room temperature for ~30 minutes. In my second test I didn’t dry my rice out enough, so I had to compensate by continually stirring the the rice until the heat from the stove dries it out. It’s definitely more labor intensive, but it ensures my congee is really smooth.

Be careful not to burn the rice when you saute it

Burned rice makes for a congee with a funky flavor. The rice should be a light, golden brown color (see picture for reference) before you start making the congee.

Use any leftover herbs and aromatics you have to make the broth

It is likely you’ll have a ton of leftover herbs and other aromatics from Thanksgiving dinner, so use that to further enhance the flavor of the broth. For me, I had leftover thyme, so I threw it in the broth to give it more flavor. You can also add shallots, bay leaves, carrots etc. Essentially, if the ingredient can go in a chicken broth, I would use for this turkey broth.

What can I do with leftover broth?

You can have it on the side or turn the leftover broth into a noodle soup. Boil some vermicelli noodles and use the turkey congee toppings for a yummy turkey noodle soup.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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