Turn those turkey leftovers into easy to make fajitas. Simple. Delicious.
Want an alternative to a turkey sandwich with your leftovers this year?
Most of the time people use either chicken or beef for fajitas, but I say why not turkey! I figure you can use turkey for anything that you would use chicken for.
These fajitas are meant to be simple as once most people have cooked a turkey they aren't looking to cook a complex meal the next day 🙂
? Ingredients
With some leftover turkey already in hand (this is my favorite turkey recipe), here is what else you will need to make these simple fajitas.
- Onion
- Bell pepper (any color you like, we like red)
- Cilantro
- Cotija cheese
- Flour tortillas
The only real special ingredient here is the Cotija cheese. It's a Mexican cheese that easily crumbles. You can get it in most supermarkets and I highly recommend it here over cheddar or those bagged Mexican cheese mixes that really aren't mostly Mexican cheese.
We are trying to keep these simple, yet tasty. But if you want to add more ingredients here are some additional suggestions
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Pepper flakes
- Sour cream
- Crema
- Guacamole
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Taco or hot sauce
If you wanted to bring the Thanksgiving flavor more into, you can use sage. Or maybe you have some leftover corn, throw that in as well. Fajitas can be one of those cleaning out the fridge dishes.
? Top Tips
You want to get some caramelization on those peppers and onions. For that I cook it on a cast iron skillet that distributes heat very well. I use an induction cook top which heats up the skillet lightning fast. It was stunning to see how fast it was the first time I used it.
If you notice that your peppers and onions are starting to burn more than turn brown, lower your heat. Better to take your time than to burn your food.
Add the leftover turkey in when the veggies are done. You just need to reheat the turkey. You don't want to cook it long or you could dry it out.
Once the food is finished, you can leave it on the skillet and serve it directly from. Cast iron stays hot for a while so it helps keep your food warm. Plus it gives you that fajita restaurant experience with the sizzling skillet coming to your table.
? How Much Does It Make
The recipe you will find below is enough for 3 tortillas worth of fajitas, which is one hungry person. Scale up to cook for more people.
? More Turkey Recipes
These are some other recipes you can make with leftover turkey:
Cranberry BBQ Leftover Turkey Sliders
These are some recipes for cooking a turkey:
Dry Brined, Butterflied Turkey
Leftover Turkey Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 cup leftover turkey white and/or dark meat
- 1 sliced bell pepper color of your choice
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2 tbsp Cotija cheese
- cilantro chopped
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat up a skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the sliced peppers and onions, salt to taste.
- Cook until the peppers and onions have softened and taken on some brown color. It should take around 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the turkey. Cook for 1, stir often until the turkey is cooked through.
- Serve on flour tortillas with crumbled Cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and salt to taste.
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Linda Mooney
Dee-licious and so quick. Thanks!