Turn your holiday leftovers into pure comfort food with this Leftover Turkey Jambalaya. This quick, flavor-packed skillet dinner transforms simple ingredients into a bold, budget-friendly meal that tastes like it simmered all day. It's the perfect way to stretch your turkey and give it brand-new life.
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This hearty turkey and sausage jambalaya is everything we love about cozy Southern cooking. Warm spices, tender rice, smoky sausage, and juicy pieces of leftover turkey that soak up all the flavor.
It's fast, frugal, and so satisfying, especially after a big holiday week when you need something easy but still crave real comfort food. Try pairing it with my Leftover Turkey Enchiladas or Leftover Turkey Lasagna to fill out your weekly meal plan with zero waste.
We also love how versatile this dish is. Whether you're making turkey and sausage jambalaya or omitting the sausage and just using leftover turkey, this jambalaya adapts to what you already have on hand.
Jambalaya is one of those easy meals that packs all the flavor, and whether you're trying this Leftover Turkey Jambalaya or my Shrimp Jambalaya recipe, you're sure to have flavorful meals all year long.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Packed with flavor without extra effort - Cajun seasoning, sausage, and tomatoes build a bold base with almost no prep.
- Perfect for leftovers - Turkey soaks up the seasonings beautifully and makes this dish feel completely new.
- Frugal one-pot meal - This leftover turkey jambalaya with sausage is made with budget ingredients, minimal cleanup, and great reheating value.
🛒 Ingredients
- Smoked Sausage or Kielbasa - Adds smoky depth and hearty protein without needing long cook time.
- The Cajun Trinity (Onion, Bell Pepper, Celery) - This trio builds the essential savory base that jambalaya is known for.
- Long-Grain White Rice - Holds its texture well and absorbs broth without turning mushy.
- Tomato Paste + Diced Tomatoes - Add richness, acidity, and color.
- Cajun/Creole Seasoning & Smoked Paprika - Bring heat, smokiness, and signature jambalaya flavor.
- Leftover Turkey - A zero-waste protein that reheats gently and stays tender.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Sausage: Swap smoked sausage for andouille, chicken sausage, or omit completely for a lower-cost turkey-only version. Without sausage, bump up the Cajun seasoning for more flavor.
Rice: Use brown rice, but increase broth and cooking time; or use day-old cooked rice and reduce broth for a fried-rice-style jambalaya.
Seasoning: Make your leftover turkey jambalaya mild with paprika and garlic powder only, or spicy with cayenne, hot sauce, or crushed red pepper.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Maximize the Meat: Use half the sausage and bulk up with veggies to stretch the protein, or swap in cheaper options like ground turkey, ground chicken, or budget-friendly kielbasa.
Save on Veggies: Choose in-season bell peppers or use frozen tricolor peppers to cut costs.
No-Waste Veggies: Add any leftover vegetables, corn, peas, cabbage, shredded carrots, so nothing goes to waste.
Broth on a Budget: Water + bouillon works perfectly and keeps costs low; use chicken, turkey, or vegetable bouillon.
🥄 Instructions for Leftover Turkey Jambalaya
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Brown the sausage. Add sliced sausage and cook 5 minutes until browned. (Image 1) Remove and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the vegetables. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. (Image 2) Cook 5 minutes until softened. (Image 3)
Step 4: Add garlic. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 5: Stir in tomato paste. Cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. (Image 4)
Step 6: Add liquids & seasonings. Add the diced tomatoes (with juice), broth, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. (Image 5) Stir well.
Step 7: Add rice and return sausage. (Image 6) Pour in rice and stir to combine. Return sausage to the pot.
Step 8: Simmer. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and cook 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Step 9: Add leftover turkey. (Image 7) Fold in turkey and cover 3-5 minutes until heated through. (Image 8)
Step 10: Finish & serve. Fluff with a fork and garnish with parsley or green onions.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Keep the Lid On: Don't lift the lid while the rice cooks, the steam is crucial for fluffy jambalaya.
- Adjust If Needed: If the rice isn't fully tender after 20 minutes, add ¼-½ cup broth and continue cooking.
- Add Turkey Last: Turkey dries out quickly, so stir it in only at the end.
- Loosen When Reheating: Jambalaya thickens as it sits; add a splash of broth during reheating to bring it back to the right texture.
- Use the Right Pot: A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven helps prevent the rice from sticking or burning.
❄️ Storage & Reheating
Storage: Store cooled Leftover Turkey Jambalaya in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Reheating: Warm on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water, or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Keep it simple with cornbread and a side salad. I recommend trying my Sourdough Cornbread and Iceberg Salad. Garlic bread and green beans also make great choices!
- Air Fryer Frozen Garlic BreadRecipe $2.24 / Serving $0.28
- Cast Iron Green BeansRecipe $2.34 / Serving $0.39
- Sourdough CornbreadRecipe $2.14 / Serving $0.27
- Iceberg SaladRecipe $5.00 / Serving $0.83
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes! Increase the veggies and seasoning slightly. Turkey-only jambalaya is still delicious and budget-friendly.
Yes, but increase broth and cooking time (usually 45-50 minutes).
Use long-grain rice and avoid over-stirring. Keeping the lid on helps prevent gummy texture.
Absolutely. Any cooked poultry works in this recipe.
Repurpose It: Turn leftover jambalaya into stuffed peppers, a quick skillet meal, or a hearty burrito filling. (My husband loves it this way, especially with a little cheese).
Freeze It: Leftover jambalaya freezes beautifully, cool completely, portion into freezer bags or containers, and store for up to 3 months.
Reheat Smart: Add a splash of broth when reheating to revive the texture and keep it from drying out.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Leftover Turkey EnchiladasRecipe $6.86 / Serving $1.72
- Creamy Turkey Wild Rice SoupRecipe $8.76 / Serving $1.10
- Creamy Turkey Dumpling SoupRecipe $4.47 / Serving $0.75
- Leftover Turkey LasagnaRecipe $5.52 / Serving $0.69
🐝 If you tried this Leftover Turkey Jambalaya, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Leftover Turkey Jambalaya
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil - ($0.10)
- 12 ounces smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced - ($3.56)
- 1 cup onion, diced - ($0.98)
- 1 cup bell pepper, diced - ($0.78)
- 2 ribs celery, diced - ($0.42)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder - ($0.08)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste - ($0.29)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice - ($0.96)
- 3 cups chicken broth or 3 cups water plus 1 to 2 bouillon cubes - ($0.75)
- 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning - ($0.10)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika - ($0.08)
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice - ($0.57)
- 2 cups cooked turkey, diced or shredded - ($0.00)
Optional
- Green onions or parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well browned. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot and cook until softened.
- Add garlic and tomato paste. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook briefly to deepen the flavor.
- Build the base. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, broth, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Add rice and sausage. Stir in the rice and return the sausage to the pot.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot.
- Finish with turkey. Fold in the cooked turkey, cover, and warm through for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve. Fluff with a fork and garnish with green onions or parsley if desired.
Notes
- Browning matters. Deep browning on the sausage adds smoky flavor to the entire dish.
- Turkey timing. Add turkey at the end so it stays moist and tender.
- Lid control. Keep the pot covered while the rice cooks to prevent uneven or mushy grains.
- Rice fix. If rice is undercooked, add ¼ cup broth, cover, and cook a few minutes longer.
- Budget swaps. Use less sausage, cheaper kielbasa, or skip it and rely on turkey with extra vegetables.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth to restore texture.
Nutritional Information
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Nicole Durham says
We love jambalaya and Cajun flavors and this leftover turkey jambalaya really brings heat and flavor to the table while using up our holiday leftovers.