November 22, 2025
This BBQ turkey salad is inspired by its namesake, the BBQ turkey salad at Capriotti's Sandwich Shop. Roasted turkey is piled high on top of greens with lots of flavorful ingredients, two sauces, and a layer of crunchy fried onions.
Do you love a hearty salad?Â
I'm not talking about a light plate of greens dressed with a mist of vinaigrette.
I'm talking about a big salad, piled high with delicious, hearty ingredients. A salad that you can order in lieu of a sandwich or entree and go away feeling totally satisfied.
This salad is one of those hearty salads, inspired by the BBQ turkey salad at Capriotti's Sandwich Shop – a chain I discovered while vacationing in Las Vegas.
The salad with leftover turkey is very, very similar to Capriotti's. I used two dressings, just as they do: A creamy chipotle dressing, as well as a generous drizzle of BBQ sauce. The spicy-sweet combination you probably already love!
About The Recipe: BBQ Turkey Salad
I don't always have leftover roasted turkey on hand, but when I do I like to make all sorts of different turkey-centric recipes. This salad is no exception.
While I don't have Capriotti's exact recipe (obviously), I think I came very, very close to creating the same exact salad at home. It tastes almost exactly the same. (Yay! I don't have to fly to Vegas to eat my favorite salad.)
The base is simple chopped Romaine lettuce (feel free to substitute iceberg lettuce), topped with roasted turkey, some fresh and flavorful ingredients and not one, but TWO dressings.
This salad:
- Uses leftover Thanksgiving turkey
- Has that delicious copycat Capriotti's flavor you're craving
- Is a fresh, hearty, high-protein meal
- Has a two-dressing combo that adds major flavor
- Comes together fast – under 20 minutes
Ingredient List
Here's what you'll need to make this leftover turkey salad at home:
- Lettuce: I used chopped Romaine lettuce but feel free to substitute iceberg lettuce. The type of lettuce isn't critical to the end flavor.
- Roasted turkey: This is the ideal recipe to use your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Deli turkey will certainly work, but it won't be as good as a salad topped with oven-roasted and chopped (or pulled) turkey.
- Black bean and corn salsa: I made a simple black bean and corn salsa with chopped red onion, lime juice, and a drizzle of honey. You can substitute store-bought salsa.
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped red onion: Not authentic to Capriotti's original, but I think it adds nice flavor and crunch.
- Crispy onions: The kind you put on top of green bean casserole. I bought mine at Whole Foods, but any crispy fried onion brand will work (French's Crispy Fried Onions).
- Creamy chipotle dressing: Full recipe, below. Made with mayo, heavy cream, sugar or honey, and adobo sauce.
- BBQ sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce from the store (like Cookie's) or make your own 5-minute BBQ sauce.Â
Substitutions
If you're looking for leftover Thanksgiving turkey salad ideas, you've come to the right spot! This recipe makes delicious use of leftover roasted turkey.
And while I suggest sticking to the recipe (because it's absolutely delicious), there is some wiggle room if you'd like to make substitutions. For example, use leftover roasted chicken instead of leftover roasted turkey.Â
- Protein swaps (chicken, rotisserie chicken, leftover pork)
- Greens swaps (iceberg, spring mix)
- Different salsas (mango salsa, corn relish)
- BBQ sauce styles (smoky, spicy, sweet)
Make Delicious Use Of Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
My favorite cooking time of the year is post-Thanksgiving, when I have a fridge full of leftovers waiting to be repurposed into something delicious. This is a great way to save money on food – not only to eat leftovers, but to make new dishes out of them!Â
- Amazing Leftover Turkey Salad
- Leftover Turkey And Cranberry Salsa Nachos
- Turkey Lettuce Wraps With Peanut Sauce
- Turkey And Cranberry Wontons
- Turkey Or Chicken Mole Bowls
- Turkey Empanadas
- Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- 3 cups chopped or pulled roasted Turkey
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup crispy fried onions
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- BBQ sauce (store-bought or homemade)
For creamy chipotle dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
For corn and black bean salsa
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sweet corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- Make creamy chipotle dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to assemble salads.
- Make black bean and corn salsa: Combine black beans, corn, and red onion. Squeeze juice of 1 lime on top and drizzle in honey. Gently toss to mix. Refrigerate until ready to assemble salads.
- Assemble salads: Place 2 cups of lettuce leaves on plate. Top each salad evenly with chopped turkey, black bean and corn salsa, tomatoes, and red onion. Drizzle on creamy chipotle dressing and bbq sauce (as desired). Top each salad with crispy onions and serve.
