The Easiest Ways to Shred Turkey for Recipes, Salads, and More

Shredding turkey is a great way to repurpose leftover roasted turkey into new dishes like salads, sandwiches, soups, casseroles, and more While you can certainly shred turkey by hand with two forks, using an electric mixer or food processor makes the job much easier and quicker. I’ll explain the best tools and techniques for shredding turkey below, along with some of my favorite ways to use shredded turkey in recipes

Why Shred Turkey?

Shredding or chopping turkey into smaller pieces serves a few purposes:

• It allows you to stretch a turkey dinner into multiple meals Shredded turkey is incredibly versatile for making delicious new dishes with leftovers

• It gives turkey a texture that works well in salads, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and casseroles Long slices or chunks of turkey don’t always work as well in these types of recipes

• It allows flavors to permeate the turkey more thoroughly when mixed into sauces, dressings, and seasonings.

• It makes the turkey easier to eat and chew, especially for kids and older adults.

The Best Tools for Shredding Turkey

While using two forks to manually shred turkey works fine, it can be time consuming for larger amounts of meat. These tools make the job much faster and easier:

Electric Hand or Stand Mixer

An electric mixer with regular beaters or a paddle attachment is my favorite tool for shredding turkey. It quickly shreds turkey into long, thin strands with very little effort. I simply toss cubed turkey pieces into the mixing bowl and run the mixer on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. The turkey gets evenly shredded within seconds.

Food Processor

A food processor with an “S” shaped blade also makes quick work of shredding turkey. Just pulse the turkey pieces in batches until you achieve the texture you want – about 5-10 pulses per batch. Be careful not to over-process into a paste.

Electric Meat Grinder or Attachment

You can run cubed turkey through an electric meat grinder using a medium die. This evenly chops turkey into shredded crumbles, similar to ground meat but a bit coarser.

Mandoline Slicer

While not a shredder per se, you can use a mandoline slicer with a julienne attachment to slice turkey into thin shreds. This works best for whole turkey breast slices rather than cubed turkey.

How to Shred Turkey

Here is a simple step-by-step method for shredding turkey using a mixer:

1. Cut or tear the cooked turkey into bite-sized pieces. Remove any bones, skin, or uncooked parts first. For easier shredding, cut the turkey into 1-inch cubes.

2. Place the turkey pieces into the bowl of an electric mixer. You can shred up to 2 pounds of turkey at a time. For larger amounts, work in batches.

3. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. Keep mixing until the turkey is shredded into thin strands. Scrape down the sides as needed.

4. For a finer texture, pulse in a food processor. If desired, you can transfer the shredded turkey to a food processor and pulse 5-10 times for finer crumbles. Be careful not to over-process.

5. Store shredded turkey in the fridge for 3-4 days. Place shredded turkey in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. It also freezes well for longer storage.

That’s all it takes! No knives or tedious fork shredding required. Let the mixer or food processor do the work for you.

Useful Tips for Shredding Turkey

• For even shredding, make sure turkey is cut into similar sized cubes before mixing or processing.

• Use tongs to help guide any larger unshredded pieces into the mixer blades if needed.

• Chill the turkey before shredding for easier mixing.

• Avoid over-mixing to a mushy paste – err on the side of shredding into strands.

• For salads, shorter shreds are ideal. For soups and stews, longer strands work well.

• Mix in any seasonings, sauces, or dressing after shredding so flavors absorb better.

Best Uses for Shredded Turkey

Here are some of my favorite ways to use shredded turkey:

• Turkey salads – Toss with lettuce, vegetables, cheese, dressing, nuts and dried fruit for delicious turkey salads.

• Sandwiches and wraps – Pile shredded turkey in sandwiches, wraps, pitas, and subs for an easy protein filler.

• Quesadillas or enchiladas – Mix turkey with salsa, beans, veggies, and cheese and stuff into tortillas.

• Soup – Turkey noodle, turkey rice, turkey chili, and turkey tortilla soup.

• Casseroles – Stir into classic comfort food casseroles like turkey divan, turkey tetrazzini, turkey pot pie, etc.

• Tacos – For a lighter taco filling, use shredded turkey instead of ground beef.

• Pasta dishes – Toss with cubed turkey and pasta for a quick turkey bake. Works with pesto, marinara, alfredo, etc.

• Stuffed peppers or zucchini – Mix shredded turkey with rice, veggies, and cheese as a tasty filling.

The possibilities are endless! Shredded turkey is fantastic for adding quick protein into all kinds of meals. Get creative with leftovers or cook extra turkey just to shred and have on hand.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shredding Turkey

Should you shred turkey when it’s hot or cold?

You can shred turkey either hot right after cooking or chilled from the fridge. Some people find chilled turkey easier to shred since the fat has solidified. But room temperature or hot turkey will shred just fine too.

What’s the best way to store shredded turkey?

Place shredded turkey in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze shredded turkey for 2-3 months. Portion into recipe-ready amounts before freezing.

Is shredded turkey good for meal prep?

Absolutely! Shred a batch of roasted turkey on Sunday, portion into containers, and use all week long in different recipes. It makes quick meals and lets you get creative with leftovers.

Can you use a blender or immersion blender to shred turkey?

Yes, you can use a regular counter top blender or immersion/stick blender to shred turkey. Add cubed turkey and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Don’t blend too long into a mush.

What about shredding other meats like chicken?

Shredding chicken, pork roast, or other cooked meats works just as well using the same tools and techniques. A stand mixer makes quick work of shredded meats for meals all week long.

So there you have it – everything you need to know to easily shred turkey for salads, sandwiches, casseroles, and more! Ditch the forks and let your electric mixer, food processor, or meat grinder do the hard work for you. Leftover turkey has never been so versatile. Try some of these tasty ways to use shredded turkey and enjoy quick, delicious meals.