These Leftover Turkey Ramen Bowls will help you easily work your way through what’s left of your Thanksgiving dinner! Pair with savory noodles, plenty of veggies, and a soft-boiled 7-minute egg. It’s a stunning but low-effort meal that can be ready in about 20 minutes.
If you’re pretty much over Thanksgiving leftovers the next day…well, I got you with this one. Switch over to some Asian flavors to add some mileage to your Thanksgiving turkey!
We always keep some packets of instant ramen in the pantry. Ramen is one of my favorite comfort foods, and it’s such an affordable, nostalgic, easy meal. I think it’s the perfect base to dress up leftover turkey into something that feels soothing, savory, and a little more special than turkey sandwiches.
Be sure to also check out some other Asian-inspired leftover turkey recipes like my Leftover Turkey Fried Rice and Leftover Turkey Spring Rolls!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Leftover turkey meat, either white meat, dark meat, or both depending on your preference
- Packaged ramen noodles
- Eggs
- Mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms work especially well
- Shredded carrots or thinly sliced matchstick carrots
- Shelled edamame
- Green onions
- Any garnishes you love like toasted sesame seeds or chili crisp/chili oil
Although any type of leftover turkey will work, I think this ramen bowl recipe works especially will with roasted, sliced white meat turkey. It tends to be my least favorite, since the dry texture just doesn’t really do it for me. But when it’s soaked in a flavorful broth and slurped up with noodles and veggies. Well, all of a sudden I’m a big fan!
This recipe is intended to be as simple and easy as possible. So swap the ingredients on this list for anything you have. Here are a few alternatives that will also work well:
- Broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- Mung bean sprouts
- Baby bok choy or fresh spinach, which will quickly wilt down in a steaming hot broth
- A scoop of frozen veggies or a mix of corn, peas, and carrots
- Drizzle of soy sauce, fish sauce, or toasted sesame oil
- Stir in a small spoonful of miso paste or gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) for a little bit of spice
And use any kind of ramen you have. Other leftover turkey ramen bowl recipes might call for making a homemade broth and that’s also a delicious option! It’s just not the option I prefer when I’m already wiped out as an introvert who had to spend way too much time around way too many people. Let your life be simple and easy, and remember that there’s nothing wrong with relying on the convenience of processed or packaged food at a time like this.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Ramen Bowls
Throwing together this leftover turkey ramen recipe is incredibly easy. The most labor-intensive part is the 7-minute egg, which you’ll find instructions for in the next section.
Follow these simple steps for a semi-homemade ramen bowl:
- Prep the vegetables you plan to use. You can sauté the mushrooms if you want to, using a small skillet over medium to medium high heat. If you slice them thinly, this only takes a few minutes, which you can do while the eggs are cooking. Otherwise, toss them in during the last few minutes of cooking (Step 4).
- Cook the 7-minute eggs (see below).
- Refresh the water in the saucepan and bring it back to a boil over high heat. Add the ramen noodles and cook according to package directions, using as much or as little of the included flavor packets as you like.
- Reduce to medium heat as the noodles start to break apart, then add the carrots, mushrooms, and edamame. Once the noodles are fully cooked and chewy, slide the turkey meat into the broth to heat through at a low simmer. The full cooking process should only take 4-5 minutes if using packaged ramen noodles.
- Serve the noodles and toppings in shallow bowls. Ladle some of the ramen broth over the top and add your garnishes. Serve and enjoy!
How to Make 7-Minute Eggs
If you’ve ever made hard boiled eggs, you already have the basic skills to make a 7-minute egg! Think of a 7-minute egg as a soft-boiled egg.
The process is basically the same, only the cooking time is shortened to ensure you end up with a gooey, soft yolk for your Leftover Turkey Ramen Bowls.
- To start, fill a small saucepan with enough water to fully cover the eggs.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, use tongs to carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water. Even a slight bump can crack the shells, so be gentle.
- Set a timer for exactly 7:00. Not a second longer! As the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice bath in another bowl with cold water and ice cubes (see below). Once the timer goes off, use tongs to transfer the cooked eggs into the bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process and also makes it easier to peel off the shells.
- To peel, gently tap the cooked eggs against a flat surface like a kitchen counter or cutting board. Once the shell is cracked, peel and slice in half lengthwise. The yolk will be runny, so keep the flat, sliced side facing up as you place it into the ramen bowls.
Serving Suggestions or Swaps
For best results, served your Leftover Turkey Ramen Bowls while they’re steaming hot! But beyond that, there’s really no “right” or “wrong” way to dish it up.
I like to garnish mine with some toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of chili oil. That’s what’s featured in the photos in this post. But here are a few other ideas you can try next time:
- Furikake or nori (dried seaweed)
- Add rice cakes or sliced fish cakes
- Double up on any of the vegetables you’re using
- Swap the ramen noodles for udon or another type of instant noodle
Storage Tips
I don’t typically rely on ramen bowls as a good meal prep option. The noodles tend to absorb most of the broth as they chill, which makes for a soggy texture once they’re reheated.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t prep ahead or be prepared to cook small batches. Store the leftover turkey and prepped vegetables separately. You can even make hard boiled eggs ahead of time to save yourself the trouble. Keep everything in labeled, airtight containers and when you’re ready to cook the noodles, you’ll have a much easier time building your Leftover Turkey Ramen Bowls.
Remember that turkey leftovers should only be stored for 3-4 days. If you can’t eat through what you have in that time, it’s better to label it, freeze it, and try to use it within the next few months. I’m not a fan of food waste, but I think we should use some caution with proper food safety measures. When in doubt, throw it out!
Leftover Turkey Ramen Bowls
Equipment
- cutting board and sharpened knife
- Saucepan
- tongs and ladle
Ingredients
- 1 packet ramen noodles
- 2-3 slices leftover roasted turkey, white meat, dark meat, or both
- 1/4 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
- 1/4 cup carrots, matchsticks or very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 green onions
- 1 large egg
- toasted sesame seeds, chili oil, or other garnishes of your choice
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables you plan to use. You can sauté the mushrooms if you want to, using a small skillet over medium to medium high heat (optional). If you slice them thinly, this only takes a few minutes, which you can do while the eggs are cooking. Otherwise, toss them in during the last few minutes of cooking (Step 4).
- Cook the 7-minute eggs (see below).
- Refresh the water in the saucepan and bring it back to a boil over high heat. Add the ramen noodles and cook according to package directions, using as much or as little of the included flavor packets as you like.
- Reduce to medium heat as the noodles start to break apart, then add the carrots, mushrooms, and edamame. Once the noodles are fully cooked and chewy, slide the turkey meat into the broth to heat through at a low simmer. The full cooking process should only take 4-5 minutes if using packaged ramen noodles.
- Serve the noodles and toppings in shallow bowls. Ladle some of the ramen broth over the top and add your garnishes. Serve and enjoy!
How to Make 7-Minute Eggs
- Fill a small saucepan with enough water to fully cover the eggs.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, use tongs to carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water.
- Set a timer for exactly 7:00. As the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice bath in another bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Once the timer goes off, use tongs to transfer the cooked eggs into the bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process and also makes it easier to peel off the shells.
- To peel, gently tap the cooked eggs against a flat surface like a kitchen counter or cutting board. Once the shell is cracked, peel and slice in half lengthwise. The yolk will be runny, so keep the flat, sliced side facing up as you place it into the ramen bowls.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope this becomes your new favorite meal for after the holidays. And really, you can use any type of leftover meat you have – this ramen bowl recipe can also work well with chicken, steak or beef, pork, or seafood. If you try it out, don’t forget to leave a rating or comment to let me know what you think!
And as always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog! You can find more and follow along on Instagram and YouTube, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a new post.
Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!
Questions & Reviews
I love elevating the basic packaged ramen noodles. This is a great idea for the lazy weekend following Thanksgiving