Leftover Turkey Nuggets

5 from 6 votes

These leftover turkey nuggets are a great way to repurpose leftover turkey breast! They are lightly pan-fried to form crisp, yet tender nuggets great for lunch or dinner!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: nuggets

Author: Lily Payen

Ingredients

2 cups leftover turkey breast
½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1 egg
2.5 tbsp Greek yogurt
2.5 tbsp all purpose flour
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
oil/butter (for pan frying)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat a pan to medium-low heat with a drizzle of olive oil.
Add the turkey breast to a blender and blend until it fully grounds up.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, and flour until it is smooth.
Add the ground turkey breast and mozzarella cheese into the bowl and mix until it is well combined and incorporated.
Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and shape them into nuggets.
Mix the panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a separate bowl and dip the nuggets into them, making sure to fully coat and press them in.
Cook the nuggets in a pan with a little oil on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown.

Notes

The leftover turkey nuggets can also be made in an air fryer! If you are cooking them in an air fryer, make sure to spray the patties with a cooking spray so that they have enough moisture to brown well while air frying. Air fry the nuggets at 380 degrees F for about 8 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
I used this nutribullet blender to blend up the turkey to be finely ground. You may also shred up the turkey using a fork, but I found that blending it helped obtain a texture most similar to regular nuggets.
This same method can be used to make leftover rotisserie chicken nuggets! Other parts of the turkey or chicken may work, but I only experimented with using breast meat.
Most of the flavor for these nuggets comes from the turkey meat, which would have been precooked and seasoned beforehand. If your turkey meat is a bit bland, you may want to add in a few spices (ex: paprika, onion powder, etc.) to give the nuggets a little more flavor.

Nutrition