Leftover Turkey Ramen with Veggies

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and, like just about everyone else, I have a pile of leftover turkey that I am working my way through!  Let’s start the first day of leftovers with something one of my favorite guilty pleasure, Ramen noodles!

Ramen noodles are one of my favorite comfort foods and I love to use Thanksgiving leftovers as an excuse to have some for lunch 🙂

Prep Your Leftover Turkey

When I smoke a turkey the legs are usually one of the pieces in my pile of leftovers.  Folks love the moist white meat from the breast and don’t feel like dealing with all of the tendons in the legs.

That suits me just fine because the dark meat from the legs has a lot more flavor and works great in the Ramen.

To prep the meat really take your time and separate all of the tendons and pieces of cartilage from the meat.  Go ahead and break the meat up into small pieces using your fingers.  You will catch a few more pieces of tendon using your fingers than you would if you just tried chopping things up.

I aim for about 1/3 of a cup of turkey meat per bowl of Ramen.

Choose Your Veggies and Flavor Pack

Once you have the turkey meat prepped it is time to figure out what else you want in the bowl.

I prefer to use the noodles with either the “Soy Sauce” or “Chicken Flavor” flavor packs.  The beef or shrimp flavors just don’t work with turkey.

I like to add some veggies to my ramen to trick myself into thinking that I am eating healthy.

For this batch I went with a handful of broccoli florets along with some mung bean sprouts.  Stringless snow peas are another favorite addition and I have even been known to throw in some baby corn.

I have seen a lot of folks adding soft boiled eggs to their noodles but that just ain’t my jam.  I’m throwing the idea out there just in case runny yolks are something that you are into!

Add Your Own Seasoning

I typically will only use half of the seasoning packet that comes with the noodles because I do not need all of that salt.  But, just because I cut back on the seasoning back doesn’t mean the ramen can’t be loaded with flavors.

Once the noodles start simmering I will usually add a tablespoon of sriracha chili garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.  This gives the noodles a kick of heat and an extra touch of umami.

Enjoy the Ramen!

This is one of my favorite leftover smoked turkey recipes due to its simplicity and comfort factor.

I also consider it a bit of a holiday treat as Ramen noodles is not something I will let my self eat on a regular basis.  So, when you do get a chance to make this treat, take the time to really enjoy it!