Leftover Turkey Salsa Verde Egg Rolls

Completely transform excess Thanksgiving turkey with these Leftover Turkey Salsa Verde Egg Rolls. Egg roll wrappers are filled with cream cheese, salsa verde, turkey, roasted red peppers, and jalapeños. They are then deep-fried until golden and crispy.

I just don’t know where the year has gone. I can’t believe we are one week away from Thanksgiving! Like many other households, my family will be enjoying a turkey dinner with all the fixings. It’s a dinner I thoroughly enjoy once a year.

But every year I’m left with the dilemma of what to do with the leftover turkey. I can eat one round of leftover Thanksgiving dinner and I’m good for 12 months. These egg rolls repurpose turkey without making me feel like I’m having that same meal over again. Since they have a cream cheese filling with Mexican flavors, it’s a completely different flavor profile.

Now, you don’t have to have leftover turkey to make the egg rolls. Deli turkey will do. Just get thick slices then cut them into strips. Of course, you can always use chicken..fresh cooked or leftover. And let’s not forget rotisserie chicken. It’s such a great convenience food (and budget-friendly too)! I love to incorporate it into my dishes like this Mexican soup.

When you say turkey, people usually associate the meat with Thanksgiving. These egg rolls are so good that everyone will want to eat them year-round. Since chicken is easily accessible, universal, and perennial, feel free to use it instead of turkey. These egg rolls are perfect for any occasion, especially for party food and game day. They will be devoured!

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• Leftover turkey
• Egg roll wrappers
• Cream cheese
• Salsa verde
• Roasted red peppers
• Pickled jalapeños
• Cornstarch
• Neutral oil for frying

Recipe highlights:

• Add cornstarch to salsa verde into a saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently until thickened. Refrigerate.
• Blot pickled jalapeño peppers and roasted red peppers dry on paper towels.

• Assemble egg rolls: lay an egg roll wrapper on the work surface with one corner pointing toward you. Spread some cream cheese running horizontally in this corner. Add salsa verde, 2 strips of roasted red pepper, turkey, and jalapeños.
• Moisten the outer edges of the egg roll with water. Fold the tip of the corner over the filling, rolling and tucking the filling in as you roll. Stop rolling at the halfway point. Tuck in filling on both ends. Moisten the folds on either side of the filling with water.
• Gently press down along the folds. Fold the left and right sides of the eggroll wrapper and towards the center. Moisten the folds on either side with water.
• Continue rolling the filling over to the opposite corner. Press on the seams to seal. Continue with rolling the remaining egg rolls.

• Working in small batches, fry egg rolls in preheated 350° F oil for 3-4 minutes, turning over halfway.
• Transfer egg rolls to a metal cooling rack to cool. Continue heating the remaining egg rolls.
• Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

View the how-to video or save for later with this Pinterest Pin.

Can you bake these egg rolls?

Of course! If you’re looking for a healthier (and less messy) option, bake. Spray the egg rolls with cooking spray to help them crisp up. Bake in a 400° oven for 15-20 minutes, or until brown and crisp.

How to store:

As with all fried foods, these egg rolls are best served immediately. They are still super tasty warmed up, just not as crispy as freshly fried.

• Refrigerate—allow to cool completely before storing. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for 2-3 days.
• Freeze—allow to cool completely before freezing. Place egg rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Wrap the entire baking sheet in plastic wrap. Freeze for about 1 hour to harden. Wrap each egg roll in plastic wrap (optional, but recommended) then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

How to reheat:

From refrigerator: Place on a baking sheet. Loosely tent egg rolls with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through.

From freezer: Reheat directly from frozen. Place egg rolls onto a greased baking sheet. Loosely tent egg rolls with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. If the egg rolls become too brown on the exterior, loosely tent with aluminum foil.

Helpful tips:

• The recipe makes about 18-20 egg rolls. Amount guidelines are given, but there are no exact measurements. The number of egg rolls depends on how generous you are with adding the filling.
• Be careful not to overstuff the egg rolls as they will be harder to wrap and may split easily when fried.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• This 3.5 quart stainless steel saute pan is a great size for frying the egg rolls.
• I use these tongs with silicone tips to gently submerge the egg rolls into the hot oil without tearing the wonton wrappers.
• Instant digital thermometer for maintaining accurate oil temperature.
• Fine mesh splatter screen to control the grease splatter.

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Leftover Turkey Salsa Verde Egg Rolls

Author: Thao | In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Frying Cuisine:American Courses:Appetizers Recipe Keys: F Frying

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 30 minutesTotal time:1 hour Servings:18 Servings

Description

Completely transform excess Thanksgiving turkey with these Leftover Turkey Salsa Verde Egg Rolls. Egg roll wrappers are filled with cream cheese, salsa verde, turkey, roasted red peppers, and jalapeños. They are then deep-fried until golden and crispy.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 1/2 generous cups leftover turkey, cut into small cubes or shred into strips
• 1 cup Goya Medium Salsa Verde (*See Note below)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup drained roasted red pepper slices (roughly equivalent to 8-ounce canned or jarred)
• 3/4 cups of drained pickled jalapeño peppers slices, (roughly equivalent to 8-ounce canned or jarred)
• 20 egg roll wrappers
• oil for deep frying

Instructions

1. Thicken the salsa verde so it won’t make the egg rolls soggy. Combine salsa verde and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Whisk until there are no cornstarch lumps remaining.
2. Place the pan on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it bubbles. Stir constantly at this point for one minute, reducing heat if it splatters. The salsa should have thickened. Transfer to a shallow container. Refrigerate briefly to quickly cool to room temperature. The cooled salsa verde should have the consistency of thick gravy.
3. Meanwhile, drain roasted red peppers. Blot dry with a couple of layers of paper towels. You want about 40 strips.
4. Blot jalapeño peppers dry on layers of paper towels.
5. Fill a deep-sided frying or saute pan with about 1 1/2 inch of oil. Wait until you are almost done assembling the egg rolls to preheat the oil to 350° F.
6. Fill a small dipping bowl with water to brush onto the wontons. Set aside.

Assemble egg rolls:

7. Place one wonton wrapper on the work surface with one corner pointing towards you. This is the lower end of the wonton wrapper. Spread about 2 teaspoons of cream cheese in the lower end, roughly 3-inch by 2-inch in size. Avoid the edges. The 3-inch side should run parallel to you. The 2-inch side should be perpendicular to you.
8. Add the remaining filling ingredients over the cream cheese in this order: a spoonful of salsa verde; 2 strips of roasted red pepper; a small palmful of turkey; and 3-4 jalapeños slices.
9. Brush water onto the outer 1/2-inch perimeter of the wrapper.
10. Fold and roll the lower corner over the filling, tucking it in as you roll. Stop rolling when you’re almost at the halfway point. Tuck in the filling on both ends. Press gently down on either side of the filling to flatten the folds of the wrapper. Brush the top edge of the folds with water.
11. Fold the left and right sides over the filling and towards the center. Brush water along the top edge of the folds on either side. Continue to roll the egg roll towards the opposite corner, rolling as tightly as you can. Gently press on all seams to seal.
12. Place egg rolls on a parchment-lined surface. Cover with foil or a tea towel. Continue rolling the remaining egg rolls.

Frying:

13. Carefully place a few egg rolls into the preheated 350° F oil. Do not crowd. Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Turn over egg rolls halfway. Reduce or increase the heat as needed to maintain 350° F temperature. Using an instant-read thermometer is recommended. Transfer egg rolls to a cooling rack to drain.
14. Continue frying the remaining egg rolls in batches.

Baking:

15. Place egg rolls, seam side down, on a parchment paper lined or greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400° F oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
16. Makes 18-20 egg rolls.

Notes:

• * If you use a different brand of salsa verde, you might need to adjust the amount of cornstarch to add to the salsa to thicken. Goya is pretty thick and needs only 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch. I have used Herdez in the past and found it watery. It required 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. You want it to have the consistency of thick gravy.
• Be careful not to overstuff the egg rolls as they will be harder to wrap and may split easily when fried.
• Total cook time may vary depending on the capacity of your frying pan and how many egg rolls are fried at one time. More batches result in a longer total cook time, and vice versa.
• As with all fried foods, these are best served immediately. Although they are delicious reheated, some of the original crispiness is lost.
• Use a splatter screen to contain the splashing.
• The recipe makes about 18-20 egg rolls. Amount guidelines are given, but there are no exact measurements. The number of egg rolls depends on how generous you are with adding the filling.

Keywords:Thanksgiving, Holiday Season, Leftover Turkey, Egg Rolls, Salsa Verde, Leftover Turkey Recipes

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