Congratulations, we made it to the other side of Thanksgiving. For many people, the whole point of Turkey day is gazing into a fridge full of leftovers, so reward yourself with as many turkey-centric dishes as you possibly can. Soon I’ll be switching over to a diet of cookies and sprinkles, but until then it’s turkey in everything. My favorite way to use up leftover turkey is to make buffalo turkey pizza, and I think you’ll like it, too.
It's been a few days, but you've likely still got leftover turkey in your fridge. If you've had your fill of turkey soup, this might be the easiest way to re-excite your tastebuds. It’s the ultimate in low-effort, and you can use any amount of turkey you want. If you just have a few ounces left, that’s perfect. If you have an entire breast and two thighs left, that’s perfect, too. It’s a pizza topping, and it’s impossible to screw up.
How to make a buffalo turkey pizza
You have the turkey, so all you need is a pizza and buffalo sauce. I picked up a DiGiorno cheese pizza—if there's a better frozen pizza out there, I haven't found it—and a bottle of Buffalo Wild Wings medium buffalo sauce. Frozen pizzas work well here because they're already partially cooked, so the crust can support a heap of toppings, like eight ounces of sauce-coated turkey. There are likely a slew of bottled buffalo sauce options in your grocery store next to the hot sauces, but if you’re unsure, try the Buffalo Wild Wings sauce. I appreciate the thick consistency, and along with the manageable heat, they sneak in a hint of celery flavor. It’s a nice touch.
Preheat the oven according to the package’s directions and unbox your pizza. Chop or shred your leftover turkey meat. It doesn’t have to be warm since it’s going in the oven. Add the turkey pieces to a bowl and add enough buffalo sauce to coat the turkey well. I would recommend slightly over-saucing as opposed to leaving unsauced spots on the meat. I had about a cup of chopped turkey and I added about a quarter cup of sauce. This will vary depending on the type of sauce you have and how much turkey you start with.
Spoon the buffalo turkey over the top of the frozen pizza, breaking up clusters, and spreading it out evenly. You can add extra cheese if you’d like, slices of red onion, or drizzle extra sauce across the top, like I did. Bake the pizza according to the package directions, or until you're happy with it. Drizzle on more sauce, add chopped chives or scallions, and enjoy.
If frozen pizza's not your thing, you can use this buffalo turkey trick on a delivery pizza, or even make your own pizza. Heck, you might prefer to make buffalo sauce from scratch—I love an ambitious home chef. Whichever choice you make, that leftover turkey will find a good home.