Gordon Ramsay Turkey Curry Recipe

Gordon Ramsay’s turkey curry recipe turns leftover Christmas turkey into a coconut and lemongrass curry in under 20 minutes, with a paste you blitz from ginger, red chilli, garlic, shallot, and garam masala. I found this on the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants website and the paste is so quick to make that the hardest part is picking the turkey off the carcass.

Ramsay says on the recipe page that this works just as well with leftover roast chicken, prawns, or paneer if you do not have turkey. I made it the day after Christmas, and it turned leftover turkey into the easiest of all my curry recipes when I was tired of cold turkey sandwiches, and it turned what felt like obligation food into something I actually wanted to eat.

Try More Curry Recipes:

• Chicken Curry
• Butter Chicken
• Korma

Why This Works With Leftover Turkey

Leftover turkey is already cooked, so it only needs to warm through in the sauce for 10 minutes. The coconut milk and fresh paste add all the flavour the dry meat is missing after sitting in the fridge overnight.

Ramsay stirs the turkey in at the end so it does not overcook and go stringy. I tried adding it too early once and it fell apart into shreds, which tasted fine but looked like a mess.

Curry Paste Ingredients

Blitz all of these in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of the oil until smooth.

• 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 25g (1 oz) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp garam masala

Turkey Curry Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil (2 for paste, 2 for frying)
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 400ml (1.75 cups) coconut milk
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 100g (3.5 oz) mangetout (snow peas)
• 400g (14 oz) leftover cooked turkey, shredded or sliced
• Small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped, plus sprigs to garnish
• Juice of 2 limes, plus wedges to serve
• 1 red chilli, sliced, to garnish

How To Make Gordon Ramsay Turkey Curry

1. Make the Paste: Add the lemongrass, ginger, chilli, garlic, shallot, garam masala, and 2 tablespoons of oil to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Fry the Paste: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep frying pan over high heat. Add the paste and fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and darkened.
3. Cook the Onion: Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
4. Build the Sauce: Pour in the coconut milk and soy sauce. Add the mangetout (snow peas) and stir to combine.
5. Add the Turkey: Stir in the leftover turkey and simmer gently for 10 minutes until heated through.
6. Finish and Serve: Stir through the chopped coriander (cilantro) and lime juice. Serve in bowls garnished with coriander sprigs, lime wedges, and sliced red chilli. Goes with rice, naan, or noodles.

Can I Use Fresh Turkey Instead of Leftovers?

Yes, but you need to cook it first. Brown 500g (1.1 lbs) of diced turkey breast in oil for 5-6 minutes before adding the paste, then simmer for 15 minutes instead of 10.

Leftover turkey is better for this recipe though, because the cooked meat absorbs the coconut sauce without drying out. That is the whole point of the dish.

What to Serve It With

Rice, naan, or noodles, whichever you have in the cupboard on Boxing Day.

If you do not feel like making a full curry, a quick Gordon Ramsay curry sauce over leftover turkey and chips does the job. I usually go with rice because it is the easiest thing to cook when I cannot be bothered after Christmas.

A chicken biryani uses similar flavours if you want something more involved. For another quick leftover idea, the butter chicken also works with shredded turkey.

Storing Christmas Curry

Fridge for 2 days, freezer for a month. The turkey is already cooked, so do not keep reheating it more than once.

Reheat in a pan on the hob with a splash of coconut milk if the sauce has thickened too much overnight. I also have a cauliflower soup recipe from the same book that works as a starter before this.

FAQs

• Where is this recipe from? The Gordon Ramsay Restaurants website, under their Christmas and Thanksgiving leftovers section. The paste and method are from their kitchen team.
• Can I use chicken instead? Ramsay says on the recipe page that leftover roast chicken works just as well. Prawns or paneer also work if you want a different version.
• Is this spicy? Mild to medium. The garam masala gives warmth without heat, and one red chilli is not much. Add more chilli if you want it hotter.

More Recipes To Try:

• Curry Sauce
• Tikka Masala
• Vegetable Curry

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 380 kcal
• Total Fat: 24g
• Protein: 28g
• Total Carbohydrate: 12g

Gordon Ramsay Turkey Curry Recipe

Recipe by Sophie Lane

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

Gordon Ramsay’s turkey curry recipe turns leftover Christmas turkey into a coconut and lemongrass curry in under 20 minutes, with a paste you blitz from ginger, red chilli, garlic, shallot, and garam masala. I found this on the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants website and the paste is so quick to make that the hardest part is picking the turkey off the carcass.

Ramsay says on the recipe page that this works just as well with leftover roast chicken, prawns, or paneer if you do not have turkey. I made it the day after Christmas when I was tired of cold turkey sandwiches, and it turned what felt like obligation food into something I actually wanted to eat.

Ingredients

• 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and roughly chopped

• 25g (1 oz) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp garam masala

• 4 tbsp olive oil (2 for paste, 2 for frying)

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• 400ml (1.75 cups) coconut milk

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 100g (3.5 oz) mangetout (snow peas)

• 400g (14 oz) leftover cooked turkey, shredded or sliced

• Small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped, plus sprigs to garnish

• Juice of 2 limes, plus wedges to serve

• 1 red chilli, sliced, to garnish

Directions

• Make the Paste: Add the lemongrass, ginger, chilli, garlic, shallot, garam masala, and 2 tablespoons of oil to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
• Fry the Paste: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep frying pan over high heat. Add the paste and fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and darkened.
• Cook the Onion: Add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
• Build the Sauce: Pour in the coconut milk and soy sauce. Add the mangetout (snow peas) and stir to combine.
• Add the Turkey: Stir in the leftover turkey and simmer gently for 10 minutes until heated through.
• Finish and Serve: Stir through the chopped coriander (cilantro) and lime juice. Serve in bowls garnished with coriander sprigs, lime wedges, and sliced red chilli. Goes with rice, naan, or noodles.