Sweet and sour turkey
The new boxing day must-have
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover turkey on Boxing Day, why not mix it up with a sweet-and-sour turkey?! It’s still got that luxurious, fakeaway feel but with minimal effort and it’s perfect for feeding a crowd.
This dish is bright, zingy, punchy and absolutely not Christmassy in the traditional sense, which is precisely why it’s perfect for the 26th of December. By the time Boxing Day rolls around, most of us can’t even look in the direction of sage, sprouts, stuffing or cranberry without emotionally shutting down. So instead of forcing another plate of festive flavours, why not give your tastebuds something entirely different? Something vibrant. Something fun. Something that makes you feel like you’ve ordered a cheeky Chinese takeaway…without actually changing out of your Christmas comfys.
Because let’s be honest, nobody should be leaving the house on Boxing Day. Shut the shops, close the roads, cancel all plans, we’re staying indoors, living in pyjamas, surrounded by empty Quality Street tins and half-assembled toys. And what better to fuel this blissful laziness than a massive pan of sweet and sour goodness?
Fakeaway feel with minimal effort
This dish has everything you’d expect from a classic sweet and sour: juicy pineapple, crunchy peppers, tender onion and a glossy homemade sauce that’s tangy, sweet, sharp and full of delicious, easy-to-source ingredients. And the best bit? You’ve probably already got most of the ingredients hiding in your cupboards from December’s big shop anyway.
More fakeaway inspo
I love a fakeaway inspired recipe and have some absolute classics on my website, so why not make a cheeky Jack Daniel’s glazed burger or some glazed chicken to make midweek meals a little more exciting.
Sweet and sour turkey
By Poppy Cooks
https://www.poppycooks.com/recipes/sweet-and-sour-turkey/
Ingredients
- 500g leftover turkey, cut into large chunks
- 200g tin diced pineapple in juice
- 1 red pepper, cored and diced into 3cm pieces
- 1 green pepper, cored and diced into 3cm pieces
- 1 red onion, peeled and diced into 3cm pieces
- 1-2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced or grated
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- Salt, pepper and olive oil
- Rice, chilli and coriander to serve
Metric
Imperial
Instructions
- Heat a large saute pan over a high heat with a glug of olive oil. When smoking hot, chuck the onions and peppers into the pan to brown off and char slightly, around 5-6 minutes.
- While the veg cooks, mix together the cornflour and a splash of the pineapple juice into a paste in a small bowl, then set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, soy, rice wine vinegar, light brown sugar, ketchup, sriracha and chilli flakes with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- When the onions peppers have charred and softened slightly, chuck in the cooked turkey. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until piping hot, then pour over the sauce. Bring to a bubble and stir the sauce through the veg. Scoop the cornflour slurry into the pan and stir again, cooking for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy.
- Serve with rice and some chopped chilli and fresh coriander for a bit of health.