Take those holiday leftovers to a whole new level! Our Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Wontons are a delicious and fun way to repurpose some of the best parts of the meal into a savory and slightly sweet crispy dumpling!
For anyone else out there who thinks that the leftovers are the best part of the Thanksgiving dinner, I see you and agree! While I love the day of gratitude and friends and family, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love all of the ways to repurpose the leftovers, too! My brother and sister-in-law inspired our latest recipe and whoa, it is GOOD. Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Wontons, the Asian fusion you didn’t know you were missing from your life until now!
Ingredients Needed
- Leftover turkey – No turkey? No problem, you can also use chicken or even keep them meat-free for a vegetarian option.
- Leftover mashed potatoes – Move over Leftover Mashed Potato Waffles, there’s now stiff competition for these leftover spuds!
- Leftover Cranberry Sauce – We love our Fresh Cranberry Sauce for this, but you can also use a little plop of the canned stuff, too. But I strongly recommend fresh sauce!
- Wonton Wrappers – Don’t worry, these are on my long list of things to learn to make from scratch! But in the meantime, you can find them in the refrigerated produce section of your local grocery store!
- Gravy – Optional, but truly you haven’t lived yet until you’ve dipped a Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Wonton into gravy. Use up some that you have leftover or you can make a quick simple gravy!
Easy and FUN to Make
Prep the Filling
Grab your leftover mashed potatoes, give your turkey a chop, and then mix it all together in a bowl.
Fill the Wontons
Now, the fun part! Add some mashed potatoes and turkey to the center of the wonton wrapper, top with just a touch of cranberry sauce, egg wash the edges, and then fold up all of the edges and pinch them together, letting the egg wash act as glue. Keep a towel or some paper towels handy as this process can get a little messy!
Wonton Folding Tips
Filling and sealing the wontons is fairly simple, albeit time-consuming. Just like any other kind of dumpling, you’ll want to ensure that all of the edges are sealed and you’ll also want to make sure that most of the air is pressed out of the wonton, too. That means just giving the sides under the filling a little press before fully sealing the edges.
FRy!
The final step is to fry these little Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Wontons to crispy goodness! Heat the oil (you can use an instant-read thermometer for this or the wooden spoon test described in the recipe notes) and then add 3-4 wontons at a time to fry. They’ll only need about 30-45 seconds to crisp and golden.
Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Wontons, done!
Crispy little bites of creamy potatoes, turkey, and just the right amount of sweetness from the cranberry sauce.
Dip them in some leftover gravy and you have a whole new way to enjoy those Thanksgiving leftovers!
You Also Might Like
Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Galette
Leftover Mashed Potato Waffles and Gravy
White Bean Leftover Turkey Chili
Grandma’s Homemade Pierogies
Even better, these are totally customizable, too!
Customize!
Add a little bit of stuffing, or instead of mashed potatoes for some sweet potatoes, or swap the cranberry sauce with gravy as a filling / dipping sauce. Whatever leftovers you have that all taste delicious in one bite that will be even better wrapped up in a crispy fried wonton, give it a whirl!
No need to let the holiday end on Thursday when you can keep the deliciousness going with these Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Wontons!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
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Prep Filling: Add mashed potatoes and chopped turkey to a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk. Add cranberry sauce to another small bowl and prepare a clean work surface or cutting board to assemble the wontons on. Prep a kitchen towel or some paper towels to clean hands with while making wontons.
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Fill Wontons: Take 1 tablespoon of the mashed potato turkey filling and add to the center of a wonton wrapper. Top with 1/2 teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Dip a finger or a small pastry brush into the egg wash and egg wash one side of the wonton wrapper. Repeat for all 4 sides.
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Fold Wontons: Bring two corners of the wonton wrapper up to meet, but don’t seal them yet. Gently press the sides of the wonton to the sides of the filling. Bring the other two corners up to meet in the center. Gently press all 4 corners together, sealing at the center. Squeeze around the filling gently to release any air and then gently press together to seal the edges so that the wonton is fully sealed.
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Fry: Heat vegetable or canola oil in a medium saucepan on high until it reaches 350℉ (use an instant-read thermometer or wooden spoon test, see recipe notes). Add 3-4 wontons to the oil and fry for 30-45 seconds, turning if needed so all sides are golden. Remove from oil and let cool on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat for all wontons.
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Serve: Serve with warmed leftover gravy, or make a quick batch (see recipe notes).
To test to see if your oil is hot enough for frying without a thermometer, grab your wooden spoon a put the end of it into the oil. If the oil gently bubbles around it, it’s ready! If it bubbles too hard, it’s too hot and you will want to cool the oil a little and then test again.
Customize!
Use your leftover favorites, whatever you have that you enjoy in one big bite together. Add some stuffing or use sweet potatoes instead and omit the cranberry sauce. Just keep the filling at just over 1 tablespoon, anything more and they will be overstuffed.
Gravy: You can find out recipe for a super simple gravy here.
Raw Egg Note
If you’re not using a mini pastry brush for the egg wash and you’re using your hands instead, keep in mind you’ll have raw eggs on the hand you’re using to egg wash. Keep a towel nearby to clean hands between wontons.
