Sichuan Cold-Dressed Turkey

An inspired way to transform your leftover Thanksgiving bird. 

Adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop’s “Cold-Dressed Chicken” in The Food of Sichuan

If you’re staring down a container of post-Thanksgiving turkey and wondering how to revive it, Sichuan cuisine has the answer. T

his cold-dressed (liangban) method is bright, tingly, aromatic, and deeply savory — the perfect antidote to gravy fatigue. It takes minutes to assemble and tastes incredible straight from the fridge.

Turkey breast and leg meat both work beautifully here. Because leftover turkey can be dry, the Sichuan-style dressing — built on soy sauce, chili oil, Sichuan pepper oil, vinegar, and sesame — brings it roaring back to life.

You’ll Need

• About 14 oz (400 g) leftover cooked turkey, shredded or cut into bite-size pieces
  
• 4 scallions, sliced into ½–¾-inch pieces
  
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
  
• ⅓ cup (50 g) tingly peanuts (or tingly cashews)
  

Serves: 2–4

Time: 15 minutes

For the sauce

• ½ tsp salt
  
• 2 tsp sugar
  
• 2 tsp Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  
• 3 tbsp chicken or turkey stock (optional: warm to help dissolve sugar)
  
• ¼–½ tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper or 1–2 tsp Sichuan pepper oil (Use green for brightness/citrus on dry turkey; use red for a warmer, deeper má aroma -- better for richer or smoked turkey)
  
• 3–4 tbsp chile oil (with sediment if you like it punchy)
  
• 1 tsp sesame oil
  

How to Make It

1. Prep your scallions:
   If they taste harsh, briefly microwave or steam them to mellow the bite.
   
2. Toast your sesame seeds:
   Warm gently in a dry pan until fragrant and just golden.
   
3. Make the sauce:
   In a small bowl, stir together the salt, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and stock until dissolved. Add chile oil, sesame oil, and Sichuan pepper.
   
4. Assemble:
   In a mixing bowl, combine leftover turkey, scallions, Tingly peanuts, and all the sauce. Toss like a salad until the meat is well coated and glossy.
   
5. Finish:
   Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
   

Why It Works

• Chile oil + vinegar brighten leftover turkey
  
• Sichuan pepper adds citrusy tingle
  
• Peanuts add crunch and aroma
  
• Stock adds needed moisture to drier meat
  

Optional Add-Ins

• Thinly sliced cucumbers
  
• Sesame paste (1–2 tsp stirred into the sauce)
  
• Cilantro leaves
  
• Slivered celery
  
• Minced raw garlic for extra punch
  

Serve With

• Cold rice noodles
  
• Steamed jasmine rice
  
• Lettuce cups
  
• Crackly flatbread
  

Credit

Adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop’s recipe for Cold-Dressed Chicken in The Food of Sichuan (W. W. Norton, 2019).