This creative Thanksgiving Pizza is made with leftover turkey, leftover cranberry sauce, and tons of cheese to create a delicious spin on a BBQ Turkey Pizza.
Pizza is a Friday night tradition in our house. And with Thanksgiving being on a Thursday and pizza night being on a Friday, what better way to use your Thanksgiving leftovers than to create a Thanksgiving pizza?!
Made with leftover turkey and a sweet and spicy cranberry barbecue sauce, this spin on a BBQ Chicken Pizza is the ULTIMATE way to recreate Thanksgiving leftovers.
Notes on Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade pizza dough.
- Turkey: Use leftover white or dark meat diced or shredded turkey. I have made this turkey pizza using both leftover brined turkey and leftover Instant Pot turkey breast.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: Adding a tiny bit of the sauce from canned chipotle peppers helps to add a nice smoky touch to the base of the pizza. Feel free to omit this addition.
- Cranberry Sauce: Cranberry sauce pairs beautifully with barbecue sauce, making this pizza a great way to use up some leftover canned or homemade cranberry sauce.
- Cheese: White cheddar, sharp cheddar, or Colby cheese are all great options to use for this pizza recipe.
How to make Thanksgiving Pizza
- To prepare the cranberry barbecue sauce, mix together leftover cranberry sauce with barbecue sauce and adobo sauce in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5-10 minutes over low heat just to help marry the flavors together.
- While the sauce simmers, roll out a 12-inch pizza crust on a lightly floured surface and transfer to a pizza pan that has been lightly greased.
- Spread the cranberry barbecue sauce evenly over the crust.
- Spread leftover cubed or shredded turkey evenly over the sauce and then generously top the with the shredded cheese.
- Bake at 425 degrees F until cheese is melted and crust is browned.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and enjoying.
More Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
- Pierogi Lasagna
- Southwest Turkey Soup
- Copycat Panera Roasted Turkey Sandwich
Need more ideas for how to transform your Thanksgiving Leftovers? Be sure to check out all my recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers.
If you give this Thanksgiving Pizza a try be sure to leave a comment and review below.
Thanksgiving Pizza
Leftover cranberry sauce and turkey are transformed into the perfect sweet and spicy base for this BBQ Turkey Pizza.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 554kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- ¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobe sauce
- 1 cup leftover diced chicken or turkey
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Combine the leftover cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, and chipotle sauce together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. Top with dough with a thin layer of the prepared cranberry barbecue sauce. Cover the sauce with a layer of leftover shredded turkey and then generously top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned.
- Rest for 5-10 minutes prior to slicing.
Notes
Turkey: Feel free to use leftover shredded chicken in place of the leftover turkey.
Cranberry Sauce: Use any storebought or homemade cranberry sauce you like. Or skip the cranberry sauce and simply use BBQ sauce as the base.
Cheese: Shredded cheddar, white cheddar, or Colby all work well.
Storage: Store leftover pizza for 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 1407mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 3.7mg
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Eden
Such a great idea! Love the flavor combinations and the idea of using leftover turkey! So good!!
Natalie
There are always plenty of leftovers to make this pizza!! What a delicious way to use what's left! I'm excited to make it!
Karly
I LOVE this! Such a good idea to mesh the cranberry and bbq flavors- but on a pizza?! Genius.
Kristen Chidsey
Isn't it a fun mash-up?
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
I'm now regretting that we didn't have cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving...
Kristen Chidsey
LOL!!! Next year for sure!! Of maybe you need to make some sauce now 😉
Eileen
Turning leftovers into pizza topping is genius!
Kristen Chidsey
It is pretty fun and tasty!
Michelle
I'm collecting recipes for my turkey leftovers...this looks wonderful! I'll use chicken when we run out, but I'm going to enjoy the turkey while it lasts!
Kristen Chidsey
I am going to enjoy the turkey as well while it lasts! Enjoy this recipe Michelle. The BBQ suace is so fun!
Caroline
You know, I'd been thinking about making a cranberry BBQ sauce but not to then go with leftover turkey on a pizza - love this idea!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Caroline! I am so happy I inspired you to think of a new way to use your sauce 🙂
Hezzi-D
This sounds amazing! I would never have thought to repurpose cranberry sauce into a pizza sauce and top it with turkey! Love this idea!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Hezzi! It is a great way to use up more than one leftover 🙂
Liz
What a fabulous pizza! I think this could be a new post-Thanksgiving tradition!!
Kristen Chidsey
I think it SHOULD be a new post-Thanksgiving tradition!
Cindy Kerschner
Love that smoky flavor!