Homemade Turkey Recipe
Discover our delectable Homemade Turkey Sandwich featuring slow-roasted hand pulled turkey, no sliced cold cuts here, and topped with provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. A fresh and satisfying choice!
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Ingredients
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Roasted Pulled Turkey
Sandwich Build
Method
Roasted Pulled Turkey
- 1
Preheat and prepare
Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels and place it on a small roasting rack or in a shallow roasting pan.
- 2
Season
Rub the turkey all over with olive oil. In a small bowl combine kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and dried thyme. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the turkey breast, pressing it into the surface.
- 3
- 4
Slow roast
Place the covered pan in the preheated oven and roast for 2 to 2.5 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 71°C (160°F). Because the covered pan traps heat, check at 2 hours and add 15–30 minutes if needed.
- 5
Rest and pull
Remove the pan from the oven and let the turkey rest, covered, for 15–20 minutes so juices redistribute. Transfer the breast to a cutting board and use two forks or your fingers (wear gloves) to pull the meat into bite-sized shreds. Reserve any pan juices; you can drizzle a little over the pulled turkey to keep it moist (about 2–3 tbs).
- 6
Optional finishing (crispy edges)
If you want some crispy bits, spread pulled turkey in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and broil for 2–3 minutes, watching closely, until edges brown. Flip and broil an extra 1–2 minutes if desired. Remove and let cool slightly.
Sandwich Build
- 7
Prepare vegetables
Slice the tomato into 4 even slices. Thinly slice the red onion into rings and separate. Tear or trim lettuce into sandwich-sized leaves. Season tomato slices lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper; set aside.
- 8
- 9
Warm turkey and melt cheese
If pulled turkey has cooled, warm it gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with 1–2 tbs reserved pan juices or a splash of broth, about 3–4 minutes, until heated through. Pile roughly 120–150 g (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups) of pulled turkey on the bottom half of each roll, then top each portion with a provolone slice. If you prefer melted cheese, place open-faced sandwiches under a broiler or in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 2–3 minutes until cheese softens and just melts.
- 10
Assemble
Spread about 1.5 tbs mayonnaise on the top half of each roll. On the turkey-and-provolone-topped bottom half, add 2 lettuce leaves, a tomato slice, and several onion rings. Finish by placing the mayo-spread top half over the fillings.
- 11
Serve
Press sandwich lightly, cut in half if desired, and serve immediately. Provide extra mayonnaise or reserved pan juices on the side if you like extra moisture. Leftover turkey keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for 3–4 days.