The Latin Remix Your Thanksgiving Leftovers Deserve

Thanksgiving leftovers are practically a shared national ritual. The Tupperware multiplies, the fridge becomes a game of Tetris, and suddenly you’re staring at three pounds of turkey with zero inspiration. This year, we wanted to skip the cold sandwiches and microwave déjà vu, so we turned to the internet’s biggest brainstorming potluck: Reddit.

Across subreddits like r/MexicanFood, r/Thanksgiving, r/AskTheCaribbean, r/Dessert, r/Food, and r/PuertoRicoFood, we asked one simple question:

“Thanksgiving is coming… what Latin spin can I put on leftovers?”

What followed was a flood of classic, clever, and creative ideas, deeply rooted in the flavors of Latin America.

And because scrolling through Reddit threads can feel like panning for culinary gold, we did the mining for you. Here’s the ultimate COCINA-filtered roundup of the best, boldest, and most delicious Latin-inspired ways to transform your Thanksgiving extras.

The Mexican Inspired Thread That Sparked Endless Creativity

If you’re looking for a masterclass in leftover innovation, the r/MexicanFood subreddit delivered. This was the MVP thread that was overflowing with ideas that turned yesterday’s turkey into bold, inventive dishes. The most echoed idea by a landslide? Turkey Mole:

”A mole with the turkey is my go to”
- u/beachrocksounds

From there, the inspiration kept flowing: enchiladas verdes with turkey, turkey tamales, pozole, flautas, tinga, tortas, burritos, tacos, birria de pavo, and even sopa de lima. Guisos de guajolote with chile piquín also got a lot of love, proving that no combination was too ambitious.

The thread didn’t stop at the classics. Some of the most creative takes felt like they came straight from your tía’s kitchen at 2 a.m.: chorizo sweet potato stuffing, mixing cranberry sauce into masa for tamales, or even adding chorizo directly into Thanksgiving stuffing.

“I made chorizo sweet potato stuffing one year and it was pretty awesome”
-u/Wreckenridge

Every comment was a reminder that leftovers don’t have to be boring and with a little imagination, they can become the centerpiece of the next meal. Check out the full thread for all the inspiration!

Picture obtained from Pexels. 

Where Puerto Rican Comfort Takes Center Stage

The r/PuertoRicoFood subreddit brought comforting flavors to the table, celebrating Puerto Rican tradition with every idea. Shredded turkey found new life in stuffing-filled pastelillos, while rellenitos de papa and asopao de pavo reminded us that comfort food is all about heart (and spice).

“Asopao, particularly if your turkey is going to be seasoned with traditional American autumn herbs, I feel like putting it in a soup/stew will dilute that and allow the Puerto Rican herbs and spices to dominate.”
-u/currymuttonpizza

Another standout suggestion? Pavo “pernil-style.” One user generously shared their full marinade recipe: garlic, pepper, sazón, oregano, and a splash of cider vinegar — wrap, marinate, roast, done.

“Our family makes pavo pernil-style and it is glorious. We grind a healthy amount of garlic cloves with salt, pepper, sazon, and dried oregano, and add a small amount of cider vinegar. We spread this all over the turkey- inside and outside, wrap the turkey tightly, and then leave it to marinade for 1-2 days. Remove Saran wrap and bake under foil for normal hours.”
-u/Ihadapuddingtoday

The Caribbean Came Ready With Heat (and Sandwiches)

Over in r/AskTheCaribbean, the responses were full of flavor from the Latin Caribbean crew (think Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic), where sandwiches, stews, and slow-simmered dishes reign supreme.

One of the simplest yet most genius ideas swapped the usual roasted pork for turkey, creating a holiday Cubano that practically builds itself:

“Cuban sandwiches made with turkey and ham.”
- u/Wonderful_Traffic238

And for anyone craving something deeper and saucier, another user brought out the heavy hitters. This idea turns leftover turkey into a slow-simmered staple that feels both familiar and new:

“Make the sauce base for ropa vieja, fold in chopped turkey, warm through, serve over rice.”
- u/coconut-telegraph

Dessert Reddit Came Through With Latin Sweet Alchemy

The dessert community understood the assignment immediately. The responses were thoughtful, creative, and rooted in the comforting flavors you’d find in any Latin household.

This comment instantly earned a chef’s kiss. A dessert visionary, if you will:

“You could turn leftover cake into a tres leches cake! Or leftover cake could also become a chocoflan kinda thing. You could make bread pudding if you have leftover buns. Fruit pie filling could be reworked into pastries with cheese.”
- u/cielebration

Apple pie filling and queso crema inside an empanada? That’s a divine intersection of U.S. Thanksgiving and Latin panadería energy.

What About the Savory Staples? Reddit Says: Fold, Fry, Stuff, and Simmer

Subreddits like r/Food and r/Thanksgiving delivered the kind of creativity only Reddit can produce. These threads were overflowing with the kind of chaotic brilliance that happens when home cooks, food obsessives, and holiday-weary hosts start brainstorming together. The consensus? If it can be shredded, folded, or fried, it can absolutely become a Latin-inspired leftover.

And because no one understands culinary reinvention like Redditors, they quickly crowned empanadas the ultimate blank canvas — the place where all Thanksgiving odds and ends go to be reborn:

“Leftover cranberry sauce (instead of guava) and queso fresco baked or deep fried into empanadas sound good”

- u/Patient_Plane_3320

Why settle for the usual turkey leftovers when you can turn them into something sizzling and bold:

“Peruvian Pavo Saltado” -u/Informal_Persimmon7

At the end of the day, leftovers aren’t just scraps — they’re an invitation. Latin cooking traditions are rooted in resourcefulness, transformation, and celebration through flavor. Across these Reddit threads, we saw how day-old turkey, stuffing, and even dessert can be reborn into bold, inventive, and culturally meaningful dishes. From mole and tinga to pernil-style turkey and tres leches reinventions, the possibilities are endlessly delicious.

COCINA’s POV? Turn your fridge into a test kitchen this year. Let the diaspora lead the way. And if you’re stuck, well… Reddit already did half the brainstorming for you.