Healthy Turkey Stew Recipe

One bite, and you’ll be so glad you made this homemade turkey stew. It’s a comfort food meal that’s good for you with hearty vegetables and turkey in a light, creamy broth.

This is a perfect leftover turkey stew to make with odds and ends from Thanksgiving, not that you need a holiday feast as a reason to make this recipe. It’s super delicious and simple to make for any occasion or weeknight meal.

Ingredients

My stove-top chicken stew is a hit, so I decided to give the recipe a try with turkey instead of chicken. If you want to make the stew dairy-free, swap the cream for coconut milk in equal quantities- it’s just as good! 

Here’s everything you need:

• Boneless turkey breasts or cooked, shredded turkey
• Onion
• Celery 
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Chicken broth
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Bay leaves
• Green peas
• Half & half- or coconut milk

How to Make Turkey Stew

Got your turkey and veggies? Good! Now, let’s make this healthy turkey stew. 

Brown the turkey
In a large pot, brown the turkey with olive oil. Remove and set aside on a plate. 

Sauté the veggies
Heat the remaining oil and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 minutes or until the veggies are golden brown. 

Simmer
Add the seasonings, broth, potatoes, and turkey. Simmer for 30 minutes. 

Final touches
Stir in the green peas and half & half. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

Serve
Remove the bay leaves and serve with a warmed roll or crisp green salad. 

*If you’re making this stew with leftover shredded turkey, skip the browning step and stir it in along with the green peas and cream. 

Thickening Turkey Stew

Any stew should be robust and thick, so if you find this has too much of a soupy consistency for your liking, here’s how to thicken it:

1. Once cooked, mash a few of the potatoes with the back of a spoon, then stir. The starches in the potatoes will thicken the stew. 
2. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Slowly pour into the stew while stirring. Same as the method above, the added starch will help thicken the broth.

Can You Make Turkey Stew from a Carcass?

No doubt, a turkey or chicken carcass is a great way to make broth, soups, and stews. First, you’ll want to remove all the meat, set it aside, and then use the bones to make a homemade broth. This adds an abundance of flavor and gives more body to the stew. 

Depending on how much meat is left on the bones, you may need to supplement with browned turkey or chicken and adding it to the stew later on. We also do this all the time with a rotisserie chicken to make chicken and rice soup.

If you have plans to make this with the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, it’s a good call! Having a plan is a recipe for success and if that’s your thing, check out my updated Giving Thanks menu.

It’s a collection of 23 mouthwatering recipes to choose from with a prep guide to help you work ahead and streamline the process so you can enjoy the holiday.

Turkey Stew in the Slow Cooker

Want to come home to a hot cooked meal? Then turn this stove-top recipe into a slow cooker stew! Here’s what to do: 

1. Add the turkey, vegetables, herbs, salt, pepper, and chicken broth to a slow cooker dish. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the turkey is cooked through. 
2. Turn the slow cooker on high and stir in the peas and half and half. If you are using leftover cooked turkey, add it here. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

You can also make turkey stew in the Instant Pot

How easy is that? All that’s left is to warm up dinner rolls and serve it alongside this bowl of stew! 

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