We love leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, and this Turkey Stew is a full and delicious meal with those leftovers!

Once the festivities are over and you’ve got a fridge full of leftover turkey, we’ve got you covered.  A rich and rustic turkey stew with herbs and veggies is just the thing for a chilly day!

a pot of turkey stew

Leftover Turkey Stew

  • This easy meal turns leftover turkey into a whole new meal, incredibly cozy and delicious.
  • If you’ve got a leftover carcass, you can make turkey broth and add it into this recipe or use boxed chicken broth.
  • This stew has all the fixings to make it warm & filling including root veggies, and, of course, turkey. If you’ve got leftover roasted carrots, parsnips or potatoes, throw them in the pot too!
  • This stew can be cooked on the stovetop or in the crockpot.
  • Turkey Stew is so versatile. Any leftover veggies in the fridge can be added to this recipe!

ingredients for turkey stew

Ingredients

The main ingredient is, of course, turkey. The rest of the ingredients are probably in the refrigerator:

TURKEY: Leftover turkey from the holidays is great for this recipe. Chop or shred into bite-sized pieces.

BROTH: Make turkey broth and use that as a base for this stew. Short on time? Boxed or canned turkey or chicken broth will taste great too. The base of this broth also includes heavy cream for some richness.

VEGETABLES: Carrots, celery, peas (or green beans if you’d prefer), and potatoes are tossed into this stew. Any potatoes will work but baby potatoes don’t require peeling so they make it easy.

VARIATIONS: As with any stew, there are lots of variations that can be made. Add some sweet corn kernels, beans, or fresh garlic. The meat in this recipe can also be substituted with ground turkey. Remember to fry the ground turkey before adding it to the soup.

How to Make Turkey Stew

  1. Cook onions with seasonings.
  2. Stir in broth. Add vegetables & simmer.
  3. Stir in cream & turkey (per recipe below).
  4. Add peas & discard bay leaf. Garnish & serve.

Making Turkey Stew SpendWithPennies

Crock-Pot: Slow cook this stew in the crockpot. Toss everything in the pot except for the peas and cream. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. In the last 30 minutes, add the cream, stir, and let cook. Add the peas, discard the bay leaf and let the peas cook for another 2-3 minutes.

How To Thicken

This recipe is thickened with flour (and by simmering uncovered).

SLURRY: Once cooked if you’d like to thicken it further, you can use a cornstarch slurry much like we do with our traditional beef stew. Mix equal parts cornstarch and cold water or broth. Drizzle into the simmering stew a little bit at a time to thicken. Start with a tablespoon or so, you may not need all of the mixture.

POTATOES: Another option is to stir in leftover mashed potatoes or even potato flakes. Extra creamy and good!

More Tips

  • The Turkey is already cooked so add it at the end. You want it to get flavored by the broth but you don’t want to cook it too much so it doesn’t overcook.
  • If you’re using raw turkey (cutlets or breasts) cut into ba
  • Cut the veggies larger for a hearty rustic stew or cut them smaller to make things cook a little bit quicker.
  • Use any kind of potatoes but we love baby potatoes or yellow/red potatoes because they don’t require peeling. Russet potatoes will need to be peeled.
  • If you swap out peas for green beans, the green beans will need longer to cook.

top view of plated Turkey Stew

Storing Leftovers

Leftover stew will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This soup does not freeze so well because of the cream. However, it can be made up until the peas and cream are added and then frozen. The peas and cream can be added when it is thawed and reheated.

Use Up That Leftover Turkey!

Did your family love this Turkey Stew? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

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Turkey Stew

Loaded with veggies and turkey in a creamy, flavorful broth, this turkey stew is the best way to use up that leftover holiday turkey!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients  

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 onion diced
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 5 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
  • 16 ounces baby potatoes halved, about 3 cups
  • 2 carrots cut into 1" chunks
  • 2 ribs celery cut into 1" chunks
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 cups cooked shredded turkey
  • cup heavy whipping cream
  • cup frozen green peas or green beans, thawed
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook onions until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add flour and seasonings and cook 1 minute more.
  • Stir in broth a bit at a time whisking until smooth after each addition.
  • Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook covered for 18 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  • Stir in the turkey & cream, simmer an additional 5 minutes uncovered.
  • Stir in peas, discard bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest 2-3 minutes to heat the peas.
  • Garnish with parsley if desired and serve.

Notes

To thicken stew further, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small dish. Add to boiling stew while whisking until it reaches desired consistency. You may not need to use all of the mixture. 
Another option is to stir leftover mashed potatoes (or potato flakes) into the broth.
  • The turkey is already cooked so add it at the end just to heat through.
  • Cut the veggies larger for a hearty rustic stew or cut them smaller to make things cook a little bit quicker.
  • Use any kind of potatoes but we love baby potatoes or yellow/red potatoes because they don’t require peeling. Russet potatoes will need to be peeled.
  • If you swap out peas for green beans, the green beans will need longer to cook.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop until heated through. 
4.97 from 65 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 516 | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1197mg | Potassium: 784mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6257IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup, Turkey
Cuisine American
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Turkey Stew in bowls with writing
close up of cooked Turkey Stew with a title
Turkey Stew in a pot and plated with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. This is delicious. I added a 1/2 cup of white wine and did do a slurry to thicken it up. I also used 1/2 and 1/2 cream because that’s what I had. This recipe I will make again. Super simple!!5 stars

  2. Noticed the comment about not freezing well – I’d like to make this for my daughter who’s away at school, so it’ll have to be frozen – is there any substitutes that can be suggested in place of the cream so that she can just heat and eat?

    1. The cream simmers in the last 5 minutes so I would suggest leaving it out and she can add a little bit when she heats it.