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    Home » Soups & Stews » Turkey Meatball Stew Recipe

    Turkey Meatball Stew Recipe

    Feb 21, 2020 · by Valentina · 26 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    In just an hour, on the stove-top, in one pan, this Turkey Meatball Stew is cooked to perfection. It's an ideal, scrumptious comfort food dinner for the cooler months. Stove-Top Spiced Turkey Meatball Stew in a cream-colored bowl.

    Inspiration

    When my husband started eating meat again after being a vegetarian for twenty-one years, I had a celebration of sorts. It started with my Blackberry-Thyme Roasted Chicken, and took off from there.

    He's been loving meatballs, so I recently created this scrumptious Turkey Meatball Stew recipe for a family dinner.

    It's great for a busy weeknight, but impressive enough for a weekend get together.

    Spiced Turkey Meatball Stew in a red caserrole dish with an orange spoon.

    This stove-top stew recipe might just be the "mother of all comfort foods," too. It's so warm and cozy with tasty spices and soft textures.

    What's in this recipe?

    • ground turkey
    • paprika, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme
    • olive oil
    • fresh garlic
    • red onion
    • potatoes
    • carrots
    • tomato purée
    • peas
    • basil

    Really, in a word . . . yum!

    What to serve With it

    Here's the deal, this is a one pan meal, so instinctively I want to say "nothing." However, there are a few things that could nicely compliment this one pan meal . . .

    • Herbed Garlic Bread
    • Roasted Garlic Bread 
    • Fried Meyer Lemon Caesar Salad

    Enjoy every last bit of this Turkey Meatball Stew, either with one of these add-ons, or all by itself.

    If you try my turkey meatball stew, or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also follow on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more of my mouth-watering recipes!

    Stove-Top Spiced Turkey Meatball Stew in a white bowl.

    Turkey Meatball Stew Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    In just an hour, on the stove-top, in one pan, this Turkey Meatball Stew is cooked to perfection. It's an ideal, scrumptious comfort food dinner for the cooler months.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 369 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pounds ground turkey
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2½ teaspoons dried thyme, divided
    • 1½ teaspoons salt
    • freshly ground black pepper
    • olive oil for the pan
    • 1½ cups red onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
    • 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and dried, cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 1½ cups carrots, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée
    • 1 cup peas, frozen and thawed
    • 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, washed and dried, roughly chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the ground turkey with the egg, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 teaspoon on the dried thyme, salt and a pinch or two of pepper. Mix only until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
    • Coat the bottom of a very large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining 1½ teaspoons of dried thyme and stir to blend.
    • Turn the heat to the lowest setting and add the potatoes and carrots. Cover the pan with a fitted lid or foil to let them steam until they're tender, about 15 minutes. (Open the lid and stir from time to time to be sure they aren't getting too brown or burning on the bottom.)
    • Add the tomato purée to the pan with the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn the heat to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
    • Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
    • Keeping the heat low, shape the turkey mixture into approximately ¼ cup-sized meatballs, gently adding them to the pan as you go. (Clear an area for each one, by moving the sauce around a bit.) Cover the pan until they are cooked through, about 16 minutes. They should be turned over gently midway through the cooking time.
    • Gently mix in the peas and basil.
    • Serve!
    Keywords comfort food recipes for winter, best meatball recipes
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


    More Soups & Stews

    • Slow Cooked Red Cabbage Stew
    • Easy Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • Vegan Asparagus Soup
    • Easy Pork and Mushroom Stew

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sippitysup

      February 11, 2015 at 12:28 pm

      I'm always pining for meatballs. GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 12, 2015 at 5:59 am

        Love it, Greg! Come get some. 😉

        Reply
    2. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      February 11, 2015 at 4:30 pm

      Terrific comfort food! Adore the heady mix of spices, no wonder your husband is so happy!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 12, 2015 at 5:58 am

        Thank you, Deb. He's easy to please 😉

        Reply
    3. Kaye Kittrell

      February 13, 2015 at 4:35 pm

      Having a bowl right now after a day of housecleaning and cooking. I don't care that it was 80° today, it's delicious and hitting the spot!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 14, 2015 at 3:07 pm

        Kaye, that makes me so happy! Yay!. The weather and I are having communication problems! 😉

        Reply
    4. David

      February 15, 2015 at 7:19 am

      This looks so much like my mother's meatball casserole which she served over mashed potatoes. Comfort food to the nth degree! xo

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 15, 2015 at 3:49 pm

        David, how perfect over mashed potatoes! Smart mom! Next time I might leave out the potatoes in the stew and serve them that way. Hope you and Mark had a lovely Valentine's Day. xo

        Reply
    5. Lisa M.

      November 30, 2016 at 8:34 am

      I made this last night and took another's recommendation to serve on top of mashed potatoes and it was awesome. I LOVE smoked paprika so the way it seeps into the sauce when the meatballs go in is delish. I goofed up and put the tomatoes and carrots in at the same time, but it worked out fine as I left the lid on for about 1/2 hour while they softened and then they cooked a little more with the meatballs. A keeper! Thanks!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 30, 2016 at 3:34 pm

        Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for sharing this! I'm thrilled you loved the recipe, and yes, perfect on mashed potatoes. I will do that myself next time. Smoked paprika might just be my favorite spice -- it's all over my recipes. 🙂 Happy Holidays to you & happy cooking!

        Reply
    6. Caitlyn Erhardt

      December 11, 2018 at 12:28 pm

      Turkey Meatballs are a huge hit in our house! These look wonderful!

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 11, 2018 at 3:10 pm

        Thanks, Caitlyn! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Cindy @ The Sweet Nerd

      December 11, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      My kids love turkey meatballs and I love "one pot" - thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 11, 2018 at 3:10 pm

        Yay! Win-win. Thank you!

        Reply
    8. Katie

      December 11, 2018 at 12:41 pm

      This looks like the perfect thing for a cold winter day- and those meatballs could be used with spaghetti, on a sandwich, or just by themselves! What a great recipe!

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 11, 2018 at 3:09 pm

        Thanks, Katie! The meatballs can be here, there, or anywhere. 😉

        Reply
    9. Louise

      December 11, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      This looks really good and perfect for this time of the year. I have not really thought about a turkey meatball soup before, but I am going to try it.

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 12, 2018 at 1:17 pm

        I hope you love it, Louise! Thank you!

        Reply
    10. Ellen

      December 11, 2018 at 3:46 pm

      Such a delicious way to elevate comfort food! Tucking this recipe away for colder weather.

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 12, 2018 at 1:18 pm

        Thanks, Ellen. Stay warm. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Jeff the Chef

      February 22, 2020 at 8:49 am

      I love this stew!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 25, 2020 at 4:28 pm

        Thanks, Jeff!

        Reply
    12. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop

      February 23, 2020 at 6:31 pm

      Whoa - that's a big change for you hubby! This looks like a great recipe for everyone and I love that it's quick and easy. Perfect for weeknight dinners!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 25, 2020 at 4:20 pm

        Indeed. A big change, and I love it. Thanks so much, Kathy. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    13. David @ Spiced

      February 26, 2020 at 4:50 am

      Mother of all comfort foods, you say? Well you certainly have my attention! I love comfort foods of all types...and we're definitely still in stew season here. (In fact, more snow on the way tonight. I'm over it!) This stew sounds like the perfect thing to have simmering on the stovetop on these cold evenings. Yum!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 26, 2020 at 1:53 pm

        Get it simmering! Thanks, David. Hope you love it. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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