Cozy Leftover Turkey Stew
, Updated Oct 31, 2025
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This cozy leftover turkey stew recipe is a great way to use up all your post-holiday leftovers! Tender chunks of turkey with bacon, carrots and potatoes in a rich creamy broth – so easy, hearty and absolutely delicious.
You will also love my crockpot leftover turkey soup recipe!
Got leftover turkey to use up after the holiday festivities? I got lots of leftover turkey recipes for you! This delicious turkey stew is just the latest one on the list and it’s so good you will wish you could make it year-round. Which you can, BTW, since it is just as yummy with leftover chicken 😉
Gotta love a meal that’s so easy to throw together too – everything cooks in one pot and you can customize the ingredients as you like. I frequently use leftover ham instead of bacon and whatever veggies need using up.
Yes folks, this hearty turkey stew tastes amazing, reduces waste and will win you rave reviews, it’s practically magic.
Turkey Stew Ingredients
For extra brownie points you can make your own homemade turkey stock using the carcass. I will include a simple recipe in the notes.
- Bacon or ham – smoked bacon gives the broth so much flavor but you can also use leftover ham if you have some handy.
- Wine or broth to deglaze the pan – I used dry Marsala as I have a bottle for cooking in my pantry but you can use sherry or white wine.
- Unsalted butter.
- Onion, celery, carrots and potatoes are great in this stew but you can add more vegetables too such as butternut squash, leeks, turnips, peas and so on.
- Mustard, tomato paste and soy sauce.
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme or parsley.
- Leftover turkey meat or you can use rotisserie chicken.
- Chicken broth, bouillon or homemade stock.
- Cornstarch to thicken our stew (and keep it gluten free).
- Cream – adding some heavy cream with transform this stew into a luxurious meal.
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Parsley to garnish, for a touch of green.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Stew
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Add streaky smoked bacon to a large casserole and cook over low heat until the bacon starts rendering its fat and crisps up. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board once cooked and roughly chop.
- Pour a splash of wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping the any browned bits loose as you cook it down. Add the butter throw in the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes once it has melted. Sprinkle the vegetables with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and thyme and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the mustard and tomato paste and pour in the broth and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer then stir in the turkey and bacon. Cover the pot and transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and add to the stew, heating it through (on the stove) for two minutes or until the broth starts to thicken. Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan off the heat and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with bread to mop up every delicious drop!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- STORING AND FREEZING: This turkey stew will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it, without the cream, for up to three months.
- VARIATIONS: You can add any vegetables you like in this stew. Root vegetables that require a long cooking time can go in with the potatoes. Green beans, peas and the like need minimal cooking so you can add them right at the end.
- SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS: Follow steps 1-3 of the method then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4. Add the cornstarch slurry right at the end and cook on HIGH for a few minutes. Stir in the cream and Parmesan just before serving.
Lucy’s Pro Tip
HOMEMADE TURKEY STOCK
It’s easy to make homemade turkey stock, especially in a crock pot. Simply add the turkey carcass, an onion, two large carrots, two celery ribs, two bay leaves, two tablespoons apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of peppercorns to your slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the ingredients. Cook on the low setting for 8-12 hours, cool and strain into a suitable container. Store in the fridge for up to a week or use straightaway. You can also freeze the stock for up to three months.
If you loved this Leftover Turkey Stew recipe, please give it a star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #supergoldenbakes – don’t forget to tag me @supergolden88
Cozy Leftover Turkey Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon , smoked
- splash of white wine , sherry or Marsala
- 2 tbsp butter , usalted
- 1 large onion , roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery , sliced
- 2 large carrots , cubed
- 5 medium potatoes , peeled and quartered
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp dried thyme or parsley
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 cups (1 liter) chicken broth or bouillon
- 1 pound (450g) turkey meat , cubed or shredded
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (=cornflour)
- ⅓ cup (80ml) cream , heavy / double
- 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley , chopped
Instructions
- Add streaky smoked bacon to a large casserole and cook over low heat until the bacon starts rendering its fat and crisps up. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board once cooked and roughly chop.4 strips bacon
- Pour a splash of wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping the any browned bits loose as you cook it down. Add the butter throw in the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes once it has melted. Sprinkle the vegetables with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and thyme and cook for 5-7 minutes.splash of white wine, 2 tbsp butter, 1 large onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 large carrots, 5 medium potatoes, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic granules, 1 tsp dried thyme or parsley, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp sweet paprika
- Stir in the mustard and tomato paste and pour in the broth and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer then stir in the turkey and bacon.1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 4 cups (1 liter) chicken broth , 1 pound (450g) turkey meat
- Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon of cold water and add to the stew, heating it through for two minutes or until the broth starts to thicken.1 tbsp cornstarch
- Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan off the heat and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with bread to mop up every delicious drop!⅓ cup (80ml) cream, 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan, 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Seriously the best turkey left over dish I’ve ever made…thank you! Amazing recipe I would think it’s very flexible as well and you can add or remove what you have/don’t have. I would definitely make this recipes again and again! My husband wants to make turkey so we can have the stew 🙂 ! Thank you so much!
Awesome, your comment made my day! ❤️❤️