My slow cooker turkey mince stew recipe is high in protein, warming for the colder months and easy and frugal too. All boxes ticked!
During autumn and winter I love to serve simple stews or casseroles usually with some crusty bread or rice and the additional of some green vegetables like broccoli or peas on the side.
A stew is so warming and it also smells great as it cooks in your slow cooker, making your home feel so welcoming when you get back at the end of the day.
I was inspired for this recipe by my slow cooker chicken casserole recipe and this time I wanted to make use of turkey mince (ground turkey) in my slow cooker too.
It pairs well with my slow cooker white bread to give you some crusty bread to shovel it in with!
Why make this recipe
✓ Easy to prepare – making this recipe is a cinch, you only need five minutes at the start of the day then dinner is done.
✓ Turkey is low in fat and a good source of protein so it will help to meet your health and macro goals.
✓ Turkey mince is frugal – normally available in Aldi at a lower price than other supermarkets, and usually cheaper than other meats.
Ingredients
Here is what you will need for this slow cooker turkey mince stew (get the quantities from the recipe card at the bottom of the page).
- turkey mince – I use a lean turkey mince with around 7% fat, which I find has good flavour – this is usually turkey leg mince or a mixture of breast/leg/wing. You can also get an extra lean turkey mince made from breast meat only which has around 2% fat. The extra lean mince often has less flavour due to the lower fat content, so if you use this make sure you season the dish well and you may also want to increase the amount of herbs slightly, and perhaps add a little spice such as paprika. Taste just before serving and adjust as needed.
- onion, garlic, carrot, leek – the onion and garlic add flavour as the base of the dish. I sometimes replace chopped garlic with roast garlic puree if I have it, as this has lovely flavour. Carrot and leek are the backbone of many stews as they do well with long cooking. You can vary the veg as you wish, perhaps add a parsnip or some cubed butternut squash.
- frozen spinach – to add further goodness and colour to the stew, frozen spinach is great to keep in the freezer and can be added for the last hour of cooking in the slow cooker.
- red pesto – I use a little red pesto in the dish as it adds depth of flavour which goes well with turkey and also brings a little colour to the dish. You can omit this or replace it with a little tomato puree (paste) if you prefer.
- butter beans – beans are great to add to a stew and butter beans provide a creamy soft texture.
- smoked pancetta – this adds a meaty flavour and brings a deeper taste to the dish. Great to enhance turkey. Can be replaced with lardons or diced bacon.
- oregano, parsley – these dried herbs work well in a meaty stew. You can replace them with mixed herbs if you prefer.
- jelly chicken stock pot – this is a concentrated jelly stock which brings a deep chicken flavour. Can be replaced by a powder stock cube if needed.
- bay leaf – this add depth of flavour during the long slow cook. Remove it before serving.
- olive oil – not pictured. Used to fry the onion, garlic, pancetta and turkey mince.
- plain flour – not pictured. A couple of tablespoons sprinkled over the mince during cooking will ensure the sauce thickens naturally as it cooks, even in the slow cooker.
- fresh herbs to garnish – not pictured. If you have it, some fresh parsley chopped over the top before serving adds freshness.
Instructions
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this slow cooker turkey mince stew recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Heat the oil in a pan and fry the diced onion and garlic for 2 mins. Add the cubed smoked pancetta and fry for 2-3 minutes more.
Step 2: Add the turkey mince, break it up using a wooden spoon and cook it for 3-4 minutes until completely brown.
Step 3: Sprinkle the plain flour over the mince. Stir it in well and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker pot. Add the chicken stock made up with 300 ml / 1 cup boiling water, carrot, leek, red pesto, butter beans, dried oregano, dried parsley, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
Step 5: One hour before the end of cooking, add the frozen spinach cubes.
Step 6: Stir before serving, and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Remove the bay leaf and serve with mashed potato, rice or bread with green vegetables on the side.
Delicious garnished with some fresh herbs and with a crusty roll to soak up the juices!
This is one of our favourite turkey mince recipes for the slow cooker, it works so well for winter.
Variations
You can vary this recipe to suits your likes and dislikes and what you have available very easily.
Switch the vegetables if you like, swap the beans for another kind such as red kidney beans or cannellini beans, vary the dried herbs based on what you have in the cupboard, add some chilli flakes for a little kick.
These changes will affect the overall flavour slightly but will allow you to adapt it to what you have on hand and your preferences.
Try to keep a woody vegetable like carrots in the dish and avoid tender veggies like peppers though as these can go mushy if cooked for a long time.
Equipment
- chopping board
- measuring spoons
- slow cooker – I use a 3.5 litre oval slow cooker for this recipe.
Storage
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave or on the hob/stove (do not use the slow cooker for reheating).
Freeze in a tub for 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot before serving.
Related
Looking for more slow cooker stews or casseroles for winter? Try these:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Mince Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 130 g (4½ oz) smoked pancetta
- 500 g (1 lb) lean turkey mince
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 leek
- 200 g (7 oz) butter beans small can
- 2 tbsp red pesto
- 1 chicken stock pot or stock cube
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 4 cubes frozen spinach
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the diced onion and garlic for 2 mins. Add the cubed smoked pancetta and fry for 2-3 minutes more.1 tsp olive oil, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 130 g smoked pancetta
- Add the turkey mince, break it up using a wooden spoon and cook it for 3-4 minutes until completely brown.500 g lean turkey mince
- Sprinkle the plain flour over the mince. Stir it in well and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.2 tbsp plain flour
- Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker pot. Add the chicken stock made up with 300 ml / 1 cup boiling water, carrot, leek, red pesto, butter beans, dried oregano, dried parsley, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.4 medium carrots, 1 leek, 200 g butter beans, 2 tbsp red pesto, 1 chicken stock pot, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried parsley
- One hour before the end of cooking, add the frozen spinach cubes.4 cubes frozen spinach
- Stir before serving, and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Remove the bay leaf and serve with mashed potato, rice or bread with green vegetables on the side.
bakingqueen74 says
The flavours in this dish are great and I love the convenience of making this high-protein dinner option in my slow cooker.