This hearty turkey biscuit stew is the perfect way to transform leftover turkey into a soul-warming meal that feels like a warm hug in a bowl. Tender chunks of turkey swim in a rich, creamy gravy loaded with vegetables, while fluffy buttermilk biscuits sit on top, soaking up all those incredible flavors. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and comfort factor – it’s essentially chicken and dumplings’ sophisticated cousin that makes the most of holiday leftovers or any cooked turkey you have on hand. Each spoonful delivers the perfect combination of protein, vegetables, and those irresistible biscuit tops that make this stew a complete meal in one pot.
Serves: 6-8 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
What You’ll Need
For the Stew Base:
- 3-4 cups cooked turkey, shredded or cubed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups turkey or chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 medium potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Biscuit Topping:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
Starting with the Stew Foundation
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, cooking for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and the onion becomes translucent. This combination creates the classic base that gives the stew its comforting, familiar flavor. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Creating the Rich Gravy
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. This creates a roux that will thicken your stew beautifully. Gradually whisk in the broth, pouring slowly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. The mixture should start to thicken as it heats up.
Building the Hearty Base
Add the cubed potatoes, dried thyme, sage, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Stir in the turkey and frozen peas, cooking for another 5 minutes until the turkey is heated through and the peas are bright green.
Making the Perfect Biscuits
While the stew simmers, prepare the biscuit topping. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces. These butter pieces create flaky layers in your biscuits.
Bringing the Biscuits Together
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Using a fork, gently stir just until the dough comes together. Don’t overmix – a slightly shaggy dough makes the most tender biscuits. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but manageable.
Assembling the Complete Dish
Remove the bay leaf from the stew and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. The stew should be thick enough to support the biscuits but not too thick. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, drop 8-10 portions of biscuit dough on top of the hot stew, spacing them evenly. The biscuits will expand as they cook, so don’t worry if there are gaps.
Baking to Golden Perfection
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter for a beautiful golden color. Place the entire pot in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through. A toothpick inserted into a biscuit should come out clean.
The Grand Finale
Let the stew rest for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. This allows the biscuits to finish cooking from residual heat and makes serving easier. The biscuits will have absorbed some of the stew’s flavors while maintaining their fluffy texture on top.
Serving Your Comfort Masterpiece
Serve the turkey biscuit stew family-style, allowing everyone to scoop their own portion with both stew and biscuit in each bowl. The beauty of this dish is that every spoonful is different – sometimes you get more turkey, sometimes more vegetables, and sometimes that perfect bite with creamy stew and fluffy biscuit together.
Making It Your Own
Feel free to customize the vegetables based on what you have available. Corn, green beans, or mushrooms all work wonderfully in this stew. You can also add leftover gravy from your turkey dinner to make the stew even richer. For herb lovers, fresh thyme or rosemary stirred in at the end adds beautiful freshness.
Storage and Reheating
This stew keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though the biscuits are best enjoyed fresh. To reheat, warm gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of broth if needed. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, though the biscuits won’t be quite as fluffy as when freshly baked.
