Easy One-Pot Meatball Stew (with frozen meatballs!)
This easy meatball stew is a comforting one-pot meal packed with hearty veggies, tender meatballs, and a rich, flavorful broth. Ready in about 45 minutes, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner!
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Easy Meatball Stew Recipe
- Quick & Simple: This is one of those cozy weeknight dinners that has that “cooked-all-day” flavor but takes less than an hour to throw together!
- Rich & Flavorful: It’s got all the classic stew flavors you’re looking for but with tender meatballs instead of shredded beef. This saves time and adds a fun new twist to the traditional stew recipe we all know and love.
Ingredients for Meatball Stew
- Yellow Onion: Adds a savory base; can substitute with white onion.
- Garlic: Enhances the overall flavor; adjust based on preference. You can use garlic powder in place of fresh garlic.
- Tomato Paste: Adds a deep, rich umami flavor. There is not a suitable replacement for this ingredient. Luckily a tube of tomato paste will stray fresh in the fridge for months!
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of herbs that complements the stew. Use your favorite dried herbs for this recipe.
- Frozen Meatballs: A quick shortcut for a hearty meal; use homemade if desired but keep in time that you’ll need to reduce the cooking time.
- Potatoes: The starch from the potatoes thickens the stew a bit and adds heartiness; Yukon Gold or Russet work well.
- Beef Stock: Provides a deep, savory broth. Use beef broth instead if you prefer.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Enhances umami and adds complexity. Substitute with soy sauce.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Brings a touch of acidity and a slight sweetness to balance flavors.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the stew for a perfect consistency.
- Frozen Peas and Carrots: Easy and convenient; can use fresh if preferred but this can affect cooking time as well.
How to Make Meatball Stew
Sauté the Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add diced onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes until softened.
Build the Flavor: Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer: Add meatballs, potatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.
Thicken the Stew: Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Stir it into the stew along with frozen peas and carrots. Simmer for another 10 minutes until thickened.
Season and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Tips for Making Meatball Stew
- For extra richness, add a splash of heavy cream before serving.
- Swap potatoes for pasta if you prefer a different texture. Add the pasta along with the frozen veggies, then cook until al dente.
Make-Ahead Instructions
- This meatball stew is the perfect make-ahead meal!
- It will stay fresh in the fridge for days and the flavors just get better with time!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Meatball Stew
- Let the stew cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating Meatball Stew
- Stovetop: Heat in a saucepan over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
- Microwave: Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
- Season: Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- crispy garlic bread
- homemade cornbread
- simple house salad
- olive cheese bread
- crusty French baguette
Try these easy family dinner recipes next!
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Meatball Stew
This easy meatball stew is a comforting one-pot meal packed with hearty veggies, tender meatballs, and a rich, flavorful broth. Ready in about 45 minutes, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 18 ounce bag frozen meatballs
- 1.5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced into about 1″ pieces
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 12 ounce bag frozen peas and carrots
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in frozen meatballs, diced potatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce balsamic vinegar, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and gently simmer for 15 minutes.
- Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water. Stir in cornstarch slurry, frozen peas and carrots, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Continue gently simmering for another 10 minutes, or until everything is tender and the stew has thickened slightly.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
- If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
Notes
- For extra richness, add a splash of heavy cream before serving.
- Swap potatoes for pasta if you prefer a different texture. Add the pasta along with the frozen veggies, then cook until al dente.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the stew
- Calories: 302
- Sugar: 5.6 g
- Sodium: 737.9 mg
- Fat: 16.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.3 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 12.7 g
- Cholesterol: 42.1 mg
I am curious could you use regular white vinegar rather than balsamic? Maybe add more of worstershire or maybe something else to offset that it is not balsamic? Thanks! barbara
Good question! White distilled vinegar won’t be good in this recipe. You could skip the balsamic and I think it will still taste super delicious. Great question, Barbara!