Cajun Meatball Stew is a hearty comfort meal that combines tender, seasoned meatballs, a variety of vegetables and a savory sauce with just the right amount of spiciness. Meatball stew is a one-pot meal that is perfect for cold days or when craving a home-cooked comfort food.
Meatballs are so versatile and can be used in different ways with a variety of different flavors. Dutch Oven meatballs have Italian flavors and are perfect with pasta. General Tso Meatballs have an Asian flavor and is delicious served over rice or noodles.
This meatball stew is a very popular recipe with a nod to cajun cooking with a variety of cajun seasonings.
Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
These are the ingredients for the meatball stew, olive oil not shown.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Ground beef- I'm using 85% fat/lean. I think it has enough fat to add flavor to make a moist meatball but not too much to be greasy. You can use other ground meat such as ground turkey or chicken if you choose.
- Bread crumbs-This recipe uses regular crumbs but Panko will work too.
- Vegetables- You can add even more veggies such as corn, green beans, okra or other greens. We are using green bell pepper and red pepper. Use whichever you prefer.
- Spices-The heat level is really adjustable to your taste. I always recommend adding a lesser amount, cooking for a bit, tasting and adding more to taste. Add more crushed red pepper or cayenne if you want it spicier. Or add more paprika for a bit milder spice. And you can use fresh cloves of garlic instead of garlic powder.
- Serving suggestions- We served the cajun meatball stew over pasta. It can be served over white rice or with mashed potatoes. You can also add potatoes to the stew. Make sure they are cut into smaller cubes so that they cook as the same time as the other vegetables.
How to make Cajun Meatball Stew
Step 1: Combine meatball ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2: Form mixture into 1 ½ inch meatballs. Heat olive or vegetable oil in large pot and brown meatballs. Drain on paper towels.
Step 3: Saute' onions and peppers over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook another 2 minutes
Step 4: Add seasonings, Worcestershire and tomatoes. Cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot.
Step 5: Add broth and meatballs to pot, cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 20 minutes.
Recipe Tips for Cajun Meatball Stew
- Always brown the meatballs first. Not only does seared beef taste so much better, the stew doesn't simmer long enough to cook the meatballs. But they can be a bit pink after you have browned them and will finish cooking in the stew.
- After the stew has been cooking for a few minutes, taste the liquid and see if you want it spicier. Add more cayenne or red pepper as you prefer.
- Cook the harder vegetables first to give them a chance to soften a bit before the others are added.
- If you have leftovers, (lucky you, the stew is even better the next day!), you may want to add more broth since it has probably thickened as it cooled.
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Here are some other delicious one-pot dinners to try:
Sweet and Sour Kielbasa Casserole
Cajun Meatball Stew
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Cajun-American
Description
Cajun Meatball Stew is a hearty delcious dish that combines tender, seasoned meatballs, a variety of vegetables and a savory sauce with just the right amount of spiciness. Meatball stew is a one-pot meal that is perfect for cold days or when craving a home-cooked comfort food.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1.5 pounds ground round beef (85% fat)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Remaining ingredients for stew
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 2 cups chopped carrots, about 3 carrots
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Umami seasoning (or favorite Italian or Cajun seasoning)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour (optional for thickening)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, salt, cayenne, paprika and black pepper, crumbs and eggs. Stir well but no need to overwork the meat, to keep meatballs tender). Roll mixture into the size of a golf ball, approximately 1 ½ - 2 inch meatballs.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. * Remove to towel-lined plate to drain.
- Add onions and peppers to skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Add carrots and cook another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute or so.
- Pour in the broth, cover and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked meatballs and lower heat to cook on a low boil for about 20 minutes.
- Test the vegetables to make sure they are cooked through and tender. If not, cover pot and cook on low for another 5 minutes or so.
- If you want the broth to be thicker, scoop out ½ cup of broth into a measuring cup and stir in 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the flour mixture back to the stew, stir and cook on medium -low heat for 3 minutes to thicken.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
*Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to cook the meatballs in two batches.
* The meatballs can be a bit pink since they will continue to cook while the stew simmers on the stove.
*After the stew has been cooking for a few minutes, taste the liquid and see if you want it spicier. Add more cayenne or red pepper as you prefer.
*Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop on low until hot. Add more broth to thin the stew liquid.
*Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above.
*This stew goes well with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 421
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 707mg
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 139mg
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