If you’ve never had Brunswick Stew, you don’t know what you’re missing! This staple of Southern cuisine is served as a side dish at barbecues, where friends and family come together to celebrate life.
This rich and hearty tomato-based stew has the consistency of a vegetable soup, but the flavor combination in the savory barbecue broth will rock your world!
Brunswick stew is believed to have originated in Brunswick County, Virginia, circa 1828, when Jimmy Matthews made it on a hunting trip. The original recipe was made with squirrel meat and slow-cooked vegetables. Thankfully, the updated recipe omitted the squirrel meat.
A plaque on an old iron pot in Brunswick, Georgia, says the first version of this dish was made in the pot on July 2, 1898.
German settlers from Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany, are also believed to have brought the dish with them when they settled in America.
Wherever it originated, this thick, hearty stew, with its rich, smoky flavor, is comfort food at its best. Don’t wait for colder weather to make our Brunswick stew recipe. It’s perfect for barbecues, family gatherings, game days, and potlucks.
If you love rich, delicious, meaty comfort foods, try our Beef Stroganoff and Hungarian Goulash recipes.
Ingredients to Make Brunswick Stew
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients needed to make our old-fashioned Brunswick Stew recipe. In culinary terms, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Do I have to use Pork and Chicken to make the Recipe?
No, you don’t. We used a combination of pulled pork and store-bought rotisserie chicken to make the dish, but you can use all chicken if you prefer or any combination of beef, pork, smoked ham, and chicken. You can basically use whatever leftover meats you have on hand.
Shrimp and crabmeat can also be added to the mixture, but don’t add them until you’re almost ready to serve, so they don’t get overcooked.
Our version of Brunswick stew is made with onions, lima beans (butter beans), and corn kernels. However, you can also add carrots, green beans, okra, and bell peppers to this hearty stew.
BBQ sauce gives this concoction its unique flavor. But if you’re not a fan of the flavor, you can substitute tomato paste.
For a spicier flavor, add a little cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce to the mixture. Brown sugar can also be added to add a little sweetness.
How to Make our Brunswick Stew Recipe
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make our Brunswick stew recipe in your home kitchen.
- Cut the potatoes in half, then in half again, and finally into smaller bite-sized chunks.
- Add the unsalted butter to a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently until the onions become tender.
- Add the chopped garlic to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, and BBQ sauce to the pot.
- Stir to combine, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and let it boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the baby lima beans, corn, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper to the stew. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
- Add the pulled pork and chicken to the mixture.
- Stir to combine and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
This thick and hearty mix of pulled pork, chicken, vegetables, seasonings, tomato sauce, and BBQ sauce makes our Brunswick stew recipe a taste sensation that is not to be missed.
Leftover Brunswick stew should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days (it will actually taste better the next day). It can also be stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Chef Tip:
I’ve used many Dutch ovens over the years, but this chef only uses a Misen Dutch Oven for his cooking needs.
Misen also makes excellent-quality knives at a reasonable price, and it has become my knife of choice for my home kitchens.
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Recipe FAQ’s
This delicious, hearty stew goes perfectly with cornbread, biscuits, or hushpuppies. Coleslaw or a tossed salad will round out the meal.
They are basically the same. Some variations will naturally occur depending on the region of the South in which you enjoy this dish.
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Brunswick Stew Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken pulled or chopped
- 1 cup pulled pork (or more chicken)
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter or salted
- 1 cup sweet onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks
- 14 oz diced tomatoes canned
- 3 cups chicken broth for a thinner stew add additional chicken stock
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce or tomato paste
- 1 cup baby lima beans (butter beans) frozen or fresh
- 1 cup corn frozen or fresh
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse and peel the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes in half and then cut them in half again, then cut them into smaller bite-sized chunks.
- Add the unsalted butter to a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions become tender.
- Add the chopped garlic to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, and BBQ sauce to the pot, stir to combine, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and let it boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the lima beans, corn, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper to the stew and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
- Add the pulled pork and chicken to the mixture. Stir to combine and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Notes
If you would like to make this in a slow cooker add all ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Sue Smith says
Hi Chef. EXCELLENT recipe!!! I made it exactly as written. I will definitely make it again and have already shared the recipe with my kids. My husband is on his 3rd helping. I made corn bread with it. Thank you, again EXCELLENT recipe!
Sue
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the stew! It’s sounds like its a keeper.
Sue says
AND YES, it was better the second night!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Soups and stews are always better the next day.
Gary Mumma says
stew has no lima beans.It was first made in Brunswick Ga.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Lima beans aka butter beans are a common ingredient in the recipe.