Hearty and Flavorful Brunswick Stew Recipe: A Southern Comfort Food Classic

Brunswick Stew is a quintessential Southern dish, a rich and hearty stew brimming with smoked meats, vegetables, and tangy barbecue flavors. If you’re looking for a comforting and flavorful meal, especially perfect for using leftover smoked meats, this Brunswick Stew recipe will become a new family favorite. This robust stew is easy to make, incredibly satisfying, and perfect for cooler weather.

Brunswick Stew is a Southern stew made with barbecue sauce and smoked and roasted meats like pork, chicken and beef.

This classic Southern staple is known for its thick, stew-like consistency and bold flavors. Every seasoned Southern cook has their own cherished Brunswick Stew recipe, and this one is a standout. The base is a delicious tomato broth infused with barbecue sauce and a medley of smoked and roasted meats such as tender pork, chicken, and beef. Traditional additions include sweet corn, creamy lima beans or butter beans, and a delicate blend of spices that provide just a hint of warmth. The origin of Brunswick Stew is debated, with both Brunswick City, Georgia, and Brunswick County, Virginia, claiming its birthplace, lending to its distinctive name. Historically, this stew was crafted with wild game like squirrel and rabbit, reflecting its resourceful origins.

Why This Brunswick Stew Recipe is a Winner

Unforgettable Flavor: This stew delivers a powerful and complex flavor profile. It boasts a unique Tex-Mex Southern twist that makes it truly irresistible.
Perfect Leftover Solution: Do you often find yourself with leftover smoked pork butt or roasted chicken and crave a creative and delicious way to repurpose them? Or perhaps you’ve picked up a rotisserie chicken and are looking for a fantastic meal beyond the usual. This Brunswick Stew is your answer! You can even freeze leftover meats and prepare this stew weeks later for a convenient and flavorful meal.
Wholesome and Nutritious: Packed with all-natural, wholesome ingredients, this stew is loaded with protein and vegetables. It’s a meal you can feel good about enjoying yourself and serving to your loved ones.
Freezer-Friendly for Future Meals: One of the best features of this recipe is how well it freezes. Prepare a large batch, enjoy a portion, and then freeze individual servings in quart-sized freezer bags, leaving a little room for expansion. Lay the bags flat to freeze, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl – remember not to heat in the plastic bag.

How to Prepare Brunswick Stew: Step-by-Step

Begin by heating a touch of oil in a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it softens and becomes translucent. Lower the heat and add the minced garlic, cooking for just one minute more while stirring continuously to release its fragrant aroma without burning. Incorporate the tomato paste by stirring it with 1/4 cup of chicken broth until smooth, then add this mixture to the pot. Pour in the remaining chicken broth, diced tomatoes, frozen corn, baby lima beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Allow the stew to simmer gently for about 15 minutes, letting the flavors meld together beautifully. Finally, add the smoked pork and chicken, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, spooned into bowls, and for an extra touch of flavor and visual appeal, drizzle with a little more barbecue sauce just before serving.

Recipe Notes and Helpful Tips for Brunswick Stew Success

Meat Variations: While this recipe is designed for leftover smoked pork and roasted chicken, feel free to adapt it. Using a combination of both is highly recommended for the best flavor, but you can use all pork or all chicken, or vary the proportions. For those who hunt or have access to game meat, try traditional options like squirrel, rabbit, or other wild game. Ground beef or ground pork are also budget-friendly alternatives.
Vegetable Add-Ins: Customize your stew with other vegetables you enjoy. Consider adding diced potatoes, creamy butter beans, celery for added texture, or okra for a classic Southern touch.
Serving Suggestions: Brunswick Stew is a complete and satisfying meal on its own. However, when serving guests or for a larger family gathering, complement it with classic Southern sides like creamy coleslaw, warm cornbread, and sweet Southern Fried Apples.
Barbecue Sauce Choice: The recipe recommends a Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, known for being slightly thinner, less sweet, and with a touch of spice. This type of sauce is an excellent complement to the stew’s flavors. However, feel free to use your favorite barbecue sauce to personalize the recipe to your taste.
Finishing Touch: A drizzle of extra barbecue sauce over each bowl of stew before serving not only enhances the presentation but also adds a final burst of flavor.
Storing Leftovers: Store any leftover Brunswick Stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Explore More Delicious Stew Recipes

If you enjoyed this Brunswick Stew, you’ll love these other hearty and flavorful stew recipes:

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Brunswick Stew Recipe

This incredibly flavorful Brunswick Stew is packed with delicious pulled pork, tender roasted chicken, sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, and creamy lima beans, all simmered in a tangy and slightly sweet broth seasoned with rich tomato sauce, smoky barbecue sauce, and a perfect blend of spices. Using pre-cooked meats makes this recipe quick and wonderfully easy to prepare.

5 from 92 votes

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Course: Main Meal, Pork/Chicken
Cuisine: Southern
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 347kcal
Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (14.5 ounce) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 ½ cups frozen corn
1 ½ cups frozen lima beans
¾ cup barbecue sauce, plus extra for drizzling
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons hot sauce
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1-2 pinches of cayenne pepper
2 ½ cups pulled smoked pork
1 ½ cups cooked diced chicken breast or chicken thighs, smoked or roasted

Instructions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat and add minced garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
In a small bowl, whisk tomato paste with 1/4 cup chicken broth until smooth. Pour into the pot. Add remaining chicken broth, diced tomatoes, frozen corn, lima beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add smoked pork and chicken and simmer for about 5 more minutes, until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with a little extra barbecue sauce before serving.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is ideal for using leftover smoked pork and roasted chicken. Using a combination of both meats enhances the flavor, but you can use just one or vary the proportions to your liking. For a more traditional twist, consider using squirrel, rabbit, or other game meat. Ground beef or pork are also economical alternatives.
Feel free to add other vegetables such as potatoes, butter beans, celery, or okra to customize your stew.
Brunswick Stew is a hearty meal in itself. Serve it with coleslaw, cornbread, and Southern Fried Apples for a complete Southern feast, perfect for company or family gatherings.
A Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, which is slightly thinner and less sweet with a hint of spice, is recommended. However, use your favorite barbecue sauce to suit your taste.
Drizzling a bit of extra barbecue sauce over each serving adds visual appeal and a final touch of flavor.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information

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