Brunswick Stew

There seams to be more Brunswick Stew recipes than cooks in the southeastern United States. Unlike most rustic home grown recipes, Brunswick Stew recipes varies by region and was made with locally available ingredients.

Traditional Brunswick Stew is slow cooked using a variety of meats and vegetables in a tomato based broth.

For this recipe, you can use raw or cooked chicken. While you can reduce the cooking time, like all slow cooked stews the flavor improves the longer you cook it. To further enhance the flavor of Brunswick Stew, make it a day or two prior to serving.

Some Brunswick Stew recipes call for cream-style corn. I used to use canned creamed corn until the quality declined to a water mixture. The stew in the first slider photo was made using creamed corn. If you make your own cream corn you can add it to this recipe or substitute it for the corn kernels.

Cook’s Tip

• The flavor of Brunswick Stew improves when refrigerated a day or two.
• When using red, white or gold potatoes, you have the option of peeling the potatoes or including the skin.

Reducing Sodium

• Replaced canned beans with frozen or cooked dry beans.
• Using 8 oz. (225 g) of frozen corn instead of canned corn.
• Use cooked chicken without added salt or broth.

Additions, Substitutions & Subtractions

• Use this Brunswick Stew recipe as a guide. If there is an ingredient you don’t have or like; omit it. If you like beans add different varieties. Lima and butter beans are traditional. Some recipes add okra. Other versions use only ground meats. For a thicker stew, reduce the amount of broth or increase cooking time.
• For a vegan stew, substitute vegetables for meat.
• To reduce fat and calories, substitute chicken or turkey for the beef or pork.
• Substitute ground chicken or turkey for the chicken, beef and pork.
• For spicy Brunswick Stew, replace red pepper flakes and Tabasco sauce with 1/4 cup (60 ml) Red Enchilada Sauce. Adjust the amount of sauce to taste.
• Substitute assorted dried mushroom for canned or fresh mushrooms.
• Save time and increase fiber by substituting unpeeled red or white potatoes for the Russet potatoes.

Related Recipes

Red Enchilada Sauce

Recipe and nutrition updated 6-11-2022

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) olive oil
• 1 (250 g) medium onion, diced
• 8 oz. (225 g) lean ground beef or pork
• 4 cups (960 ml) low sodium beef, chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 lb. (450 g) red, white or russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 12 oz. (340 g) cooked chicken breast or thigh, cubed
• 15 oz. (425 g) canned whole kernel corn, drained or 10 oz. (280 g) fresh or frozen
• 15 oz. (425 g) canned low sodium kidney, black or lima beans, drained and rinsed
• 4-oz. can (113 g) sliced mushrooms
• 14.5 oz. (411 g) canned low sodium diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) BBQ sauce, homemade or prepared
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml ) tabasco sauce or to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt or to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation