Easy Brunswick Stew is a thick and hearty mix of pulled pork, chicken (or turkey), vegetables, seasonings, tomato sauce, and BBQ sauce. It has an ingredient list that is a little on the long side, but it’s really just a dump and heat recipe that doesn’t take long at all.
Traditional Brunswick Stew
Traditional southern home-cooked Brunswick Stew typically contains squirrel. That’s not happening in my kitchen. This Brunswick Stew is more like the type you’ll see at BBQ restaurants.
Pulled Pork Adds Smoky Flavor
It contains a combination of pulled pork and chicken. Turkey would also be good if you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I think it is the pulled pork that really makes the stew taste so good and I get mine at my favorite local bbq restaurant. If you like to smoke your own or you have leftover crock pot pulled pork, just use that.
Other Ingredients
Brunswick Stew almost always contains corn and lima beans, and sometimes potatoes. I left potatoes out because I wanted to keep this recipe as easy as quick as possible. If you have leftover potatoes, go ahead and throw them in. I’ve even seen Brunswick Stew recipes that have mashed potatoes mixed in. Then you could really use up your Thanksgiving leftovers.
I add quite a bit of BBQ sauce to my Brunswick Stew, but that’s my personal taste. Tone it back and maybe add more tomato sauce if you don’t want the flavor of BBQ sauce to be front and center. I had someone comment on my BBQ Spaghetti Casserole , “This tasted God awful. All I could taste was the BBQ sauce. Gross!” So be forewarned. I think BBQ sauce tastes really good.
I use a tomato based sauce that’s a little on the sweet side called Bone Suckin BBQ Sauce
which is North Carolina made. If you want your stew to have more tang, choose more of a vinegar based sauce.
Recipe Tips
I like Brunswick Stew to be extra thick. You can thin it some with extra chicken broth or tomato sauce.
Leftovers are great over a baked potato. 🙂
This recipe goes great with Jalapeno Beer Bread.
Like to cook in your crock pot? Try this Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew.
Easy Brunswick Stew
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion,, diced
- 1 clove garlic,, minced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup BBQ Sauce
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
- 1 pound pulled pork
Instructions
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes.
- Add lima beans and cook 2 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, and chicken broth. Simmer 15 minutes.
- Add corn, seasonings and meats and simmer 5 more minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published Nov 18, 2014.
Disclosure: Spicy Southern Kitchen is an amazon.com affiliate.
This was absolutely delicious! Perfect and so easy. I made it the day ahead and used rotisseri chickens and a pulled pork from the grocery store and of course, Bone Suckin” Sauce. I made a double recipe for my book club and will freeze the leftovers. But having some tonight again because it was just so good. Thank you
I have a ton of leftover spiral sliced ham from New Year’s (not glazed). Do you think I could cut it into strips and use it in this recipe, or go buy some pulled pork?
If you use ham for this stew, let us know how it turns out! I made my family omelettes with ours! You can always try a casserole or 12 bean soup. I made Dr Pepper bbq with my instpot and want to use the meat for night 2!
Good luck 🍀
Certainly going to try this, but I’m more in the cider-vinegar based sauce camp in NC so I will try the sauce I make for my pulled pork.
I have very little and I am craving brunswick stew bought ready to have old man to go kill a squirrel.I do have chicken and lunch meat and tomatoes
U can use squirrel and chicken. not the lunch meat that will break down and be mushy soggy. Tomatoes are good but roast them in oven for 10 minutes or til lightly toasted take out put in bowl and mash and add to your pot of already cooked and chopped chicken and squirrel. Add any veggies you have from a garden ( if you have one) and add a bit of ketchup (instead of bbq sauce ) for tang if u have any salt and pepper . Cook and taste as you go so if u need to add something.
Your respectful kindness impresses me. Just wanted to thank you.
First time making Brunswick Stew. Family loved it and it was fun to make.
I grew up in south Alabama, and Brunswick stew was a staple at family gatherings. The more varieties of meat the better, but it always had to have pork and chicken. I have eaten it with squirrel, rabbit, and quail. I had your version at my sister in laws the other day, and it is delicious!
I’ve been reading on this for a few minutes now and the recipe is spot-on. However, I’m surprised that I have not seen yet mentioned putting in about a tablespoon of smoke flavoring. Comes in a bottle. This really adds a nice little down-home kick of flavor to Brunswick stew.
A Rotisserie chicken works wonderful just pull it apart with a fork like you do barbecue and it’s great I use it for mini mini dishes so much easier than cooking around chicken and the added flavor just makes it wonderful
I made this tonight and stuck pretty closely to the recipe. The only major change I made was to add 1 diced potato that I boiled in water until it was mostly done. Also, I put everything in the crock pot and simmered on low for about 3 hours. It was REALLY good. My wife and daughter both ate it, even after protesting the lima beans.
Been looking for a recipe like yours! Can’t wait to get it on the stove! Thanks, Christin! Going to try your cornbread, too!
Hope you enjoy Dee!
I have googled this soup and came across your recipe, I am certainly goin to try this.