Brunswick Stew is a thick, tomato-based Southern stew of smoked pulled pork, lima beans and corn simmered in chicken stock with barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and a little brown sugar and cayenne. It’s a one-pot meal that starts with already-cooked pork, so it’s a good way to use leftover barbecue. This pot serves 10.
How to make it: Soften the onion and garlic in butter in a Dutch oven. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar, cayenne, pulled pork, lima beans and corn. Bring it to a boil, then simmer on medium-low for 1 1/2 hours, stirring now and then, and check that it reaches 165°F before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot: everything goes into the Dutch oven after the onion softens.
- Uses leftover barbecue: smoked pulled pork or chicken from a cookout is perfect here.
- Smoky and tangy: the barbecue sauce broth tastes like a cross between vegetable soup and a barbecue plate.
- Better the next day: the flavors keep blending as it sits, so it makes ahead well.
What Makes It Brunswick Stew?
Brunswick stew is a tomato-based stew, usually with lima beans (butter beans), corn and other vegetables such as okra, and one or more kinds of meat. Modern pots, like this one, often add barbecue sauce and smoked or pulled meat.
The meat: it was first made with small game such as squirrel or rabbit. Today chicken is the most common meat. Pork shows up more in Georgia, while Virginia leans toward chicken, and modern Southern pots often mix pork and chicken, sometimes with beef.
Who claims it: both Brunswick County, Virginia and the city of Brunswick, Georgia say it started with them, and the true origin is disputed. Georgia points to an old iron pot with a plaque saying the first Brunswick stew was cooked in it on St. Simons Island on July 2, 1898. Virginia’s story goes back to 1828, crediting James “Uncle Jimmy” Matthews, an enslaved cook, with creating it during a state legislator’s hunting trip. Both places are named after the German Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
Ingredient Notes
Smoked pulled pork: 1 1/2 pounds, already cooked. Smoked pulled chicken works too, or a mix.
Butter, onion and garlic: 4 tablespoons butter, 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped, and 3 minced garlic cloves.
Fire roasted tomatoes: one 15-ounce can, juices and all.
Chicken stock: 4 cups.
Barbecue sauce: 1 1/2 cups. A tomato-based sauce fits best.
Worcestershire, brown sugar and cayenne: 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
Lima beans and corn: 8 ounces each, frozen. The lima beans help make the stew creamy and thick.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes (15 ounces, undrained)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds smoked pulled pork (or smoked pulled chicken)
- 8 ounces frozen corn
- 8 ounces frozen lima beans
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make Brunswick Stew
1. Soften the onion and garlic. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it has melted, add the garlic and onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add everything else. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cayenne, pulled pork, lima beans, corn, and salt and pepper.
3. Simmer. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Check the temperature. Before serving, check that the stew reads 165°F on a food thermometer.
Tips for a Thick, Smoky Stew
- Give it time. The long, gentle simmer lets the flavors meld and the stew thicken.
- Stir now and then. A thick, tomato-based stew can catch on the bottom of the pot.
- Too thick? Stir in a little more stock.
- Taste at the end. Adjust with a little more brown sugar, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, salt or pepper.
- Want it smokier? Use bacon drippings in place of the butter.
- Want it tangier? A vinegar-based Carolina-style barbecue sauce adds tang.
Variations
- Chicken or a mix: use pulled chicken, or half pork and half chicken. Leftover brisket works too.
- Potatoes: add 1 pound of peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes. They thicken the stew; simmer until fork-tender.
- More vegetables: carrots, celery, okra, green beans or red bell pepper.
- Fresh corn: cut from the cob for extra sweetness.
- More heat: a few dashes of hot sauce on top of the cayenne.
A quicker pot can simmer 45 minutes to an hour, with the meat added near the end. The longer simmer here gives the flavors more time to come together.
Make Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Brunswick stew can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool it and keep it in the refrigerator.
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Divide a big pot into smaller, shallow covered containers so it cools quickly. It keeps 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: It freezes well. Freeze for 3 to 4 months for best quality, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat covered on the stove until it comes to a rolling boil and reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker. To keep it warm for a party, reheat it to 165°F first, then hold it at 140°F or warmer.
What to Serve With It
Brunswick stew goes well with cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, coleslaw or crusty bread. Try it with butter biscuits or Southern cornmeal hoecakes. For a bigger Southern spread, add good ole fashion mac and cheese and fried green tomatoes.
More hearty stews: cowboy stew and slow cooker poor man chicken stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main ingredients in Brunswick stew?
A tomato base, lima beans, corn and meat. This pot uses smoked pulled pork, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
What is the difference between Brunswick stew and regular stew?
Brunswick stew is tomato-based, with lima beans and corn and usually smoked or barbecued meat, often in a barbecue sauce broth.
Is Brunswick stew a Georgia thing?
Georgia claims it, and so does Virginia. Brunswick, Georgia has an iron pot dated 1898, while Virginia’s story goes back to 1828. The real origin is disputed.
What meat goes in Brunswick stew?
Originally small game. Today it’s usually chicken, pork or a mix, sometimes with beef.
Can I use chicken instead of pork?
Yes. Smoked pulled chicken works the same way, or use half of each.
Can you freeze Brunswick stew?
Yes. Freeze it for 3 to 4 months and thaw it in the refrigerator.
How long does it keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat to a rolling boil or 165°F.
Final Notes
Start with good smoked pork, let the pot simmer low and slow, and taste before serving. If you try it with chicken or potatoes, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Brunswick Stew
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 15 ounces, undrained
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds smoked pulled pork or smoked pulled chicken
- 8 ounces frozen corn
- 8 ounces frozen lima beans
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it has melted, add the garlic and onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cayenne, pulled pork, lima beans, corn, and salt and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Before serving, check that the stew reads 165°F on a food thermometer.
Notes
Nutrition
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