Having grown up in Georgia, I have a special place in my heart for Southern barbecue restaurants. You know the hole in the wall kind, where you're probably eating at a picnic table. The place where they serve the best Brunswick stew with cornbread and sweet tea!
Since I've passed my love of BBQ onto my son, I just had to make a us a batch of this classic, Southern-style Brunswick stew at home. It's a hearty stew complete with delicious smoked pork and chicken from the local BBQ joint. You're going to love this easy flavorful stew!
This Brunswick stew recipe makes a big batch, so it's perfect for a crowd! I recommend serving it with my gluten free corn muffins. If you're looking for more hearty soups and stews, you should also try my dutch oven chili or my family's favorite white bean and ham soup.
Ingredient Notes
This homemade Brunswick stew recipe uses simple ingredients that are absolutely packed with flavor.
- Butter - I used Country Crock plant butter, but any dairy free butter would work fine. If you're not dairy free, then you can use regular unsalted butter in the same measure.
- Onion & Garlic - These aromatics provide the base savory flavor for this rich stew.
- Gluten Free Chicken Broth - I used store bought chicken broth. Pacific Foods brand is my favorite. If you're following a gluten free diet, ensure you buy a gluten free chicken broth since this is an ingredient which can have hidden gluten.
- Baby Lima Beans - I like to use frozen baby limas, because I feel like the canned ones get too mushy during cooking. Butter beans would be a good substitution.
- Creamed Corn - Creamed corn is the traditional ingredient for old-fashioned Brunswick Stew. Del Monte brand is gluten free.
- Diced Tomatoes - Most Southerners will used diced tomatoes or possibly stewed tomatoes here. I think one 14 ounce can is plenty with the additional tomato flavor from the BBQ sauce.
- BBQ Sauce - You can use your favorite brand here. If it's a very sweet sauce, you may want to add a couple of teaspoons of vinegar to temper the sweetness. If you use a vinegar based sauce, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
- Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce - This ingredient can be tricky to find in some stores. If it's not available to you both coconut aminos and gluten free soy sauce are good substitutes.
- Cayenne Pepper - I've added just a little to give a subtle spicyness to this soup. If you like hot, feel free to add more or even toss in some hot sauce.
- Pulled Pork and Chicken - I picked up smoked pork and chicken from my local BBQ restaurant to make this recipe. Using meats from the BBQ restaurant ensures you get the delicious smoky flavor. But you can always use homemade pork, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or even substitute another meat like brisket or turkey. It's a great way to use leftover meats.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Not Dairy Free - use dairy butter in the same measure.
- Too Sweet - If you find your stew ends up too sweet due to the BBQ sauce, add 2 teaspoons of vinegar.
- Too Sour - Conversely, if yours is to sour because you've used a vinegar based sauce, add 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar/
- No Worcestershire Sauce - Use coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce as a substitute.
- Meat options - Southern Brunswick stew is made with pulled pork and chicken. But you can definitely make it your own by using only pork, only chicken, or even adding brisket or turkey.
- Add more veggies - Potatoes, okra, or green beans would make a great addition to this stew.
- Make it spicier - Add in some tabasco sauce to bring the heat!
- Make it in the Slow Cooker - Just add everything to the slow cooker and set on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
How to make Brunswick stew
This Southern classic is so easy to make. It's a one pot meal. The longer you let it cook, the richer the flavor will become.
STEP 1: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Then add the onions and saute them until they are softened, about 7 minutes.
STEP 2: Add in the minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
STEP 3: Add the chicken stock, lime beans, creamed corn, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Stir well.
Bring the soup to a simmer and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
STEP 4: Add in the meats and continue to simmer for a minimum of 15 more minutes.
You should notice the stew has thickened up. You can continue to cook over low heat for up to an hour, but you may need to add more chicken broth if it gets too thick.
Expert Tip
I recommend you taste the broth before adding the meats. If it is too sweet, add 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar. If it's too sour, add 1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. This will help to balance the flavors of the BBQ sauce.
Storage
This is a great make-ahead meal that makes delicious leftovers. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze this stew for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing in individual portions, using souper cubes. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Being from Georgia, I always thought the first Brunswick stew
came from the city of Brunswick, Georgia. However, I've since learned that Brunswick county, Virginia actually claims to have created this stew nearly 70 years before the Georgia version.
Georgia's version is typically made of pulled pork combined with another meat like chicken or beef and vegetables in a thick tomato broth. It's a quicker cook, with all of the meat and vegetable pieces maintaining their shape.
Virginia's version is typically made with chicken and vegetables. It frequently uses ketchup in place of BBQ sauce. And it's cooked low and slow for hours until the ingredients blend together into a thick, homogenous stew.
Many of the ingredients used in Brunswick stew can contain gluten ingredients. So you'll need to be careful to use gluten free versions of chicken broth, creamed corn, canned tomatoes, bbq sauce, worcestershire sauce and your smoked meats.
More hearty soup and stew recipes to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Classic Brunswick Stew
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion diced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Cups Gluten Free Chicken Broth
- 1 ½ Cups Baby Lima Beans frozen
- 14 ounce Creamed Corn 1 can
- 14.5 ounce Diced Tomatoes 1 can
- 1 Cup BBQ sauce can use up to 1 ½ cups
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce or Coconut Aminos / GF Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ¾ pounds Pulled Pork about 3 cups
- ½ pound Cooked Chicken about 2 cups
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.4 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
- Once the butter has melted, add the diced onion and saute it until it's softened, about 7 minutes.1 Cup Yellow Onion
- Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.4 cloves Garlic
- Add in the chicken broth, lima beans, creamed corn, diced tomatoes, bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir well. Bring to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes. You will need to stir occasionally to keep the vegetables from sticking.3 Cups Gluten Free Chicken Broth, 1 ½ Cups Baby Lima Beans, 14 ounce Creamed Corn, 14.5 ounce Diced Tomatoes, 1 Cup BBQ sauce, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Before adding the meat, taste test your stew. If it's too sweet add 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar. If it's too sour, add 1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. This is to account for the flavor of your chosen BBQ sauce.
- Add in the cooked meat. Give it a gentle stir. Allow the stew to simmer for another 15 minutes. You can cook for longer if you prefer.¾ pounds Pulled Pork, ½ pound Cooked Chicken
Notes
- Not Dairy Free - use dairy butter in the same measure.
- Too Sweet - If you find your stew ends up too sweet due to the BBQ sauce, add 2 teaspoons of vinegar.
- Too Sour - Conversely, if yours is to sour because you've used a vinegar based sauce, add 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar/
- No Worcestershire Sauce - Use coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce as a substitute.
- Meat options - Southern Brunswick stew is made with pulled pork and chicken. But you can definitely make it your own by using only pork, only chicken, or even adding brisket or turkey.
- Add more veggies - Potatoes, okra, or green beans would make a great addition to this stew.
- Make it spicier - Add in some tabasco sauce to bring the heat!
- Make it in the Slow Cooker - Just add everything to the slow cooker and set on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Leave a Comment