There are few stews as plate-licking good as Brunswick stew. Those who know it, love it—and those who don’t probably haven’t tried it yet. This tomatoey stew is a long-simmered pot of acidic tomatoes, starchy potatoes, sweet summer veggies, and a tender, fall-off-the-bone barbecue meat.
This tomatoey stew can be traced to both Brunswick, Georgia, and Brunswick, Virginia, two Southern towns that have both enjoyed the legacy of the name. Cookbook writer Carrie Helms Tippen suggests that popular narratives about its “authentic” origin often overlook the legacy of Brunswick stew in African American and Native American food history in particular. In so many ways, variations of Brunswick stew reflect a shared, diverse range of knowledge of cuisine across communities the South: They incorporate combinations of local produce, meats based on accessibility and affordability, and clever changes in preparation that bring out the best of each.
One thing is for certain: There is no “right” way to make Brunswick stew. While some old recipes use barbecued squirrel for the meat, that’s not as common today—and other old recipes don’t incorporate tomatoes at all. Still, it follows a similar formula: savory broth, vegetables that include, often, tomatoes, and a smart and savvy use of leftover meat.
What Makes Brunswick Stew Great As Leftovers
Historically, Brunswick stew was prepared out of necessity to stretch a hearty meal over the course of several days. In other words, it’s made to be reheated again and again. It’s hard to identify what makes it so good the second time around, but it’s likely the combination of a rich tomatoey broth with leftover barbecue meat: The acidic tomatoes blend with the flavorful spiced fat of the meat, striking a balance of flavors that makes it even better the next day (especially if the meat was leftover to begin with)
Many Allrecipes members use store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce. Simultaneously a thickener and a seasoner, this is a traditional preparation of Brunswick stew, a vestige of its history.
How To Make Brunswick Stew
Brunswick stew is straightforward and adaptable by design—it’s a throw-everything-in-the-pot recipe that starts with a liquid base, like water or stock, and is thickened by veggies like potatoes, corn, and beans. It’s also easily adapted to all sorts of barbecue meat, from chicken and beef to pork, making it a great option for using up leftovers.
Prepare the meat. While our most popular recipe calls for cooking chicken and salt pork together in eight cups of water until the meat is cooked, you can also omit this step and use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or any sort of leftover barbecue meat like ribs, pulled pork, or even ground beef.Add the veggies. Bring water, stock, or chicken broth (if using leftover meat) to a boil. Add the cooked shredded or chopped meat, potatoes, onions, corn, tomatoes, lima beans, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper.Simmer, simmer, simmer. Reduce to a low simmer and let all the ingredients cook in the pot, low and slow, until the stew is thickened and veggies and meat are perfectly tender.
Many Brunswick Stew fans add barbecue sauce or ketchup in place of Worcestershire sauce. This thickens the soup and also balances the flavors for additional sweetness and tang.
Tips, Tricks, and Praise From the Allrecipes Community
Allrecipes members chimed in with their favorite additions, mix-ins, and tips for a perfect pot of Brunswick stew. From leftover barbecue meats—a classic—to additions like tomato paste and ketchup, their advice is worth heeding if you embark on brewing up a pot of your own.
“We used pulled pork and pork from ribs… Added some barbeque sauce as well, and the can of tomato paste, as suggested. It is excellent! Quick and easy. Will definitely make again.” —Kim Johnston
“Y’all, growing up, Brunswick Stew was a once-a-year treat made by our local Ruritan Club in Disputanta, Virginia. People would line up and stand in the freezing cold, rain, and snow waiting to buy quarts for dinner that night and to freeze for later. I moved away from Virginia about forty years ago and though I’ve tried Brunswick Stew offered in many areas…it was never as good as what I remember from childhood. This recipe is really good. I’m keeping this recipe and making it again.”
“I’ve made this recipe a couple of times and have received clean plates every time. This gem currently resides in my recipe book.” —HumblDragn
“I made a huge pot of this for a dinner I cooked at the church last night. I had a bunch of [barbecued] chicken left from a previous dinner and I boiled this to make it easier to remove from the bone. I used this liquid as the base for my stew… Everyone raved about it and the entire pot was consumed. I increased the recipe to feed 50 people. I will [definitely] be making this again.” —CHARLOTTE
Get the recipe: Brunswick Stew
Dining and Cooking