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This Brunswick stew is packed with shredded pork, lima beans, and hearty veggies, all simmered in a rich, sweet, and tangy tomato-based broth with BBQ sauce stirred in. It’s comfort food at its absolute best!
For me, cozy and flavorful stew is the perfect remedy for a cold winter day. If you’re a fan of Southern-style stews like I am, you’ll also love my chicken and sausage gumbo or this hearty cowboy stew!
Brunswick stew has always been a favorite around here. My husband is all-about-it! This thick stew, originally from the city of Brunswick, is a classic Southern dish that’s hearty, flavorful, and steeped in history. I love how it’s often made in large quantities for community gatherings—talk about the ultimate potluck dish!
For me, it’s not just about the stew—it’s also about the sides! I always make sure to serve it with soft, buttery dinner rolls or cheddar bay biscuits to soak up every last drop. If you’ve never tried it, this is a good recipe to start with, and I promise it will transport you straight to North Carolina with every bite!
Why We Love This Brunswick Stew Recipe
- Hearty. Packed with pork and veggies, this stew is the ultimate comfort food for chilly days.
- Great for leftovers. This hearty soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to stew together. Plus, it reheats well, making it perfect for meal prep on your busiest weeks.
- Customizable. You can easily customize a Brunswick stew recipe to suit your tastes. Use a spicy BBQ sauce, add extra veggies, and try chicken instead of pork.
What Is Brunswick Stew?
Brunswick stew is a hearty, traditional Southern stew loaded with meat, often pork, veggies, and lima beans in a tangy tomato-based broth. One fun characteristic of this warming stew is that it usually has barbecue sauce in it, which adds a wonderful tang and a note of sweetness. Traditionally, it was made with squirrel meat, but these days, we stick to more accessible options like tender pork butt. The savory barbecue broth is what really brings it all together, creating a dish that’s delicious and filling, and I can’t get enough of it!
Recipe Ingredients
This Brunswick stew recipe is the perfect way to enjoy a hearty dish full of good stuff like tender pork, savory barbecue broth, and fresh veggies. I’ve included notes on a few substitutions below, but for the full ingredient amounts, please scroll down to the recipe card.
For The Pork
- Canola oil: Used to sear the pork, giving it a flavorful browned exterior, but you can also do it with vegetable oil, avocado oil, or olive oil.
- Pork shoulder (boneless): You could also make the stew with chicken thighs or a brisket.
- BBQ sauce: Adds a smoky, tangy sweetness to the pulled pork and stew. Use your favorite brand or make your own. Substitute with teriyaki sauce or a blend of ketchup, vinegar, and brown sugar. Add hot sauce for a bit of heat.
- Water: Used to thin out the BBQ sauce while cooking the pork. Chicken stock or vegetable stock are good alternatives for added flavor.
For The Stew
- Butter: I sauté the onions in butter, but a cooking oil will also work.
- Yellow onion: A white onion or shallots can be used instead.
- Garlic: Garlic powder or garlic paste is okay, but try to use fresh garlic.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: Tomatoes add a smoky depth and tangy flavor to the stew. Regular canned diced tomatoes or diced fresh tomatoes are okay to use, especially if you can add a bit of tomato paste to the mix.
- Frozen or canned lima beans: Substitute with butter beans, fava beans, or peas.
- Corn: I love how corn adds a pop of sweetness and texture to the stew. If I don’t have canned corn on hand, I’ll use frozen or cut fresh corn kernels off my corn on the cob.
- BBQ sauce: To add a tangy, smoky flavor to the stew, use the same sauce as for the pulled pork for consistency.
- Worcestershire sauce: Soy sauce or coconut aminos would also work.
- Smoked paprika: Enhances the smoky flavor of the Brunswick stew, but regular paprika, chili powder, or a pinch of liquid smoke are also okay to use here.
- Chicken stock: Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef stock are good substitutes, depending on your personal preference.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper: Used to season the stew to taste. Adjust as needed to balance flavors.
How to Make Brunswick Stew
- Make the pulled pork. Turn the Instant Pot to saute and brown the pork on all sides. Whisk together the BBQ sauce and water and pour it over the pork. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour, followed by a natural release. See my Instant Pot barbecue pulled pork for tips, or you can also cook the pork in the Slow Cooker for 8 hours on Low.
- Shred. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and shred it with a fork.
- Sauté the veggies. Melt the butter in a large soup pot or a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, season with salt, and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Put it all together. Stir in the tomatoes, lima beans, corn, chicken stock, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and chicken stock.
- Cook. Bring the stew to a boil and then down to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the pork. Stir in the pulled pork.
- Season. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Meats in Brunswick Stew: Pulled pork is a common ingredient, but other meats, such as chicken and ground beef or beef brisket, are also excellent choices.
- Slow cooker method: If you don’t want to use the Instant Pot, you can make slow cooker pulled pork instead. Secure the lid and cook on High for 5 to 6 hours or on Low for 8 to 10 hours or until the pork is tender and easily falls apart with a fork.
- Brown the pork. Browning the meat gives it a deeper flavor.
- Be choosy with barbecue sauce. The BBQ sauce that goes into this stew will impact the overall flavor. So make sure you pick one you really like. I love my homemade BBQ sauce in this recipe.
- Adjust the sweetness. Variations of this recipe call for brown sugar. I skip it because I find that the sweetness from the BBQ sauce is enough, but if you want a sweeter stew, add a little brown sugar to taste.
- Consistency. Add extra broth to the stew if you like a thinner, soupier consistency.
- Thicken. To thicken the stew, make a slurry of cornstarch and water and whisk it in while the stew simmers.
Serving Suggestions
Grab a slice of this skillet cornbread, or try my crusty no knead skillet olive bread to dunk into a big bowl of Brunswick stew. A chunk of this focaccia is also excellent. These garlic Parmesan roasted potatoes dipped in garlic aioli go great on the side.
Or, to break up the richness of the hearty stew, a fresh green goddess salad would totally work, as well as a classic Waldorf salad or my radish cucumber tomato salad. Don’t forget to enjoy a slice of soft pumpkin bread for dessert!
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator. Allow the stew to cool completely before sealing it in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the stew to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat. Transfer the leftovers to a pot and heat over medium-low heat until warm.
More Stew Recipes To Try
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Brunswick Stew
Ingredients
For the pork
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, use your favorite
- ½ cup water
For the stew
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces can of fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen or canned lima beans
- 15 ounce can of corn, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the pulled pork
- Brown the pork. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Once the basin of the Instant Pot is hot, add the oil. Sear the pork on all sides until browned. Turn off the sauté function and leave the pork in the pot.
- Load the pressure cooker. Whisk together the BBQ sauce and water and pour it over the pork.
- Cook. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 1 hour while you make the stew. Let the pressure naturally release completely.
- Shred. Once the pressure has released on its own, remove the lid of the Instant Pot, transfer the pork to a cutting board (discard the cooking liquid left behind), and shred it with a fork. Set aside.
Make the stew
- Sauté the veggies. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, season with salt, and sauté for 4 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 15 seconds or until fragrant.
- Make the broth. Stir in the tomatoes, lima beans, corn, chicken stock, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and chicken stock.
- Cook. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring the stew to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes before stirring in the pulled pork.
- Season. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Brown the pork first to enhance its flavor; this step really brings out a richer taste in the meat.
- Use the slow cooker if you’re not using an Instant Pot; place the pork in the slow cooker, cover it, and let it cook on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or until the pork shreds with a fork.
- Select your BBQ sauce carefully, as its flavor will significantly influence the stew’s overall taste. Ensure it’s a brand or type that you enjoy.
- You can adjust the level of sweetness in the recipe according to what you prefer. While I usually omit brown sugar because the BBQ sauce provides enough sweetness, you can add some if you prefer a sweeter taste.
- If you prefer your stew to be more broth-based, don’t hesitate to add more broth until you achieve the desired consistency.
- To thicken the stew, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth to create a slurry, and then stir it into the simmering stew.
- To store, cool down the stew before placing it in a sealed container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to four days, or it can be frozen for three months. Thaw it in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy it again. To reheat the stew, gently warm the stew over medium-low heat until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Such an amazingly comforting meal! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Such a delicious and rich stew! I love the idea of using shredded pork for this recipe! Yum!
This is such a classic in the south! I always look for a yummy recipe and now I found one! YUM!
Looks so good! Adding on our must make list!
This is the perfect thing for the fall and winter. It’s so hearty, and I love the flavors.