Brunswick Stew

Name: Brunswick Stew
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Cuisine: southern
Ingredients: Olive oil; 2 large yellow onions, diced; Salt and black pepper; 4 dried or fresh bay leaves; 4 teaspoons celery seeds; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste; 3 pounds plum tomatoes, diced; 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 4 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste; 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 quart chicken stock; 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut in half; 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels; 2 cups fresh or frozen shelled lima beans

By Eric Kim

Published Oct. 26, 2022

Total Time: 2½ hours
Rating: 4(2,043)
Comments: Read comments

Few American dishes are more comforting than Brunswick stew, a motley mix of tomatoes, corn, beans and shredded meat. Chicken is most commonly used today, though some stew experts throw in beef chuck or pork shoulder for flavor and fat (or they prepare it in the old way, using game meat such as squirrel and rabbit). Both Brunswick County, Va., and Brunswick, Ga., lay claim to this hearty fall stew. This version borrows from the sweet and savory Virginian tradition. Thickened with potatoes, the stew tastes great on its own, alongside a hunk of cornbread or with a sleeve of saltine crackers.

Featured in: Why Everyone Should Make Brunswick Stew, a Southern Classic

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

Olive oil
2large yellow onions, diced
Salt and black pepper
4dried or fresh bay leaves
4teaspoons celery seeds
¼ to ½teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
3pounds plum tomatoes, diced
3tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste
1pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1quart chicken stock
2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut in half
2cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
2cups fresh or frozen shelled lima beans

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high. Add enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, translucent and starting to brown at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves, celery seeds and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, just a few seconds.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened and much of their liquid has released, 7 to 9 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in the potatoes and chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the stew thickens slightly and the potatoes are falling apart, about 1 hour. Using the back of a spoon, gently crush most of the potatoes against the side of the pot.
Step 4
Add the chicken, corn and lima beans. Continue simmering, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is soft and easily shreddable, about 1 hour.
Step 5
Remove the chicken from the pot, shred with two forks and return to the pot. (Alternatively, you can leave the chicken pieces whole; large chunks of stewed thigh meat taste delicious here.)
Step 6
Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, cayenne and sugar as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. You also can freeze it for up to 4 months before thawing and reheating.

Ratings

4 out of 5

2,043 user ratings

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Comments

MikeTxGa2 years ago

As a Southern Son of many generations, let me offer a word: butter. It’s the first ingredient in real-deal Brunswick Stew and a big miss flavor-wise if you do this with olive oil. The two claimed “original recipes” in Virginia and Georgia with start with a pound of the good stuff. I get it. Your heart! Well, you’re missing out on an amazing dish and experience if you never make it with butter and only use Olive Oil.

Margaret2 years ago

Why would anyone use bland fresh plum tomatoes - except in summer when they’re at the height of flavor and inexpensive? Of course, use canned tomatoes in other seasons. The large 28oz can is the equivalent of 2 1/2 to 3 pound of fresh tomatoes. Minus the work, and much cheaper.

david2 years ago

wha? spend the time blanching and x'ing tomatoes having a glass of wine instead, or just meditating on the beauty of an imperfect world. umpteen Virginians and others have managed to enjoy this without the exactitude. stews like this are meant to be made with relaxed joy. and i command you to obey.

K Smith3 months ago

I’m from NC and grew up with my mom and grandmother making this- For the love of all things holy, use butter and not olive oil! Also, pork instead of chicken or a mixture of both. This recipe seems to lack the tang of typical Brunswick stew so I added lemon juice at the end. Overall, delicious and will make this again.

mls4 months ago

instead of blanching the tomatoes, use a serrated peeler. This is key for a hot summer kitchen(or peach pie).

Chris5 months ago

So liked the recipe overall. It makes a LOT of soup so you might want to halve if only a couple of people (otherwise you’ll have leftovers for days). I used dry Lima beans that I soaked overnight and then cooked in soup per recipe. Beans were still a hard and crunchy. May have to substitute a different bean or precooked beans in some chicken broth for a while. Overall - I would do again.

Marzabali4 weeks ago

@Chris Frozen lima beans work just as well and you can’t tell the difference with all the other ingredients swimming around in the stew.

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