Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew has been around a long time, but it is still a fall and winter favorite, especially in the South. This tomato-based stew is usually made with chicken but can also be made with small game like squirrel and rabbit. (I make it with chicken). Typically, Brunswick Stew is made with tomatoes, lima beans, and corn, but some regions also add okra or potatoes.

I like to make it as a thick, hearty stew, but it is popular in some regions as a thinner soup.

There is a lot of confusion about where Brunswick Stew actually originated, and Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia all claim it came from their states. According to Wikipedia, “an old iron pot in Brunswick, Georgia says the first Brunswick Stew was made in it on July 2, 1898, on nearby St. Simons Island. A competing story claims a Virginia state legislator’s chef invented the recipe in 1828 on a hunting expedition.”

Wikipedia further claims that the stew is “said to have been one of Queen Victoria’s favorites” and “may have come from Braunschweig, Germany, known as ‘Brunswick’ in British English.”

I don’t know which story is true, but I do know that Brunswick Stew has been around for a long time, and that it is a delicious fall and winter meal.

It is also quick, easy, and affordable.

Brunswick Stew Ingredients:

2 c. cooked chicken, shredded

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 c. frozen corn

1 c. frozen lima beans

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Up to 2 cups water

Directions: Mix all the ingredients in a medium-to-large stock pot.  Do not drain the tomatoes when you add them.  Add the water slowly and only enough to reach the consistency you desire.  Simmer on low for 1 to 2 hours.  (You can also cook this in a slow cooker on low for about 6 hours.)

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

This recipe serves 6 to 8 and is hearty enough to fill up even the men in my family. I serve it with a side of corn bread. Click here for my corn bread recipe.

For those of you who are gluten free: Brunswick Stew is naturally gluten free, but you need to make sure all your spices are free from any cross-contamination. Serve with Gluten-Free Corn Bread.