How to Make Your Own Version of Bobby's Famous Brunswick Stew (2024)

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My friend Bobby shared this delicious Brunswick Stew recipe with me. A few special ingredients make this into his signature recipe. It is SO yummy and is the perfect warm dinner for these cold winter days.

While this recipe takes about seven hours of slow cooking, it is virtually effortless. All you have to do is add in your ingredients and let the magic happen! Before you know it, you will have delicious stew to share with all your friends and family.

What is Brunswick Stew?

Brunswick Stew is a traditional southern soup, made with tomato, vegetables, and typically chicken. The soup is typically a thicker consistency and it is made in many different ways. Essentially, as long as it has tomatoes, onions, beans, and some form of meat, it can be a Brunswick stew. I have made Brunswick Stew before, but this one has a couple of different ingredients that make it special.

I’ve made this before, what’s new?

My older Brunswick Stew recipehad mostly similar elements to this current one, but with a few key differences. As I mentioned earlier, my friend Bobby has a few special ingredients that make this Brunswick Stew his signature recipe. It is SO delicious AND easy to make.

This Brunswick stew has two ingredients that make it special, the first is brisket from Buc-ee’s, which they sell by the pound at Buc-ee’s. Buc-ee’s has brisket sandwiches, but they also have brisket by the pound. I would recommend getting 2 lbs of the brisket and chopping it well before adding it to the Brunswick Stew. That way it is well integrated into the stew. The second ingredient that makes this stew special is the Heinz Jalapeño ketchup. You should be able to find this ketchup at any store and it adds the good tomato element that is essential in Brunswick Stew. You’ll want to add the whole bottle to this stew.

What do I do if my Brunswick Stew isn’t thick enough?

If your Brunswick Stew ends up being a little bit watery, then there is a solution to help thicken it up. Just as you can do with any soup, you can add a little flour and water, mix it up and then slowly add it to your stew. This should help thicken it up if you happen to add too much liquid. Typically all the vegetables you add and the long cooking time should thicken it up plenty, but if you happen to need to thicken it a little more, try this!

What type of brisket should I get?

Besides just having brisket sandwiches, Buc-ee’s sells brisket by the pound as well. You might’ve noticed that Buc-ee’s has two different types of brisket that they sell. One of them is with sauce and the other without. I have made it both ways and both were delicious. Feel free to try whichever one you want, both will be SO yummy.

If you live anywhere in the southeast you should be able to find a Buc-ee’s. If you don’t have a Buc-ees in your area, I would recommend picking up a brisket from a local place that has quality meat. Even if you don’t use Buc-ee’s brisket, it will still be SO delicious.

Where can I get McKenzie’s tube corn?

There are a few places where you should be able to find McKenzie’s tube corn. Walmart, Publix, Kroger, and Piggly Wiggly should all have this tubed corn stocked. If you’re not sure, I would recommend checking the store website beforehand to see if it is something that they carry.

How long do I cook Brunswick Stew?

Once you add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker, you can cook this Brunswick Stew on low for seven hours. This works so well because you can throw it together in the morning and have it ready to eat by dinner.

Here are some savvy tips:

  • Use scissors to cut the frozen corn, it is much easier to add to the crock pot that way.
  • Wearing disposable gloves and mixing them with your hands helps to get it all combined. Don’t be afraid to get in there!
  • I use Yellow Bird Sauce (jalapeño condiment) for my “hot sauce,” SO delicious.

What goes well with Brunswick Stew?

My favorite thing to serve with Brunswick Stew is cornbread. Cornbread is the PERFECT side dish to serve with this Brunswick Stew. This dish has protein and veggies so it is the perfect stew to warm you for this winter and cornbread pairs so perfectly.

Let me know how you enjoy this fabulous dish in the comments below. As always, thank you so much for stopping by. Be blessed and stay savvy!!!

If you like this recipe, check out these as well:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes

My Brunswick Stew recipe with a few new twists!

Ingredients

  • 2lbs Buc-ee's Brisket chopped well
  • 1 McKenzie's tube corn yellow
  • 1 McKenzie's tube corn white
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 bags frozen lima beans
  • 1 bottle Heinz jalapeno ketchup
  • 1 TB Worcestershire
  • 1/2 juice fresh lemon
  • 2 cans niblet corn
  • 1 box chicken broth
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (or 1/2 large can crushed)

Instructions

  1. Chop brisket small and add all ingredients to a slow cooker.
  2. Add broth to the consistency you prefer and cook for about 7 hours on low.
Nutrition Information

Yield 12Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 306Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 81mgSodium 166mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 26g

How to Make Your Own Version of Bobby's Famous Brunswick Stew (2024)

FAQs

What was the original Brunswick stew made of? ›

Brunswick stew is a tomato-based stew generally involving local beans, vegetables, and originally small game meat such as squirrel or rabbit, though today often chicken.

How do I thicken up my Brunswick stew? ›

You have lots of options;
  1. Use a spoon to mash some of the potatoes (gold works best). You can also buy potato starch from many grocery stores. ...
  2. Add leftover mashed potatoes.
  3. Add flour directly to the stew. ...
  4. Add gelatin.
  5. Add beef gravy granules. ...
  6. Keep a neutral thickener in your pantry.
Oct 1, 2023

What is the difference between Brunswick stew and regular stew? ›

The difference between Brunswick stew and beef stew is very simple. Beef stew consists of beef, vegetables, tomato sauce, and some seasoning, while Brunswick stew has a very spicy flavour that comes from a combination of BBQ sauce and ketchup, and is made with beef, pork, and chicken.

How to make Brunswick stew less sweet? ›

How do you make Brunswick stew less sweet? Choose a BBQ sauce that doesn't have added sugar for a less sweet stew. If you've already made your stew and it tastes too sweet, try adding a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. The extra acidity can help round out the sweet flavor.

How long does homemade Brunswick stew last? ›

Store any extra Brunswick stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat before serving. Brunswick stew also freezes well.

What is another name for Brunswick stew? ›

In South Alabama, it is called 'Camp Stew'. The origin is debated between Virginia and Georgia, but most people believe it to be from Brunswick, GA, hence the (other) name 'Brunswick Stew'. The name 'Alabama Stew' is because today, most of the places you will find it will be in South Alabama.

How do you deepen the flavor of stew? ›

Paprika. Use regular or hot paprika if you want a little warmth and Smoked Paprika if you're after more of a barbeque style smoky flavour. Chilli and paprika work well with tomato based dishes where as herbs work best with gravy based stews.

Can I use instant mashed potatoes to thicken my stew? ›

Yes. Incredibly effective? You bet. This trick works because the instant mashed potatoes are naturally starchy and therefore are similar in form to other commonly used thickeners, such as cornstarch, only without the clumps.

What is the best thickening agent for stew? ›

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

What potato is best in stew? ›

Russets are often the suggested potato for stew because their starch can help thicken the broth, but they also break down too easily, whereas Yukons have some thickening power of their own while still retaining a hearty, solid bite.

Is stew better in crockpot or stove? ›

Slow Cooker vs.

While high heat may cook the potatoes and meat quickly, only low, slow cooking can create the tender morsels of meat and flavorful broth that we seek. The stove (hob) will create a thicker broth/gravy for the stew because more liquid will escape during cooking in the form of steam.

How many people will a gallon of Brunswick stew feed? ›

Let Us Cater Your Next Party!
Item:Serving Size :1 Gal.Feeds:
Brunswick Stew:6 oz.20 people
Cole Slaw:4 oz.30 people
Baked Beans:6 oz.20 people
Tea1 gal.10 people

How can I thicken my Brunswick stew? ›

The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil.

How do you make stew more tastier? ›

To make the stew tastier you can add a dry bay leaf. Explanation: Here they are talking about making the stew tastier than it already is so they are comparing the stew with bay leaf with stew without bay leaf.

How do you make stew taste richer? ›

If it tastes off-balance, add some finishing flavors to bring it to the next level. Try adding soy sauce or Worcestershire for extra savory (or umami) flavor, a touch of honey or brown sugar for sweetness, lemon zest or vinegar for brightness or chili powder or smoked paprika for spice and depth.

What is the history of Mrs Fearnow's Brunswick stew? ›

She began making Brunswick stew, for which she was later renowned, with chicken and local produce. In the 1920s Fearnow began selling her stew through the Woman's Exchange in downtown Richmond, where many women sold homemade goods to earn money.

Does Brunswick stew contain okra? ›

Add salt, onions, potatoes and squash to the pot, cooking until tender. Add frozen corn, lima beans, okra and tomatoes. Skin, de-bone, and dice chicken. Add to the pot with pepper.

What is the difference between Burgoo and Brunswick stew? ›

Each stew has its own flair and flavors depending on its origins. In general, Burgoo uses game meat and has lima beans and corn added along with hot sauce and Worcestershire. Brunswick Stew has similar game meat though is now most often made with chicken and salt pork, and also often includes okra.

Where did Brunswick come from? ›

Brunswick is the historical English name for the German city of Braunschweig (Low German: Brunswiek, Braunschweig dialect: Bronswiek).

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