• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Savor the Flavour

  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy/Disclaimer
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Spring Recipes
  • Coronation Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Shop
  • Services
  • Contact
×

Home » Main Course » Soups & Stews

Georgia Brunswick Stew

Published: Feb 15, 2020 · Modified: Dec 21, 2021 by Brooke · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.

4290 shares
  • 351
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Georgia Brunswick stew is so popular that in our coastal town of Brunswick, Georgia, the locals hold a Brunswick stew festival known as the Brunswick Rocking Stewbilee.

holding a bowl of Brunswick stew

Jump to:
  • Questions
  • Serve
  • How to Make
  • Variations
  • Pro Tips
  • Recommended Tools
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Want to see our latest recipes?  Subscribe to our email newsletter to get our latest recipes, fun food facts, food puns, and behind the scenes news about our blog.

At the festival, local businesses and non-profits compete in a friendly competition to find out who has the best Brunswick stew recipe.  Most competitors also serve their favorite cornbread as the preferred side.

bowl of Brunswick stew with plate of cornbread

Questions

What is Georgia Brunswick stew? 

It's a thick tomato-based stew that features smoked pork and chicken with corn and butter beans.

Each family and restaurant makes it a little bit different by adding their own unique twist.  Some is sweeter, some is tangier, and some is spicier.  You'll find our version is mild/medium spiciness, tangy, and full of meat and veggies.

What kind of meat do you use in a modern version?

The hardest thing to decide is what kind of meat you will use.   You can choose to make your own pulled pork and pulled chicken, or purchase smoked pork and smoked chicken from a local BBQ place--it's up to you.  If you're cooking your own meat, buy a Boston butt (pork shoulder) and a whole chicken.

holding a spoonful of Brunswick stew

Can you freeze this?

Yes, you most definitely can; in fact, Brunswick stew freezes really well!  Just make sure to let it cool completely before freezing in airtight containers or zip-top freezer bags.

Serve

If you're in my area of coastal Georgia, you'll find that the locals eat it with fresh cornbread.  Other Southern states are known to serve it with hush puppies, coleslaw, or pickles; the choice is yours.  If you're really in a pinch, serve it with a thick slice of bread.

side view of Brunswick stew with cornbread
 

How to Make

First, gather the ingredients for the aromatics and the spices.  Chop the onion and mince the garlic.

spices and aromatics for Brunswick stew

Next, gather the rest of the ingredients: chicken drippings and broth, plus the pulled meat and the veggies.

Chop up the fresh vine ripened tomatoes, and weigh the pulled chicken and pulled pork.

meat, veggies, and liquids for Brunswick stew

Heat up the oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat until shimmering.  Sauté the onion until soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

cooking onions in a large pot

Reduce the heat to medium low and add the spices, liquid smoke, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

adding spices to cooked onions in a pot

Pour in the two kinds of BBQ sauce (one mustard style and the other a vinegar style).

adding barbecue sauce to onions in a large pot

Add the pulled chicken and the pulled pork.

adding shredded chicken and pulled pork to a pot

Stir well to coat the meat.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

mixing shredded meat and seasonings in a large pot

Pour in the drippings from the roasted chicken.  If you don't have any, use chicken broth or chicken stock.

pouring chicken drippings into a pot

Pour in the chicken stock.

pouring chicken broth into a pot

Stir with a large wooden spoon before adding the canned and fresh tomatoes.

dumping chopped tomatoes into a pot

Finish by mixing in the yellow corn and butter beans.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring every so often to prevent it from burning.

Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium low.  Uncover the pot and let it simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes.

adding tomatoes, butter beans, and corn to Brunswick stew

Once it's done cooking, transfer most of the soup to a Dutch oven so it can fit in the fridge easier.

If you have never tried a hot bowl of Georgia-style Brunswick stew, I encourage you to make it soon.  It's so good, you'll want seconds!

cooked Brunswick stew in a pot

Variations

  • Want it thicker? Cut back on the chicken stock or let it simmer with the lid off until the excess liquid has evaporated.
  • Need it sweeter?  Add a bit of sugar.  If you accidentally added too much sugar, add some vinegar to correct it.
  • Want other vegetables?  Add sliced okra or diced potatoes.
  • Need to lower the sodium? Use unsalted chicken broth and low sodium BBQ sauce.
  • Need it spicier?  Increase the Tabasco sauce to a tablespoon and add some crushed red pepper flakes.

Pro Tips

  • Modern meat choices? Use fresh or frozen pulled pork and chicken, or smoked pulled pork and chicken from a BBQ place.
  • Traditional meat choices?  Use squirrel, rabbit, possum, or hog head; just let the meat simmer longer.
  • Need to freeze it?  Put in an airtight container or zip top freezer bag for up to two months.

Recommended Tools

  • Emeril Lagasse Dutch Oven: we have used and loved this heavy-bottomed pot for years.
  • Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups: these handy measuring cups with pouring spouts are sturdy.
  • Pyrex Glass Prep Bowls: prep ingredients ahead of time and store them in these pretty bowls.

Your family will love these other Southern recipes.

  • Southern Pimento Cheese
  • Easy Southern Cheese Straws
  • Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese Recipe
  • Buttermilk Pie Recipe

The pleasure of a 5-star review would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe

holding a bowl of Brunswick stew

Georgia Brunswick Stew

Tasty Southern recipes can bring families together by enjoying homemade cooking at weeknight dinners, and this Georgia Brunswick stew recipe is no exception.  Pulled pork, chicken, tomatoes, and other veggies simmer together in this flavorful country comfort food.  May I have seconds, please?
3.8 from 10 votes
Print Pin FavoriteSaved! Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 18 cups
Calories: 297kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

For the Aromatics

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups yellow onion, diced
  • 4 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

For the Spices

  • 5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ground allspice
  • 2 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 ½ teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce, like Tabasco
  • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ cup Carolina vinegar style tangy BBQ sauce, like Heinz
  • 1 ½ cup Carolina mustard style BBQ sauce, like Heinz

For the Meat

  • 1 pound pulled chicken, fresh or frozen
  • 1 pound pulled pork, fresh or frozen
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 3 cups chicken drippings from two roasted chickens, fat removed (or substitute with additional chicken stock)

For the Veggies

  • 48 ounces canned crushed tomatoes, no salt added
  • 4 cups vine ripe tomatoes, 6 medium
  • 4 cups yellow corn kernels, fresh or frozen (optional)
  • 4 cups baby butter beans, fresh or frozen

Instructions

Preparing the Aromatics

  • Chop the onions and mince the garlic.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat until shimmering.  Saute the onions for a few minutes until soft, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly.

Seasoning the Brunswick Stew

  • Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the first 6 spices.  Let cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, then add the two BBQ sauces.

Adding in the Meat & Stock

  • Add in all the meat, and stir well to coat the meat in the spices and BBQ sauce.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This step makes the meat more flavorful.
  • Pour in the chicken stock and drippings from the roasted chicken.  (If you don't have any chicken drippings, just use additional chicken stock.)

Mixing in the Veggies

  • While the meat is simmering, dice the fresh tomatoes.
  • Increase the heat to medium high, then add the canned and fresh tomatoes, corn, and butter beans to the stew.  Cover and bring to a boil, stirring every few minutes to prevent the bottom from burning.  This should take about 15 minutes.  Once it starts to boil, stir and lower the heat to medium-low, uncover, and simmer for at least an hour.  I let mine simmer for 3 hours so the flavors could meld and the butter beans could soften.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.  Just note that this recipe is on the upper end of the mild range.
  • Serve immediately with cornbread and sweet tea or let it cool and refrigerate.

Notes

  • Have leftovers that need freezing?  Allow it to cool then place in an airtight container or zip top freezer bag for up to two months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 297kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 47g (16%)Protein: 16g (32%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 30mg (10%)Sodium: 1397mg (61%)Potassium: 740mg (21%)Fiber: 6g (25%)Sugar: 27g (30%)Vitamin A: 618IU (12%)Vitamin C: 16mg (19%)Calcium: 88mg (9%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

Tried this Recipe? Tag us Today!Mention @savortheflavourblog or tag #savortheflavour!

This recipe was originally published on May 10, 2018.

« How to Make Roux for Gumbo
Ginger Beer Mocktail with Lime »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. FIth Spalding

    August 21, 2022 at 5:08 pm

    My mother’s family were farmers from north Georgia so Brunswick stew was a staple. The difference in my mother’s recipe and yours is that there was no recipe. She always kept.a Bag in the freezer with all leftover red meat. She added to it after Sunday dinner then after a few months out came the grinder. The two ingredients that gave her stew the special Brunswick flavor were lemons and vinegar. F

    Reply
    • Emma

      August 22, 2022 at 5:04 am

      Thanks for sharing your mother's family's own twist of Brunswick stew.

      Reply
  2. Herb Beamish PTCC

    January 08, 2022 at 12:34 pm

    Anybody have the recipe for the famous "fresh air barbecue" Brunswick stew?? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 08, 2022 at 10:08 pm

      We haven't heard of Fresh Air Barbecue until you asked, Herb, so we're not aware of the recipe. (We have never been to Jackson, GA to try the barbecue at that restaurant.) Apparently, the recipe's a closely guarded secret, so we can't help you with that. You could try our recipe and let us know if it tastes similar!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

two ladies smiling

Welcome to our kitchen! We're Brooke & Emma, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. As self-taught cooks and bakers, we love to inspire you to cook from scratch with real food! Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts.

More about us →

logos of companies and newspapers

Celebrate Spring with Cucumber Sandwiches

stack of cucumber sandwiches on a plate

Spring Recipes

  • Panera Bread Lemon Drop Cookies
  • Virgin Piña Colada
  • Copycat Chick-fil-A Market Salad
  • Subway Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies Copycat
  • Chick-fil-A Lemon Kale Caesar Salad Copycat
  • Copycat Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad

Popular Posts

  • Copycat Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad
  • Blue Lagoon Mocktail
  • Hurricane Mocktail
  • Avocado Lime Ranch - Chick-fil-A Copycat
  • Homemade Cuban Bread (Pan Cubano)
  • Panera Bread 10 Vegetable Soup

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Us
  • Work with Us
  • Press

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Sign Up for Newsletter
  • Services

Other

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

As an Amazon associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2017-2023 Savor the Flavour