BBQ Joint Stew
I love recipes that spring from practicality and this stew is a shining example of that. Most folks call this Brunswick Stew, some call it ….well I don’t know what all everyone calls it because it is around five o’clock in the morning and my coffee is still brewing so I’ll tell you the rest of my story and you can call it whatever cranks yer tractor because you got naming rights on anything you make in your own kitchen ~grins~.
At the first sign of chill in the air, BBQ joints around here start cranking out this delicious stew. It helps them use up any leftover shredded pork and chicken that they may have. By mixing in their signature bbq sauce (my No. 5 signature bbq sauce recipe is in my cookbook in case you need one) and whatever vegetables they have on hand they can turn out a flavorful and filling stew unlike any other.
So today I’m going to show you how simple this is to make in your own home. I’ll show you how I did it using what I had on hand but feel free to make this stew in the spirit it was created by modifying it to use whatever you have on hand at your house.
You’ll need: Bottle of BBQ Sauce (your preference), 2 cans whole kernel corn, onion, whole fryer, potatoes, and about two cups of vegetable or bean of your choice (I’m using frozen baby limas).
I’m just using chicken but you can use chicken, pork, whatever you have. You can also buy a rotisserie chicken if you like and just use canned broth. See how easy this is to modify?
Cover your chicken with water and add your onion. Cook it til it cries uncle, or at least stops putting up a fight.
My chicken looks funny because I stuck a wooden spoon right in the center of it to see if it was cooked so much that it would break apart. It did.
~grins~
Then remove chicken from broth. Let cool while you continue making the stew.
Here is our broth, all rich and wonderful. You don’t have to make your own, though. You are welcome to just stew some chicken breasts until done in canned broth if you like. If you go that route, I’d say you need about 32 ounces (four to five cups or so). Don’t stress over exact quantities, just eyeball it and trust your gut.
Trusting my gut has served me better than I could ever tell you. I’ll write about that one of these days.
Jedis would be jealous if they knew of my force!
To that broth that is left add two cans of drained whole kernel corn.
Whatever was on sale last time you got groceries would be fine because corn can’t read so it has no idea if it is a generic or name brand.
It all acts the same.
Peel and chop up your potatoes.
I did this to all of my potatoes but am just showing one here 
I don’t even own a cutting board, I just use plates to chop on. If I had a cutting board, I’d lose it anyway.
I’m just all organized like that.
Add in your beans and/or other vegetables. I’m using frozen baby lima beans.
Awww, baby limas. Ever so much cuter than adult limas, doncha think?
God love ‘em.
Now add in a whole bottle of bbq sauce.
I am using this kind because Dollar General had it when I sent my husband to buy some.
My favorite bbq sauce is the one I developed myself, Old No. 5, and the recipe for it is in my cookbook if you’d like the recipe and kind of funny story behind it.
I make it every few months in a big old batch and then can it. The thing is, I usually end up giving half of it away as gifts and the rest we eat right away on pork chops, chicken, etc, so I don’t have any on hand to show you today.
Oh, if you like your stew on the spicier side, use spicier bbq sauce.
Remove your chicken from the bone and shred it well. Add it back to the pot.
Find a cute kid to stir it up for ya.
In that fancy new pot that your Mama gave you for Christmas
Season with salt and pepper and simmer, stirring often, for about half an hour, or until veggies are done all the way
(I used those frozen limas so they need a full thirty minutes).
Enjoy! I love this stuff.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle bbq sauce
- 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
- 1-2 cups baby lima beans (or whatever beans you want to use)
- 1 whole fryer
- 3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped (use more potatoes if you need stew to go further)
- 1 onion, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste (I start with a teaspoon of each but always end up adding twice that!)
Instructions
- Place fryer in stock pot and cover with water. Add chopped onion. Cook over medium heat for about an hour, or until fully done and fall apart tender. Remove chicken from stock and set aside to cool. Add all other ingredients to stock and stir well. Debone and shred chicken and add back to pot. Add in Salt and Pepper. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to simmer, stirring often, for about half an hour or until vegetables are fully cooked. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed (I like a LOT of pepper in mine).
- *This is excellent with a bit of hot sauce.
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Ingredients
- 1 bottle bbq sauce
- 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
- 1-2 cups baby lima beans (or whatever beans you want to use)
- 1 whole fryer
- 3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped (use more potatoes if you need stew to go further)
- 1 onion, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste (I start with a teaspoon of each but always end up adding twice that!)
Instructions
- Place fryer in stock pot and cover with water. Add chopped onion. Cook over medium heat for about an hour, or until fully done and fall apart tender. Remove chicken from stock and set aside to cool. Add all other ingredients to stock and stir well. Debone and shred chicken and add back to pot. Add in Salt and Pepper. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to simmer, stirring often, for about half an hour or until vegetables are fully cooked. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed (I like a LOT of pepper in mine).
- *This is excellent with a bit of hot sauce.
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A rich person is not one who has the most,
but one who needs the least.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jan 10 2011. Filed under Main Course, Quick&Easy, Soups and Stews.
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Also, occasionally Kroger has 10 for 10 on frozen veggies. I try to get the medleys and “stew starters.” Bet that would be a good addition to this stew. Think will try that next time–all out of the medleys in my freezer right now.
Christy, I just love your recipes! I asked for your cookbook for Christmas and my sweet husband got it for me cause it has recipes he can cook! LOL. You have some of the best recipes and stories. One of the stories really could have been written by me in our family, the one about your granddad sticking out his dentures on command. That is just like my dad(now deceased) and his one and only granddaughter. She would giggle and he would do it that much more. The only wish I have is that her daughters could have had that memory. Thanks for bringing back a wonderful memory. But keep on writing those great recipes!!!
Christy! I don’t think I could ever tire of your site over here in Texas! We here cook and think so much alike it is almost as though we are there or you ate here, huh, Bill Gent! Thanks for all you do and as we speak my Chicken Stew is almost ready to add all the other veggies!! Already has the red and yellow onion, celery and red and orange bell pepper boiling up a storm! Getting ready to add zucchini, broccoli, yellow bell pepper, green onions with blades more salt and pepper and cabbage! Yum! Gotta go and finish! Hunny Bunny almost home!!!
Had this in mind since Tuesday night when I got the ingredients, well really been thinkin on it three weeks! Glad to see great minds think alike!!
YUMMMYYY!! Hope you enjoy!
My stew is cooking away, but….maybe I used too much water as I covered the chicken. My end product is a lot more soupy than stewy..BUT it tastes fantastic..I am one of your fans that need very specific directions as far as ingredient amounts:)))))))
Tired of the same ole same ole meals. Checking my email I came across the recipe for BBQ joint stew. To describe in one word….AWESOME. Hubby took some to work with him today and he had to call me and tell he loved the stew. It’s a keeper at our house.
Hi Christy! I love your website! My family’s favorites so far are Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole, Ground Beef Stew, and Taco Soup! I will be making BBQ Joint Stew for dinner tomorrow, and I have two questions. First, what do you usually serve with it, and second, can I leave out the beans!?
Thanks so much!
I’ve always been a bit leary of brunswick stew since I was told as a child that “Real brunswick stew” was made with squirrel. :-O
Made this tonight. It was great. I’m sending a quart jar of it to my daughter and son-in-law for their supper tomorrow night. Definitely a keeper!
Making some tonight! Using left over roasted chicken and left over Crock Pot Pork Roast! Smells SO GOOD! (also added a can of diced tomatoes – love those things
)
Can you explain your canning process for the Brunswick stew? It is my favorite soup/stew right after plain ole vegetable soup. Love your cookbook…
We had this last night. I have been making it for a long time- before I ever saw this blog- I am married to a guy who came from N. Alabama, after all. I prefer to add a can of tomatoes (chopped up) and to reduce the BBQ sauce to a small amount.
This makes a great winter supper when accompanied by a big skillet of cornbread.
Can this be made in the crock pot? I am always looking for cp recipes since I work all day every day. Guess maybe if I made my chicken the night before it could work out?
It’d be great! Have you tried my crock pot chicken and rice recipes yet?
This is just how I make it but I have always used creamed corn..don’t know why that’s just what my mama said! I went to a BBQ joint in FL and ordered Brunswick stew and they brought me Dinty Moore beef stew in a bowl! I may have lost my cool a little bit! I sure was dissapointed!
[...] Walton adds: This month alone I have made BBQ Joint Stew, Chicken & Dumplings, Fried Cabbage, Banana Crumb Cake, Butter Rolls…oh I have used your [...]
I made the stew …. and it was delicious!!!! Even took some to work and my staff loved it. thanks. and by the way, i just saw that pot at Belks. I almost bought it, now tonight I’m thinking about it, and I “just realized” that’s the pot you have in the picture. Guess who will be in Belks in the morning? haha. Thanks for the Great Recipes!! I’m a Career Woman who’s cooking again.
Hi Jackie! SO glad to hear it was a big hit!! Ohhh, if you go back and get that pot you are going to LOVE it! I absolutely love mine!!! So glad to hear you are back in the kitchen!!!
[...] BBQ Joint Stew This Brunswick Stew with a twist would be perfect ladled into big bowls on the big day. [...]
[...] BBQ Joint Stew This Brunswick Stew with a twist would be perfect ladled into big bowls on the big day. [...]
This is what I will make for the weekend! Will be watching the SuperBowl with my ex-hubby. We’re making hor d’oeurves. I will surprise him and bring this, too. We both love to cook. When we were married, we would contemplate all week about what we wanted to cook on the wk-end. We still love to cook together. Now if I could just get him to remarry me my life would be complete…
I just realized that the soup my grandmother made when I was a little girl is almost the same as your stew. It has tomato sauce instead of the barbecue sauce and no chicken (she sometimes added chicken or cooked ground beef the 2nd day, maybe some elbow macaroni and water the third day to stretch it a little farther.) We always called it “Granny soup,” BTW, she had 5 children and they weren’t well off, maybe that is why she made it without the chicken. We ate it with sliced white bread, mmm!
Again, you have provided me with a fabulous recipe for my family. There is only one word that keeps coming to my mind and that is DELICIOUS. Thank you.
Now I have a problem… What am I going to pick to outdo this meal?
This looks great. We live right out of Nashville and BBQ is really popular here.I am always on the look out for new recipes. Thanks
Your stew looks wonderful!
I made this last Tuesday for Wednesday night. My chicken must have been bigger then yours as I had more broth so mine was more like a hearty soup. I did have to add another can of corn and a few more potatoes. I used Baby Ray’s Original BQ Sauce. It was a hit!!! The leftovers are as good as the original day it was made.
Thanks for another hit!
Another HUGE hit in my house! I simply cannot make a recipe of yours that is not amazing! My family raves about every single recipe I make of yours. thank you for sharing your gift with us Christy!
I made this in January an am going to make it again tomorrow since it got chilly. My family loved it.
Thanks!
Karen
Is this the same thing as Burgoo? That’s what they always called it at Moonlite BBQ in Owensboro, KY and it looks about the same.
I grew up on Brunswick Stew. Every year in my hometown in GA, at the annual Chrysanthemum show, they’d mix up in an enormous “cauldron” of the stuff and stir it with what looked (to my childish eyes) like a canoe oar! My mom’s recipe was a little different from yours. She used chicken and beef and pork, instead of just chicken. No potatoes or onions, just limas (or butterbeans), corn and tomatoes. Instead of bbq sauce, it was Worcestershire, vinegar, ketchup, mustard and hot sauce. Cook it forever, or at least several hours. Preferably the veggies were homegrown. The ultimate harvest stew and my favorite comfort food.
Oh that looks so yummy! I might have to make that tonight!
This was easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I made this in a big batch and put several in the freezer for later. I cooked big batch without the potatoes and add to each bag of frozen stew I pull out on serving day. My family really liked this recipe. I used my hand-held immersion blender to make the stew a little creamier, smoother, whatever. Definitely will add this to my regular recipes. Thanks!
Just wanted to let you know that I finally bought your book (well 3 of them), love it!!
It’s a wonderful book and I’ll be buying more for gifts at Christmas time!
Yummy.. I am lovin it.. Thanks for sharing this.
[...] BBQ Joint Stew (Commonly Called Brunswick Stew) [...]
what an awesome idea..thanks for sharing this with me. I am going to get the ingredients together and try it. I already told my husband that there will be alot of soups and such for the winter months only because it dont cost alot to make and we are on a tight budget. Cant wait to try it
I’m so making this, probably this weekend for football. I already have chicken and stock in my freezer. I buy whole chickens when they are on sale (usually 10-12 of them), boil them up with onion, celery, carrot, a little parsley, and some peppercorns, then shred the meat. I freeze the meat and stock (separately) in 2 cup increments. Ziplock (or their Walmart version) really love me.
What a great idea Jennifer!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
My game kicks off at 11 on Saturday, so I’m going to throw everything into the crockpot before we go tailgate so we’ll have lunch when we get home.
I get insane when chickens are on sale. My poor hubby puts up with me though, and is grateful for the yummy things that come from it. (Especially when we can just thaw a bag of chicken, stir in BBQ sauce, and call it dinner with hamburger buns.)
Can this be made in the crockpot… with chicken breasts? It sounds so good and I wanted to use my crockpot this weekend.
I just put my stock (frozen) into the crockpot on high. I don’t want to mess with cooking when I should be tailgating or watching the game. Once it thaws some, I’ll add everything else in.
Southerners do not put butter beans/lima beans in their Brunswick Stew. FYI
The great thing about Southerners is that no generalization really fits us. Everyone I know does put Lima beans in their Brunswick stew, but then again we’re all Yankee Southerners, from North Alabama
I made this for the first time tonight! I think next time I will use less bbq sauce and add diced tomatoes. Very delicious!
I’m going to try this recipe. Maybe cut down on the BBQ sauce and add tomatoes and a bit of hot sauce? It’s always been infuriating that mine never tastes like my Granny made in North Carolina. She always used okra, potatoes, onions, lima beans, canned tomatoes, and green beans –and likely whatever was left in the fridge. Perhaps our taste buds change as we get older?
HELP. If I used chicken breasts instead of a chicken, how much?
Does this freeze well? And if so, for how long will it keep for in the freezer?
It does freeze well and it should last at least 3 months or so.
This was delicious – and it made a lot! I canned some No. 5 BBQ sauce in 14 oz. Classico jars so I used one of those and it was perfect! Thanks for the recipe – I’ll definitely be making it again!
Delicious soup recipes Christy! And tho the Stella remark above was from Nov 11, yes southerners DO put lima beans in their brunswick stew . You are great at answering all kinds of folks C: my family like yours has made it for years. you have it down just right girl! Mama would often use both leftover pork & chicken. Soup is my favorite food and i make it all the time in the winter and on occasions even in summer. Sometimes try using some of those frozen potsticker dumplins with some (bok choy) or napa, carrot, onion and chicken broth. It is such a fast soup for a cold night. Brew some jasmine tea or any green tea to go along. mmmmm.
I always like Brunswick stew more than BBQ when we eat out (look for a non-fancy place with a painted pig somewhere on their sign!), but I’m so picky since I started making my own seems nobody quite gets it right! LOL I make huge batches, add leftover smoked pork and ground beef. We also like the more vinegary BBQ sauce, which I make too, and add a bunch of it. It’s all about individual tastes, but mine doesn’t last long.
I want to know the brand of pot that is and what size please! I need that pot!!!!
Thinking I might have to make this this weekend! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
I’m loving this Southern Cooking stuff! You Southerners really have those yummy flavors figured out. This BBQ Joint Stew is beyond excellent & high in flavor. I used my crock pot, I put 6 breasts in & chicken broth, then followed the directions for the rest of it & I did add several shakes of hot sauce as per suggestion. Awesome! Thank-you!
I am so glad to hear you liked it!!!
It’s rainy and chilly here today in NC and I am making a 16 bean with ham mix. If I had seen your post first I would be having the BBQ Joint Stew. I love that stuff. Have a great weekend. Weather is improving soon.
Hi Christy. I have been meaning to drop you a line to tell you that you are an absolute delight anf a great ambassador for our beloved Deep South. Your quotations and sayings are wonderful and and I enjoy reading them and applying them to my life. With all this being said, your recipes are excellent and are very Southern. Thank you for making each day bright like a ray of sunshine.