My cowboy stew recipe is one part beef stew, one part chili, five parts DELICIOUS! Three types of meat and wholesome veggies will have everyone in your family begging for more of this stew recipe!
Love hearty stew recipes? You’ll flip for this! With the tender meat of a slow cooker beef stew (one of the most popular stew recipes in the history of my site!!!), and the veggies and beans of a Brunswick stew, cowboy stew takes the best parts of your favorite recipes and simmers them to perfection.
The only thing it doesn’t have is a nod to chicken stew…but hey, let’s throw in some shredded poultry! Why not? Cowboy stew welcomes every ingredient!
Let’s make this stew!!
What I Love About This Recipe
This ain’t your mama’s stew recipe! Loaded with three types of meat and tons of veggies, this stew is the lip-smacking dinner your family’s been waiting for.
- Tender, juicy meat
- One-pot wonder
- Easy cleanup!
- Crowd-pleasing flavor
Cowboy Stew Ingredients
- Bacon
- Kielbasa Sausage
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Flour
- Salt + Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Diced Tomatoes
- Baked Beans
- Green Chilies
- Sweet Corn
- Potatoes
- Parsley
Cowboy Stew Recipe Notes
My cowboy stew recipe is an amazingly wholesome and easy-to-prepare meal that you’ll feel great about feeding your family! Cooking everything in one pot helps contain the mess and build incredible layers of flavor.
- Let’s Talk Beans!! This is the exact taste of Cowboy stew that my Girl Scout troop used to make. That said, some people find the baked beans, too sweet. I’ve received many suggestions (Hello, Texas! Love you!!) to use ranch-style beans, including the liquid in the can instead!
- Kielbasa – This recipe uses three types of meat for a fully dimensional flavor sensation! If you’re thinking about skipping one, don’t — I promise, it’s worth it. For instance, the kielbasa brings a delicious smokiness that the bacon and beef don’t have. You just can’t have cowboy stew without all these treats!
- Tomatoes – I use canned tomatoes for this recipe to save time in the prep stage as well as the cooking stage. And using petite diced tomatoes helps them break down even faster! If you can’t find petite, using crushed is a good alternative.
- Beans – I love the flavor and sweetness that comes with using canned baked beans in this stew! My favorite is good ol’ Bush’s Original, but you can use any brand at your store.
- Corn – Playing up the sweetness, even more, I use sweet corn in this recipe too. Sweet corn is NOT just corn canned with sugar — it’s a specific type of corn. So make sure you’re reading labels and not just getting plain corn with added sugar. Yuck!
How To Make Cowboy Stew Recipe
-
Cook bacon until brown and crispy in a large pot. Set aside.
-
Add the sausage to pot drippings and brown on both sides. Set aside.
-
Add beef, onion, and garlic to the pot.
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Brown until the beef is no longer pink.
-
Sprinkle flour, salt, pepper, and chili powder over beef. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
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Add diced tomatoes, baked beans, green chilies, sweet corn, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and water.
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Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
***See Full Instructions Below.
Cowboy Stew Crockpot Instructions
-
Cook bacon until brown and crispy in a large pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
-
Add the sausage to the pot drippings and brown on both sides, adjusting the heat as needed so the fond (brown bits on the bottom of the pot) does not burn. Remove to the plate with bacon; set aside.
-
Add beef, onion, and garlic to the pot and brown until the beef is no longer pink. Sprinkle flour, salt, pepper, and chili powder over beef. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add all meats to a large crockpot.
- Add diced tomatoes, baked beans, green chilies, sweet corn, potatoes, and water to crockpot.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Store your cowboy stew leftovers in an airtight container, and they’ll last in your fridge for up to four days. If saving space is a priority, you can put your cooled cowboy stew in a gallon-sized Ziploc.
- It does tend to thicken a little as it sits in the fridge so you may need to thin it out with a little water when you reheat it.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes and no. This cowboy stew recipe is fantastic for meal prep and it always helps to have a ready-made meal in the freezer. But the potatoes can be quite finicky in freezing temps, so you may want to leave those out — you can always add canned potatoes to this when it’s time to serve!
- If you do freeze it sans potatoes, you can let it sit in your freezer for up to three months. To thaw, let it sit in the fridge overnight. Then add your potatoes and reheat!
- Make Ahead Tips: This one-pot wonder comes together pretty quickly thanks to those canned goodies! The various meats can’t be cooked ahead because you need them to build the flavor for your stew, but you can always chop the onions, garlic, potatoes, and kielbasa ahead of time.
- The onions and garlic can be stored together, and the kielbasa can go in a sealed plastic bag — all of it can sit for up to a week in the fridge.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
Serving Recommendations
This cowboy stew recipe goes with pretty much any favorite chili and stew sides! Southern cornbread or Bisquick cornbread if you like it sweet, Bisquick biscuits, beer bread, or tender buttery crescent rolls. Looking for biscuits instead? I don’t blame you! Try my easy peasy Bisquick biscuits, butter swim biscuits, big ol’ cat head biscuits, or for a sweet addition, my Bo Berry biscuits!
I also like to add some veggies and crunch via my KFC coleslaw, strawberry spinach salad, carrot salad, or broccoli salad!
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More Hearty Soups And Stew
- Hungarian Goulash (Authentically Dee-Lish!!)
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Hamburger Stew
- Green Chile Stew
- Shipwreck Stew
Cowboy Stew
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 (12-ounce) package kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 2 (16-ounce) cans baked beans, with liquid
- 1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chilies, with liquid
- 1 (15-ounce) can sweet corn, with liquid
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook bacon until brown and crispy in a large pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
- Add the sausage to pot drippings and brown on both sides, adjusting heat as needed so fond (brown bits on the bottom of the pot) does not burn. Remove to the plate with bacon; set aside.
- Add beef, onion, and garlic to the pot and brown until the beef is no longer pink. Sprinkle flour, salt, pepper, and chili powder over beef. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes, baked beans, green chilies, sweet corn, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and water. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Garnish with parsley.
- Add additional water if stew is too thick.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Let’s Talk Beans!! This is the exact taste of Cowboy stew that my Girl Scout troop used to make. That said, some people find the baked beans, too sweet. I’ve received many suggestions (Hello, Texas! Love you!!) to use ranch-style beans, including the liquid in the can instead!
- Kielbasa – This recipe uses three types of meat for a fully dimensional flavor sensation! If you’re thinking about skipping one, don’t — I promise, it’s worth it. For instance, the kielbasa brings a delicious smokiness that the bacon and beef don’t have. You just can’t have cowboy stew without all these treats!
- Tomatoes – I use canned tomatoes for this recipe to save time in the prep stage as well as the cooking stage. And using petite diced tomatoes helps them break down even faster! If you can’t find petite, using crushed is a good alternative.
- Beans – I love the flavor and sweetness that comes with using canned baked beans in this stew! My favorite is good ol’ Bush’s Original, but you can use any brand at your store.
- Corn – Playing up the sweetness, even more, I use sweet corn in this recipe too. Sweet corn is NOT just corn canned with sugar — it’s a specific type of corn. So make sure you’re reading labels and not just getting plain corn with added sugar. Yuck!
Nutrition
Shauna says
This is on the stove right now! My house smells amazing. I cant wait to try this. I followed recipe to a T. ?
Kathleen says
Woooot! Hope you enjoy it, Shauna! ❤
Leslie says
Do you never drain the grease throughout the cooking process?
Kathleen says
You can after any of the browning stages.
Rea says
I made this with Maple Syrup flavored baked beans. I had my reservations, about the recipe. But the 1st spoonful & YUM! Amazing taste!
Kathleen says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Rea! 😀
Danielle W says
Followed the recipe exactly. This is so delicious! Wouldn’t change a thing. I have already forwarded this recipe to others.
Kathleen says
Thanks, Danielle! 😀
Carol says
Excellent
Kerry Wilson says
Incredible!! Husband and son loved it and they are hard to please and rarely like the same
thing. Added Mexican shredded chicken that I had frozen up and chicken sausage sliced (apple and italian). 2nd time I made it (just now) son asked for rib meat and steak to be added so baked country ribs. I bet it still tastes awesome! ….or “awesomer!”
Kathleen says
Woot! Way to go, Kerry! 😀
Tea H says
I tried it today and I used the tomatoes and chiles from one can.
I could not find them separately anyway it was deliciously seasoned just perfect!!
I will make this moving forward.
Ritz cracked taste great on the side?
Kathleen says
Woot! Glad you like it, Tea! 😀
Leigh Ostin says
On the stove right now, house smells great!!!!
Kathleen says
Woot! Way to go, Leigh! Enjoy your meal 😀
Kathleen says
Enjoy your meal, Leigh! 😀
Rhonda Throop says
I am making this for my husband for dinner and would like to make it with the macaroni. When would you add the macaroni so it doesn’t get overcooked??
Kathleen says
On step #4, around 10-12 minutes before the simmering is done. Hope this helps!
Kate says
Would you add the macaroni cooked or uncooked?
Kathleen says
Hi Kate! Add the macaroni uncooked. 😀
Todd Wilson says
Anyone make this in an Instant Port? Wondering how long it would need to be on high pressure?
Kathleen says
Hi Todd! You can refer to Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe for some inspo. 😀
Patty Wengler says
Todd, I just made this in my instant pot. I browned the meat first then put the remaining ingredients in, cooked for 10 minutes next time I’ll try 5. Used sweet potatoes instead of russets. Very yummy!
Trever Kitchens Sr says
Made the cowboys Stew today I use the recipe cooking all meat in the frying pan and then put everything into the crock pot and let it cool for 4 hours and it was perfect thank you for the recipe
Kathleen says
You’re welcome, Trever! 😀 So happy to hear you like it!
Kim mathis says
I was wondering about crock pot, did you cook on high or low setting for 4 hours?
Sonja Rutherford says
What kind of baked beans do you use? The ones for chilli with the chilli sauce or the baked beans that is served at like bbq’s? Thank you!?
Kathleen says
Hi, Sonja! I use Bush’s Original Baked Beans 😀
Amy says
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Kathleen says
Hi Amy! It’ll last for 4 days in the fridge. Enjoy! 😀
Chris Cramer-Sfetku says
The picture made my mouth water and I just had to make it! So, I just made this for the first time and it is delish!!!!! I’ll definitely make it again!
Thank you for the recipe??
Kathleen says
You’re very welcome, Chris!?
Gary says
Been making this at hunting camp for 42 yrs. We always called it grub. Sometimes used hot dogs instead of kielbasa
Kathleen says
Interesting, Gary❤️
Amy Sagehorn says
Can I cut this recipe in half? It’s just three of us here and my hubby will only eat left overs maybe once! (This drives me a little crazy!!)
Kathleen says
Hi Amy! Yes, you can 😀 Just look for the “servings” in the recipe card and hover over the number beside it then slide the bar to adjust the serving size. Hope this helps!
Ellerie says
Two bowls please!
Monica says
Just curious….with the tomatoes and also adding green chili’s, could you not just add rotel which has the petite tomatoes and chili’s already mixed??? Just wondering if that would be proportioned right, or should I just keep them separate??
Kathleen says
Hi Monica! I haven’t tried using rotel for this recipe before but I think you can give it a shot. Let me know how it turns out for you! Happy cooking! 😀
Andrew Krom says
An executive chef friend described Cowboy Stew as using only offal for protein.
Barb says
I made the cowboy stew today. It was absolutely delicious. I wanted seconds but was full. I highly recommend this recipe. Awesome! ????
Kathleen says
Thanks, Barb! 😀
Joan says
I made this for my husband and his co-workers and they loved it!
Kathleen says
Wow! That’s great, Joan! 😀
Jan says
We tried this tonight and I found it delicious!
Kathleen says
Thank you, Jan! SOOO happy to hear you like it! 😀
Jan says
Can I make this in my crockpot?
Kathleen says
Hi Jan! Yes, you can! Although I haven’t tried making it on a crockpot yet. But if you give this a try, please let me know how it turns out 😀 Happy cooking!