Top 5 QUICK + EASY Dinner Recipes!

Gonna Want Seconds logo

cowboy stew with bacon in a bowl

Cowboy Stew

By | 346 Comments

Dinner’s on! My Cowboy Stew recipe combines three types of tender meat with beans & veggies in a one-pot wonder delicious enough to everyone!

JUMP TO RECIPE

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy. 

My Cowboy Stew recipe is one part Beef Stew, one part Classic Chili, and five parts delicious comfort food. With three kinds of meat and plenty of hearty vegetables, it’s a rustic, stick-to-your-ribs dinner that always has everyone going back for seconds.

If you’re looking for something similar but a little brothier, be sure to try my Cowboy Soup, which has the same bold flavors in a cozy soup version.

If you’re new to cowboy stew, there are two delicious ways to make it — and the beans you choose change the flavor of the stew.

BBQ baked beans give the stew a slightly sweet, nostalgic flavor. This is the version many Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops made at campouts.

Ranch Style beans aren’t sweet and create a richer, more savory stew. If you’re making cowboy stew for the first time, this is usually the version most people prefer.

Love hearty stew recipes? Try my Old Fashioned Beef Stew, Pork Stew (one of the most popular recipes on the site!),, and my fabulous next.

Let’s make this stew!

Cowboy Stew in a bowl

 

What Is Cowboy Stew?

Cowboy stew is thicker and heartier than Cowboy Soup. While Cowboy Soup has a rich broth, cowboy stew cooks down into a chunkier, more filling dish that’s closer to a chili-style 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

Ladle scooping cowboy stew with ground beef from the pot

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 with bacon in a bowl

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. Baked beans add a sweetness to the stew. If that doesn’t appeal to you, use Ranch Style instead!
  • 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!

Spoon scooping cowboy stew with sausage in a bowl

How To Make Cowboy Stew Recipe

Step by step how to make cowboy stew

  1. Cook bacon until brown and crispy in a large pot. Set aside.
  2. Add the sausage to pot drippings and brown on both sides. Set aside.
  3. Add beef, onion, and garlic to the pot.
  4. Brown until the beef is no longer pink.
  5. Sprinkle flour, salt, pepper, and chili powder over beef. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  6. Add diced tomatoes, baked beans, green chilies, sweet corn, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and water.
  7. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

***See Full Instructions Below.

Cowboy Stew Crockpot Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Add all meats to a large crockpot.
  5. Add diced tomatoes, baked beans, green chilies, sweet corn, potatoes, and water to crockpot.
  6. 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!

Craving more delicious recipes? I hope you’ll join our cooking family!  Subscribe to Gonna Want Seconds and receive all our latest recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Absolutely free to you and we never share your email address.

More Hearty Stew Recipes

Tried This Recipe?

💌 And while you’re here, don’t miss the next cozy recipe — subscribe to my totally FREE newsletter so you’ll always have comfort food favorites at your fingertips. 💌

If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and a quick comment — I love hearing from you and it helps our community of bakers and cooks!

📸 And if you Gram… don’t forget to share your photo on Instagram — tag me @gonnawantseconds so I can cheer you on and share your creations!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy cooking, friends! 💗 Kathleen

Save Recipe!
Cowboy Stew in a bowl
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cowboy Stew

Dinner's on! My Cowboy Stew recipe combines three types of tender meat with beans & veggies in a one-pot wonder delicious enough to everyone!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Kathleen

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 (sweeter) or ranch beans (more savory) 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.
    Step 1 how to make cowboy stew, Cook bacon until brown and crispy in a large pot. Set aside.
  • 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.
    Step 2 how to make cowboy stew with ground beef, Add the sausage to pot drippings and brown on both sides. 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.
    Step 4 how to make cowboy stew with sausage, Brown until the beef is no longer pink.
  • 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.
    Step 6 how to make cowboy stew with ground beef, Add diced tomatoes, baked beans, green chilies, sweet corn, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and water. Boil
  • Garnish with parsley.
  • Add additional water if stew is too thick.

Fans Also Made:

RATE THIS RECIPE
Save Recipe!

Notes

  1. 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!
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

Serving: 1/8 of the recipe | Calories: 745kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 2049mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I'D LOVE TO SEE!Tag @GonnaWantSeconds or #gonnawantseconds on Instagram!
© Gonna Want Seconds. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Meagan says

    Have you ever mixed everything earlier in the day, put it in the fridge and then heated it later that day for dinner? Wondering how it would turn out?

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      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.

      But you can store the leftovers in the fridge.

      Reply

  4. Tami says

    I was trying to decide between this and minestrone so to this I added shell macaroni and then fresh cut green beans because my mama always said every dinner needs something green 😂. When a recipe calls for tomatoes and green chillies, I like to take the opportunity to use an older jar of my canned salsa to make room for next year’s bounty.
    I was searching for something satisfying and different from our usual and this fit beautifully. I will be adding it to my list of seasonal soups. Oh, and I served it with fresh sourdough bread.

    Reply

  6. Memi says

    Simple and tasty. We used deer sausage & of course being from the south had to put our Cajun seasonings in it.

    Reply

  7. Melissa says

    Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! My kids loved it. I didn’t have russet potatoes so I used sweet potatoes. I also didn’t have baked beans so I used pinto beans and beef bone broth. I also didn’t have bacon thawed so I didn’t use that but this dish turned out great and I think can easily be made with many variations and still taste great. I will be making this again for sure!

    Reply

  8. Janita says

    This has become a staple in my house full
    of manly appetites. They love it! It’s in the heavy dinner rotation for fall and winter and I have a feeling I’ll be making this one forever. Thanks for another awesome idea!

    Reply

  9. Reba says

    Holy cow! This is like a cross between Texas chili and an adult version of franks and beans.
    My husband and I devoured it! I can imagine it will be just as good the next day, if not even better.
    Highly recommend!!!

    Reply

  10. Sonya Heideman says

    Thank you, once again, for an awesome recipe! Delicious! My husband said, “Wow! Tasty!!”

    Of course, I made your incredible Beer Bread to go along with it.

    When he asked about the recipe, I told my husband it was from you — and mentioned another of our favorites — your Hamburger Stew.

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      You’re amazing, Sonya! Thank you so much for trying our recipes and for your positive review 🙂 Cowboy stew and beer bread are really perfect together, right?

      Reply

  11. Kim says

    This sounds delicious! When you say baked beans, do you mean something like Bush’s baked beans?
    Thank you for sharing
    Kim

    Reply

  14. Connie Huey Morrow says

    Made this tonight for first time!! No bacon used and I used beef broth instead of water and added a can of cream of chicken!! Teenage son Loved it!! Will definitely make again!!

    Reply

  15. Ru says

    Oh, my WORD!! I just made this for our staff “snack” week, tasted it, and yummy!! I used beef smoked sausage along with the kielbasa, added cayenne pepper, and did not use the green chiles. I cannot wait for everyone to taste this.
    Thank you so much.

    Reply

  18. Marissa Buchmueller says

    Made it exactly to the recipe the first time! Yum! This is my favorite version now. Second time I realized I didn’t have green chilis, so I put in some fire roasted tomatoes instead of regular ones. It worked! Also, somehow I was out of bacon…..so, this is a great recipe that really is quite moldable to what you have in your pantries. No wonder cowboys made it on the trail.

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      Hi, Marissa! I agree, whatever ingredients you have on hand will do 🙂
      I’m glad you like this stew. Thank you for your positive feedback!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

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

Recipe Rating




664K Shares
Pin
Share
Email