Brunswick stew
The Southern barbecue-joint stew: smoky, tangy tomato broth full of shredded chicken, butter beans, corn and potatoes.
- 75 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 6
- About $2.37 a serving
- 410 calories
- Good the next day
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 oz
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes, check the box: most cubes make 2 cups each
- ½ cup bbq sauce
- 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs
- 1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 410 calories, 31 g protein, 56 g carbs and 8 g fat, and costs about $2.37 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No Yukon Gold potatoes? Russet potatoes or red potatoes work.
- No crushed tomatoes? Diced tomatoes work.
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion and potatoes and the garlic.
Dice. Dicing means cutting food into small, even cubes, usually a quarter to half an inch across. Pieces the same size cook at the same speed, so nothing burns while the rest catches up.
How you’ll know: Your pieces are little cubes about the size of a chickpea, and they all look close to the same.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika for 30 seconds.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min 30 sec
Add the crushed tomatoes, water, bouillon cubes, barbecue sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper and potatoes and over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Lay the chicken thighs in whole, turn the heat to low, cover and for 25 minutes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 25 min
Lift the chicken onto a board and check it: 165°F in the thickest part, or no pink inside. it with two forks and stir it back in.
Shred. Shredding means making thin strips, either on the big holes of a grater or by pulling cooked meat apart with two forks. Shreds soak up sauce and mix evenly through a dish.
How you’ll know: Cooked chicken pulls apart into strands with little effort, and cheese comes off in long, loose strips.
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Stir in the butter beans and corn and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: Brunswick stew should be thick enough to stand a spoon in. Keep simmering with the lid off until it is.Taste, add salt or more vinegar until it’s tangy and smoky, and serve with hot sauce on the side.
Splash. A splash is a small, quick pour, about a teaspoon to a tablespoon. It’s there to loosen or brighten a dish, so the exact amount doesn’t matter.
How you’ll know: The dish looks a little looser or tastes a little brighter, not soupy.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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