Cowboy Stew

Hearty Cowboy Stew

Cowboy stew is kind of like a mashup of cowboy beans, calico beans, and chili. Which is to say: it has LOTS of stuff in it, it has big bold flavor, and it’ll fill you up. Cowboy stew is a rich, flavorful one-pot meal, perfect for making over the campfire and feeding hungry cowboys on the trail—or hungry kids on a school night.

There are many ways to make cowboy stew, and the process is similar to making chili, where you brown the meat first, soften the vegetables, then add the seasonings and other ingredients, letting them simmer low and slow until all the flavors come together.

Reasons To Love Cowboy Stew

Supremely satisfying. This stew is absolutely packed with protein from the meats and beans, plus the beans and vegetables are rich in fiber, making it incredibly filling and satisfying. This is a stick-to-your-ribs type of meal! It will fill up even the hungriest cowboy in your family.

Easy to make. While there are a few vegetables to chop, cowboy stew largely relies on canned ingredients—because, you know, that’s what cowboys would do! Most of the time to make this recipe is hands-off simmering time. Cowboy stew isn’t fussy about time either. If your cowboys aren’t home from the range yet, cowboy stew is content to simmer on the back burner until everyone is ready to eat.

Versatile. This recipe can be adapted with different types of meat, vegetables, and beans, depending on what you have on hand or your family’s preferences. Pretty much anything goes.

Ingredient Notes

• Ground beef: The base of cowboy stew is typically made with ground beef but you can swap in ground turkey if you prefer it. I usually choose a lean ground beef such as 90/10 (ground sirloin) but use what you like. If you use ground meat with a higher fat content, you may want to drain off the excess fat after you brown it.
• Smoked sausage: Be sure you buy smoked sausage which is already cooked. It can be labeled simply smoked sausage but there are other types like kielbasa, Polish sausage, andouille, and so on. Choose your favorite.
• Bacon: For this recipe, meatier thick-cut bacon works best. Thin sliced bacon tends to disappear in this hearty stew.
• Yellow onion, green pepper, and garlic: These three savories form the backbone of flavor for cowboy stew. A yellow cooking onion is fine.
• All-purpose flour: Flour is used to slightly thicken the stew.
• Seasonings: Cowboy stew is seasoned much like chili with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
• Beef broth: I recommend low-sodium broth, which gives you more control over the salt level.
• Russet potatoes: Hearty chunks of potato help this stew live up to its name. You can’t have stew without potatoes! I like russet potatoes but you could use red potatoes, too. You’ll need 3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks.
• Canned tomatoes: There are two kinds of canned tomatoes in this stew: regular diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes with green chilies.
• Canned beans: Pinto beans and kidney beans are traditional choices but black beans and black-eyed peas would also work.
• Corn: Canned corn is convenient, but if you happen to have frozen corn on hand, you can swap that in.
• Optional garnishes: Green onions or chopped white onions, sliced jalapeños (or pickled jalapeños), shredded cheese, or sour cream.

How to Make Cowboy Stew

Cook the bacon. Add the chopped bacon to a large pot set over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it’s crisp; then transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon. (If you want, you can line the plate with paper towels to absorb extra grease.) Drain the bacon grease out of the pan but leave about a tablespoon in the pot.

Brown the beef. Add the ground beef to the pot and cook it with the bacon fat, increasing the heat to medium-high and breaking it up with a wooden spoon while it cooks. 

Add the sausage. Stir the sausage into the pot with the beef, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain off the excess fat if you’d like. 

Cook the aromatics. Stir in the chopped onion and green pepper. Cook for a few minutes to soften, then add the garlic, flour, and seasonings. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the spices are toasted and fragrant.

Deglaze the pan. Pour in the broth, let it sit for a few seconds, then scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Simmer. Stir in the potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and corn and increase the heat to medium-high. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through.

Finish. Just before serving, stir in the bacon. Taste the stew and add more salt and pepper if you like. Ladle the stew into bowls, and top with your favorite garnishes. Serve immediately.

Easy Recipe Variations

• Make it spicy. For a spicier cowboy stew, you have a few options. You can add diced jalapeños when you’re sautéing the onions and green peppers, add cayenne with the seasonings, or add hot sauce at the end of the cooking time. 
• Cheese it up. Stir in a shredded cheese like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack during the final minutes of cooking, or use cheese as a topping and let everyone add their own.
• Swap out the potatoes. You can use sweet potatoes or even cubed butternut squash instead. This is a good option if you plan on freezing your cowboy stew, since regular potatoes tend to get mealy when frozen and thawed.

Serving Suggestions

Refrigerator: Leftover cowboy stew can be stored in an airtight or covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. 

Freezer: This stew freezes well, with a slight caveat: potatoes are never quite the same when frozen and thawed. If you don’t mind the possibility that they will be mealy, store the cowboy stew in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

To reheat: Heat the stew in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. You may need to add a splash of broth or water to thin it out a bit.

• ▢ ½ pound thick cut bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef
• ▢ ½ pound smoked sausage, cut into ¼ inch slices (kielbasa or your favorite variety)
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• ▢ 1 large green pepper, diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• ▢ 4 cups beef broth
• ▢ 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ -inch cubes
• ▢ 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• ▢ 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (like Rotel)
• ▢ 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1 can (15 oz.) corn kernels, drained
• ▢ optional garnishes: green onions or chopped white onions

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon (you don’t have to measure!) of bacon fat.

  ½ pound thick cut bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces

• Add the ground beef to the pot with the bacon fat and cook over medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks.

  1 pound lean ground beef

• Add the sliced sausage and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Drain excess fat if desired.

  ½ pound smoked sausage, cut into ¼ inch slices

• Add the onion and green pepper to the pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, flour, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring.

  1 medium yellow onion, diced, 1 large green pepper, diced, 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• Add the beef broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

  4 cups beef broth

• Add the potatoes, both types of tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, and corn. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.

  3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ -inch cubes, 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained, 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained, 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained, 1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained, 1 can (15 oz.) corn kernels, drained

• Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the stew cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

• Stir in the cooked bacon just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or chili powder as desired.

• Ladle into bowls and garnish with toppings such as sliced jalapeños, shredded cheese, or sour cream.

• Storage & reheating: Refrigerate leftover cowboy stew for up to 4 days. Freeze cowboy stew for up to 3 months (note: the potatoes will become slightly mealy). Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat the stew in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat or individual bowls in the microwave. Add extra broth or water to thin it out a bit if necessary. 
• Potato alternatives: If you plan on freezing cowboy stew, consider using sweet potatoes or butternut squash instead of potatoes. Alternatively, you could simply omit the potatoes. The stew could be served on mashed potatoes or rice instead.
• Make it spicy: Add diced jalapeños when you’re sautéing the onions and green peppers OR add cayenne with the seasonings OR add hot sauce at the end of the cooking time OR all three if you like it really spicy!

Serving: 1.75cup, Calories: 529kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 1184mg, Potassium: 1449mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 326IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 105mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!